Menstruating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A biological phenomenon in which there is periodic expulsion of blood and tissue from the uterus
2. A normal physiological process involving the monthly release of blood from the inner lining of the uterus
3. A natural cycle characterized by the rhythmic shedding of the uterine lining accompanied by bleeding and hormonal changes

Etymology: Menstruating comes from a Latin word that once described a monthly rhythm rather than bodily blood. The Latin "mēnstruus" meant "monthly," built from "mēnsis" ("month"), and the noun "mēnstruum" was its neuter form, used for things that happened or lasted for a month. English took "menstruum" as a term for a solvent, the sense of a liquid that dissolves a substance, which is a striking detour from the calendar meaning. The verb "menstruate" was then formed in English from "menstruum" with the verb-forming suffix "-ate," which turns a noun into an action such as "activate" or "calculate." The participle "menstruating" is therefore an ordinary English verb form built on that stem, with its sense of monthly bleeding developing from the older monthly meaning of the Latin root.

Synonyms: periodic bleeding