vulva
Americannoun
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vulvae,
plural
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vulvas
plural
noun
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vulvas
plural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonvulvaladjective
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nonvulvaradjective
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vulvaladjective
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vulvaradjective
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vulvateadjective
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vulviformadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of vulva
Borrowed into English from Latin around 1540–50
Compare meaning
How does vulva compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The vulva is the external parts of the vagina, and the vulva is important for both sex and birth. While many words have many meanings, vulva is not one of those words. The only thing this word refers to is the external (outside) parts of the vagina. This includes the labia, the opening of the urethra, and the clitoris, which is the female sexual organ. You can think of the vulva as the opening to the vagina, but it is also very important in itself.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the womb, they will develop a male anatomy until the final stage of growing a penis - and when they are not able to, then they’ll start developing a vulva and a clitoris.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2024
In a 2018 study in the journal Sexual Medicine, Dr. Rubin, Dr. Goldstein and colleagues found that a failure to examine the vulva and clitoris led doctors to regularly overlook sexual health conditions.
From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2022
I am an 18-year-old person with a vulva, and I have no interest in having sex with other people, partly due to gender dysphoria.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2021
Dr. Megan Evans, MD, Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Tufts Medical Center, said the ingredients that are often used in bath bombs can cause "irritation and inflammation to the vulva."
From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2021
The mucous membrane, or the lining of the vulva and vagina, in little girls is very tender, and therefore very readily subject to infection.
From Woman Her Sex and Love Life by William J. Robinson
Pruritis vulvae is due to parasites, or to irritating discharges, as leucorrhoea, and is frequent in diabetic subjects.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various
But still I lifted out The ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus, The vagina and vulvae.
From Domesday Book by Edgar Lee Masters
Kraurosis vulvae, first described by Lawson Tait in 1875, is an atrophic change accompanied by pain and a yellowish discharge; the cause is unknown.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various
Perhaps one of the most annoying and obstinate symptoms of the menopause is pruritus vulvae.
From The Four Epochs of Woman's Life; a study in hygiene by Anna M. (Anna Mary) Galbraith
This oversight has the potential to harm women, as well as trans men and other people with vulvas.
From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2022
“Any kid can have any type of body,” the presentation states, adding that boys can have vulvas and girls can have penises.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 1, 2022
Shame is one factor that contributes to women, transgender men and nonbinary people with vulvas receiving worse or delayed care.
From New York Times ● Sep. 21, 2021
Actress and liberal activist Debra Messing apologized this week after her Instagram photo of cupcakes decorated as vulvas offended members of the trans community.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 12, 2019
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
