PREPUBESCENT Meaning and
Definition
-
Prepubescent refers to the stage of life preceding puberty in humans. It describes the period of childhood during which a child has not yet reached sexual maturity. Typically, this stage occurs between the ages of 9 and 12 for girls, and between the ages of 10 and 13 for boys.
The term prepubescent is derived from the Latin words "pre-" meaning before, and "pubescere" meaning to grow hair or reach puberty. It signifies a developmental phase characterized by the absence of secondary sexual characteristics such as developing breasts in girls or facial hair growth in boys.
Physically, prepubescent children show few signs of sexual maturation. They have not yet experienced the growth spurts associated with puberty, their bodies are relatively lean and underdeveloped, and they have not started to menstruate (in girls) or produce sperm (in boys).
Cognitively and emotionally, prepubescents also exhibit a range of characteristics specific to this period of life. They may be transitioning from concrete thinking to more abstract reasoning but may still display cognitive immaturity. Emotionally, prepubescents often experience heightened sensitivity and vulnerability, exhibiting both childlike innocence and occasional bouts of rebellion or moodiness.
In conclusion, "prepubescent" describes the transitional stage in a child's life before sexual maturity, encompassing physical, cognitive, and emotional aspects of development specific to this age group.
-
Prior to the period of puberty.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Top Common Misspellings for PREPUBESCENT *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for PREPUBESCENT
Etymology of PREPUBESCENT
The word "prepubescent" is derived from Latin and Greek roots.
The prefix "pre-" comes from the Latin word "prae-", which means "before" or "in front of".
The word "pubescent" comes from Latin "pubescens", the present participle of "pubescere", which means "to reach puberty" or "to become sexually mature". This Latin word is derived from "puber", meaning "adult" or "grown-up".
Therefore, "prepubescent" literally means "before reaching puberty" and is used to describe the stage of development before the onset of puberty.
Similar spelling words for PREPUBESCENT
Infographic
Add the infographic to your website:
