menopause

menopause
Permanent cessation of the menses; termination of the menstrual life. [meno- + G. pausis, cessation]
- premature m. failure of cyclic ovarian function before age 40. SYN: premature ovarian failure.

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meno·pause 'men-ə-.pȯz, 'mēn- n
1 a ) (1) the natural cessation of menstruation occurring usu. between the ages of 45 and 55 with a mean in Western cultures of approximately 51 (2) the physiological period in the life of a woman in which such cessation and the accompanying regression of ovarian function occurs called also climacteric compare perimenopause
b) cessation of menstruation from other than natural causes (as from surgical removal of the ovaries)
2) andropause
meno·paus·al .men-ə-'pȯ-zəl, .mēn- adj

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n.
the time in a woman's life when the ovaries cease to produce an egg cell every four weeks: menstruation ceases and the woman is no longer able to bear children. The menopause can occur at any age between the middle thirties and the middle fifties, most commonly between 45 and 55 (the median age is 51). Natural menopause can only be established in retrospect after 12 consecutive months of amenorrhoea. Around the time of the menopause (the perimenopause) there are marked changes in the menstrual cycle. Menstruation may decrease gradually in successive periods or the intervals between the periods may lengthen; alternatively there may be a sudden and complete stoppage of the periods. There is a change in the balance of sex hormones in the body, which sometimes leads to hot flushes and other vasomotor symptoms, palpitations, and dryness of the mucous membrane lining the vagina. Some women may also experience emotional disturbances. Some of these symptoms may be alleviated by hormone replacement therapy. The term 'menopause' is also used for the postmenopausal period.
menopausal adj.

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meno·pause (menґə-pawz″) [meno- + pause] cessation of menstruation in the human female, occurring usually around the age of 50. See also climacteric. menopausal adj

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • MÉNOPAUSE — Cessation de l’activité ovarienne de la femme. Habituellement, la ménopause survient vers cinquante ans, avec des variations en plus ou moins de deux à trois ans. Elle peut survenir précocement, dès vingt ou vingt cinq ans, ou prématurément, aux… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • menopause — (n.) 1852 (from 1845 as a French word in English), from Fr. ménopause, from medical Latin menopausis, from Gk. men (gen. menos) month (see MOON (Cf. moon) (n.)) + pausis a cessation, a pause, from pauein to cause to cease (see PAUSE (Cf. pause)… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Menopause — Men o*pause, n. [Gr. mh n month + ? to cause to cease. See {Menses}.] (Med.) The period of natural cessation of menstruation. See {Change of life}, under {Change}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Menopause — (griech.), das Aufhören der Menstruation in den sogen. klimakterischen Jahren …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Menopause — (grch.), Zeit des Nachlassens der Menstruation (s.d.) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • menopause — ► NOUN ▪ the ceasing of menstruation or the period in a woman s life (typically between 45 and 50) when this occurs. DERIVATIVES menopausal adjective. ORIGIN from Greek m n month + PAUSE(Cf. ↑pause) …   English terms dictionary

  • menopause — [men′ə pôz΄] n. [< Gr mēn (gen. mēnos), month, MOON + pauein, to bring to an end: see PAUSE] the permanent cessation of menstruation, normally beginning between the ages of 45 and 50, or the period during which this occurs; female climacteric; …   English World dictionary

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  • Ménopause — Classification internationale des maladies CIM 10 : E28.3, N95.1 La ménopause, du grec méno, règles et pause, arrêt, appelée aussi âge climatérique, est l arrêt des règles. Lors de la ménopause, la femme ne possède plus suffisamment de follicules …   Wikipédia en Français

  • menopause — /men euh pawz /, n. Physiol. 1. the period of permanent cessation of menstruation, usually occurring between the ages of 45 and 55. 2. See male menopause. [1870 75; < F ménopause. See MENO , PAUSE] * * * Final cessation of menstruation, ending… …   Universalium

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