puberty

noun pu·ber·ty \ˈpyü-bər-tē\

: the period of life when a person's sexual organs mature and he or she becomes able to have children

Full Definition of PUBERTY

: the condition of being or the period of becoming first capable of reproducing sexually marked by maturing of the genital organs, development of secondary sex characteristics, and in the human and in higher primates by the first occurrence of menstruation in the female

: the age at which puberty occurs often construed legally as 14 in boys and 12 in girls

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Origin of PUBERTY

Middle English puberte, from Latin pubertas, from puber pubescent

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Physiology Terms

eructation, flux, gustatory, menarche, myopia, senescence, torpor

PUBERTY Defined for Kids

puberty

noun pu·ber·ty \ˈpyü-bər-tē\

Definition of PUBERTY for Kids

: the age at or period during which the body of a boy or girl matures and becomes capable of reproducing

Medical Dictionary

puberty

noun pu·ber·ty \ˈpyü-bərt-ē\

plural pu·ber·ties

Medical Definition of PUBERTY

: the condition of being or the period of becoming first capable of reproducing sexually marked by maturing of the genital organs, development of secondary sex characteristics, and in humans and the higher primates by the first occurrence of menstruation in the female

: the age at which puberty occurs being typically between 13 and 16 years in boys and 11 and 14 in girls and often construed legally as 14 in boys and 12 in girls