climacteric

climacteric
I. adjective Etymology: Latin climactericus, from Greek klimaktērikos, from klimaktēr critical point, literally, rung of a ladder, from klimak-, klimax ladder Date: 1582 1. constituting or relating to a climacteric 2. critical, crucial II. noun Date: circa 1630 1. a major turning point or critical stage 2. a. menopause b. a period in the life of a male corresponding to female menopause and usually occurring with less well-defined physiological and psychological changes 3. the marked and sudden rise in the respiratory rate of fruit just prior to full ripening

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Climacteric — can refer to: Climacteric year, in astrology Climacteric (human), a phase in human, specially female, development Climacteric (botany), a stage of fruit ripening Climacteric (journal), a journal published by Informa Healthcare This disambiguation …   Wikipedia

  • Climacteric — Cli*mac ter*ic (? or ?; 277), a. [L. climactericus, Gr. ?. See {Climacter}.] Relating to a climacteric; critical. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • climacteric — CLIMACTÉRIC, Ă adj. referitor la climacteriu. (< engl. climacteric) Trimis de raduborza, 15.09.2007. Sursa: MDN …   Dicționar Român

  • climacteric — c.1600 (adj.), 1620s (n.), from L. climactericus, from Gk. klimakterikos of a critical period, from klimakter rung of a ladder (see CLIMAX (Cf. climax)). A critical stage in human life, a period supposed to be especially liable to change. By some …   Etymology dictionary

  • climacteric — ► NOUN 1) Medicine the period of life when fertility is in decline; (in women) the menopause. 2) a critical period or event. ► ADJECTIVE 1) having extreme and far reaching implications or results; critical. 2) Medicine characteristic of or… …   English terms dictionary

  • climacteric — [klī mak′tər ik, klī΄mak ter′ik] n. [L climactericus < Gr klimaktērikos < klimaktēr, round of a ladder < klimax, ladder: see CLIMAX] 1. a period in the life of a person when an important physiological change occurs; specif., the period… …   English World dictionary

  • Climacteric — Cli*mac ter*ic, n. 1. A period in human life in which some great change is supposed to take place in the constitution. The critical periods are thought by some to be the years produced by multiplying 7 into the odd numbers 3, 5, 7, and 9; to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • climacteric — index critical (crucial), crossroad (turning point), crucial, emergency, timeliness Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • climacteric — 1. The period of endocrinal, somatic, and transitory psychologic changes occurring in the transition to menopause. 2. A critical period of life. SYN: climacterium. [G. klimakter, the rung of a ladder] * * * cli·mac·ter·ic klī mak t(ə )rik, .klī… …   Medical dictionary

  • climacteric — 1. noun a) A period in human life in which some great change is supposed to take place in the constitution. The critical periods are thought by some to be the years produced by multiplying 7 into the odd numbers 3, 5, 7, and 9; to which others… …   Wiktionary

  • climacteric — climactic, climatic, climacteric Climactic means ‘forming a climax’ and is a favourite word of sports reporters and theatre critics • (I pleasurably recall the climactic, closing minutes of the first act Evening Standard, 2006) climatic means… …   Modern English usage

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