Catamenia (Noun)
Meaning
The monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause; "the women were sickly and subject to excessive menstruation"; "a woman does not take the gout unless her menses be stopped"--Hippocrates; "the semen begins to appear in males and to be emitted at the same time of life that the catamenia begin to flow in females"--Aristotle.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- The doctor explained to her patient that irregular catamenia could be a sign of an underlying hormonal imbalance.
- Women with heavy catamenia often experience fatigue and mood swings during their periods.
- The ancient Greek physician believed that catamenia was a necessary purging of the body's excess blood.
- The woman's catamenia had stopped suddenly, leading her to suspect that she might be pregnant.
- In some cultures, women are still shunned during their catamenia, forced to live apart from their families until their periods have ended.