pubescence
|pjuː-bes-əns|
/pjuːˈbɛsəns/
becoming mature; hairy covering
Etymology
'pubescence' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'pubescere' (present infinitive) and the participial stem 'pubesc-' meaning 'to reach maturity' or 'to grow up'.
'pubescence' passed into English via Medieval/Neo-Latin forms such as 'pubescentia' and the adjective 'pubescens', and eventually became the modern English noun 'pubescence'.
Initially, it referred generally to 'growing up' or 'reaching maturity' in Latin; over time English usage narrowed to denote the biological stage of puberty in humans and, by extension, the hairy covering on plants and animals.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the stage of physical development during which a person becomes capable of sexual reproduction; puberty; the period of adolescence when secondary sexual characteristics appear.
She entered pubescence at about eleven years of age.
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Noun 2
a covering of fine short hairs or down on a plant or organism; the state of being pubescent (hairy).
The underside of the leaf has a soft pubescence that helps reduce water loss.
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Last updated: 2025/09/12 01:25