menses

American  

[men-seez] / ˈmɛn siz /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the periodic flow of blood and mucosal tissue from the uterus; menstrual flow.

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menses British  

/ ˈmɛnsiːz /

noun

1. another name for menstruation

2. the period of time, usually from three to five days, during which menstruation occurs

3. the matter discharged during menstruation

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menses Scientific  

/ mĕn′sēz /

1. See menstruation

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Etymology

Origin of menses

1590–1600; < Latin mēnsēs, plural of mēnsis month

Example Sentences

"Discrepancies in the incidence of who gets migraine attacks associated with menses is likely due to premenopausal women having more regular menstrual cycles and thus more menstrual-related migraines," says Ailani.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2024

But restoring the menses before quickening was neither immoral or illegal.

From Slate • Jun. 1, 2022

A doctor researching mifepristone in the 1980s said the drug would prove useful “as a menses inducer for women who are late with their periods.”

From Slate • May 13, 2022

Elizabeth Ward, a Boston-based dietitian and co-author of “The Menopause Diet Plan,” notes that sudden changes in weight can also affect menses.

From Washington Post • Aug. 21, 2020

I have always had good health, never any trouble with my menses, always regular until two or three months before my husband died, which was March 25, 1901.

From Treatise on the Diseases of Women by Pinkham, Lydia Estes