menstruum

men·stru·um

M0220600 (mĕn′stro͞o-əm)n. pl. men·stru·ums or men·stru·a (-stro͞o-ə) A solvent, especially one used in extracting compounds from the tissues of organisms.

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[Middle English, menstruation, from Medieval Latin mēnstruum, sing. of Latin mēnstrua, menses; see menstruate.]

menstruum

(ˈmɛnstrʊəm) n, pl -struums or -strua (-strʊə) 1. (Pharmacology) a solvent, esp one used in the preparation of a drug2. (Pharmacology) a solid formulation of a drug[C17 (meaning: solvent), C14 (menstrual discharge): from Medieval Latin, from Latin mēnstruus monthly, from mēnsis month; from an alchemical comparison between a base metal being transmuted into gold and the supposed action of the menses]

sol•vent

(ˈsɒl vənt)

adj. 1. able to pay all just debts. 2. having the power of dissolving; causing solution. n. 3. a substance that dissolves another to form a solution: Water is a solvent for sugar. 4. something that solves or explains. [1620–30; < Latin solvent-, s. of solvēns, present participle of solvere to loosen. See solve, -ent] sol′vent•ly, adv.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	menstruum - (archaic) a solventarchaicism, archaism - the use of an archaic expressiondissolvent, dissolver, dissolving agent, resolvent, solvent - a liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances; "the solvent does not change its state in forming a solution"
	2.	menstruum - the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause; "the women were sickly and subject to excessive menstruation"; "a woman does not take the gout unless her menses be stopped"--Hippocrates; "the semen begins to appear in males and to be emitted at the same time of life that the catamenia begin to flow in females"--Aristotlecatamenia, menses, menstruation, period, flowexpelling, discharge, emission - any of several bodily processes by which substances go out of the body; "the discharge of pus"hypermenorrhea, menorrhagia - abnormally heavy or prolonged menstruation; can be a symptom of uterine tumors and can lead to anemia if prolongedoligomenorrhea - abnormally light or infrequent menstruation