climacteric

1 of 2

adjective

cli·​mac·​ter·​ic klī-ˈmak-t(ə-)rik How to pronounce climacteric (audio)
ˌklī-ˌmak-ˈter-ik,
-ˈtir-
1
: constituting or relating to a climacteric
2

climacteric

2 of 2

noun

1
: a major turning point or critical stage
2
3
: the marked and sudden rise in the respiratory rate of fruit just prior to full ripening

Did you know?

Climacteric comes from the Greek word klimaktēr, meaning "critical point" or, literally, "rung of a ladder." English speakers have long used climacteric for those inevitable big moments encountered on the metaphorical ladder of life. The major climacterics in a person’s life were once thought to happen in years denoted by multiples of 7 or 9 or only in the odd multiples of 7 (7, 21, 35, etc.). The grand (or great) climacteric was held to occur in the 63rd (7 x 9) or the 81st (9 x 9) year of life. Today, climacteric can refer to male or female menopause, which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, but the general "turning point" sense is not usually tied to a specific age.

Examples of climacteric in a Sentence

Adjective as the war reached its climacteric phase, the atrocities dramatically increased, both in number and brutality Noun historians attempting to pinpoint the Roman Empire's climacteric, that precise moment when it began its long downhill slide
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
For this reader, roughly the same age as Sam Raymond, there is uncommon pleasure in the paradoxes of this climacteric tale. Claire Messud, Harper's Magazine, 22 June 2021 Macerating unripe climacteric fruit in sugar, however, isn’t a substitute for ripening them; that just takes time in your kitchen counter’s fruit basket. Bill St. John, The Denver Post, 8 May 2017
Noun
These are called climacteric, and will respond to the presence of ethylene by producing more ethylene. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 31 May 2022

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin climactericus, from Greek klimaktērikos, from klimaktēr critical point, literally, rung of a ladder, from klimak-, klimax ladder

First Known Use

Adjective

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of climacteric was in 1582

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Cite this Entry

“Climacteric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/climacteric. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

climacteric

1 of 2 adjective
: constituting or characterized by the climacteric
the climacteric state

climacteric

2 of 2 noun
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