Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The first menstrual period of a girl or woman.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The onset of menstruation; the beginning of the menstrual period. A girl's first period.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the first occurrence of menstruation in a woman

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[men(o)– + Greek arkhē, beginning (from arkhein, to begin).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

First attested 1900, from German Menarche (1895), formed from meno- ("menstruation") + Ancient Greek ἀρχή (arche, "beginning").

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Examples

  • Could it be that earlier menarche is actually more normal than later menarche?

    Dr. Sharma’s Obesity Notes » Blog Archive » Mother’s Weight Determines Daughter’s Menarche? 2009

  • And he's right: though they can be affected by such factors as weight, physical activity, and environmental toxins, the average age of menarche is around twelve and a half, and the average age of spermarche is around fourteen.

    Archive 2008-11-01 2008

  • And he's right: though they can be affected by such factors as weight, physical activity, and environmental toxins, the average age of menarche is around twelve and a half, and the average age of spermarche is around fourteen.

    News from the Fish Bowl 2008

  • A new study suggests that the earlier a woman reached this milestone of puberty, called menarche, the slightly faster her kids will grow.

    FOXNews.com 2010

  • The onset of menstruation, called menarche, happens at puberty.

    unknown title 2009

  • AdvertisementMost girls get their first menstrual period, called menarche, between the ages of nine and 16.

    unknown title 2009

  • Probably, mens and womens opinions on the number of kids they want is irrelevant (biologically speaking) because reproduction is a bye-product of sex, and the family size is determined mainly by female factors such as menarche, menopause, and breast feeding (which spaces-out the children) - plus infanticide/abandonment as a last resort.

    Who Wants More Kids?, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009

  • It also explains the functioning of hypothalamo - pituitary - gonadal-uterine axis and phenomena such as menarche and menopause.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows supri1278 2010

  • The manga deals with topics of importance to adolescents, especially girls, such as menarche, the growth of breasts (and the acquisition of a brassiere), new hair growth, as well as more social matters; all of these are illustrated in appropriate detail.

    AnimeBlogger.net Antenna 2009

  • The manga deals with topics of importance to adolescents, especially girls, such as menarche, the growth of breasts (and the acquisition of a brassiere), new hair growth, as well as more social matters; all of these are illustrated in appropriate detail.

    AnimeBlogger.net Antenna 2009

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