vulva

[ vuhl-vuh ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural vul·vae [vuhl, -vee], vul·vas.

1. the external female genitalia.

vulva

/ ˈvʌlvə; ˈvʌlvɪˌfɔːm; ˈvʌlveɪt /

noun

1. the external genitals of human females, including the labia, mons veneris, clitoris, and the vaginal orifice

vulva

/ vŭl′və /

, Plural vulvas vŭl′vē′

1. The external genitals of female mammals, including the labia and clitoris.

vulva

1. The external organs of the female reproductive system .

Derived Forms

• vulviform, adjective
• ˈvulval, adjective

Other Words From

• vulval vulvar adjective
• vul·vi·form [vuhl, -v, uh, -fawrm], vul·vate [vuhl, -veyt, -vit], adjective
• non·vulval adjective
• non·vulvar adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vulva¹

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1540–50

Word History and Origins

Origin of vulva¹

C16: from Latin: covering, womb, matrix

Example Sentences

In a video to illustrate what happened to her vulva when she was aged six she cut off the petals of a rose with a razor blade and then stitched up what was left of the flower.

From BBC

“It’s just I’ve been doing this a long time. It’s because it will work. I realize needing a vulva instead of a penis isn’t what’s right, but it’s what will work,” he said in an interview Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times

"The vet who initially assessed Ariel noted that, in addition to her two surplus back legs, she also had an additional vulva," said the 42-year-old.

From BBC

Instead, the male serotine bats use their penises to push aside the protective tail membrane of the female members in order to reach their vulva.

From Salon

The team of scientists was ultimately able to chronicle 97 mating events, during which the male bats would grab the females by their napes and probed the females' pelvises with their penises until they made contact with the vulva.

From Salon

Related Words

• genitalia