pessary
Americannoun
plural
pessaries-
a device worn in the vagina to support a displaced uterus.
-
a vaginal suppository.
noun
-
a device for inserting into the vagina, either as a support for the uterus or ( diaphragm pessary ) to deliver a drug, such as a contraceptive
-
a medicated vaginal suppository
Etymology
Origin of pessary
1350–1400; Middle English pessarie < Late Latin pessārium a suppository, equivalent to Latin pess ( um ), pess ( us ) (< Greek pessós oval stone used in a game) + -ārium -ary
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.
A common treatment for prolapse, a device called a pessary, actually resembles a menstrual cup.
From Salon • Oct. 25, 2024
She added that she left hospital with a pessary, anti-blood clotting injections and a leaflet on pelvic floor exercises.
From BBC • May 23, 2023
A nonsurgical treatment that’s often recommended is the use of a pessary, a small device, usually made of silicone, that’s placed in the vagina to support the pelvic organs.
From US News • Jul. 27, 2016
A pessary, Gordon says, is “a version of a diaphragm.”
From National Geographic • Feb. 19, 2016
The rubber pessary should not be worn continuously.
From Safe Marriage A Return to Sanity by Lane, William Arbuthnot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
