labia minora

[ ley-bee-uh mi-nawr-uh, -nohr-uh ]

plural noun

, Anatomy.

, singular la·bi·um mi·nus [ley, -bee-, uh, m , mahy, -n, uh, s].

1. the inner folds of skin of the external female genitalia.

labia minora

/ mɪˈnɔːrə /

plural noun

1. the two small inner folds of skin in human females forming the margins of the vaginal orifice

Word History and Origins

Origin of labia minora¹

1830–40; < New Latin: lesser lips

Word History and Origins

Origin of labia minora¹

C18: New Latin: smaller lips

Example Sentences

With a Q-tip, Dr. Rubin probes each part of the vulva for pain, pointing out the labia minora, labia majora and vaginal opening as her patient follows along.

From New York Times

Nymphae, a slightly older term for the labia minora, comes from the Latin word for bride or beautiful young maiden.

From New York Times

The cutting and repositioning of the labia minora and the labia majora - the outer skin folds that surround the vagina.

From BBC

People need to understand those pressures and that 50% of women have labia minora that are longer than their labia majora.

From Salon

Partial or total removal of the labia minora.

From New York Times