trimester
trimester
UK[traɪˈmɛstə]US[traɪˈmɛstər]
n
A period of three months, especially one of the three three-month periods into which a human pregnancy is divided.
n
One of the three terms into which the academic year is divided in some educational systems.
Morpheme Breakdown
tri
mester
tri
three
mester
month
Etymology
The word "trimester" is a direct borrowing from French, which itself was formed from Latin components. The first element, "tri-", is the Latin prefix for "three". The second element, "-mester", derives from the Latin word "mensis", meaning "month", which passed through French where it took the form "-mestre". The literal construction thus means "a period of three months". This logical division was applied to academic calendars and, most notably in modern usage, to the three distinct phases of human pregnancy, providing a clear temporal framework for medical and developmental tracking.
Analysis
Structure: tri (three) + mester (month)
tri (Latin, meaning "three"); mester (from Latin mensis, meaning "month", via French -mestre)
Examples
The first trimester of pregnancy is often associated with morning sickness.
The university's academic year is split into three trimesters.
She completed the project in a single trimester.