trimester

American  

[trahy-mes-ter, trahy-mes-] / traɪˈmɛs tər, ˈtraɪ mɛs- /

noun

1. a term or period of three months.

2. one of the three approximately equal terms into which the year is divided by some colleges, schools, etc.

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trimester British  

/ traɪˈmɛstə /

noun

1. a period of three months

2. (in some US and Canadian universities or schools) any of the three academic sessions

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Other Word Forms

• trimestral adjective
• trimestrial adjective

Etymology

Origin of trimester

1815–25; < French trimestre < Latin trimē ( n ) stris of three months, equivalent to tri- tri- + -mē ( n ) stris ( semester )

Example Sentences

Scientists have shown that this ratio reflects the balance of estrogen and testosterone a fetus is exposed to during the first trimester of pregnancy.

From Science Daily

"I literally spent the first whole of my first trimester in bed on ice cubes, because I couldn't eat or drink," she said.

From BBC

Late in her third trimester, doctors diagnosed her with placenta accreta, a potentially life-threatening condition in which the placenta grows too far into the wall of the uterus.

From The Wall Street Journal

They note that because the hepatitis B test is typically done in the first trimester, women can still become infected later in pregnancy or some might not get tested at all.

From The Wall Street Journal

That last night in 2014, I was also nearing the end of the first trimester of my first pregnancy.

From Salon