puberty

Puberty is the point in life when an adolescent becomes able to sexually reproduce.

(noun)

An example of puberty is a girl beginning to menstruate.

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See puberty in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the stage of physical development when secondary sex characteristics develop and sexual reproduction first becomes possible: in common law, the age of puberty is generally fixed at fourteen for boys and twelve for girls

Origin: ME puberte < L pubertas < puber, of ripe age, adult, prob. akin to puer, boy

Related Forms:

See puberty in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
The stage of adolescence in which an individual becomes physiologically capable of sexual reproduction.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English puberte

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin pūbertās

Origin: , from pūbēs, pūber-, adult

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Related Forms:

  • puˈber·tal, puˈber·al (-bər-əl) adjective

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