A–Z

Puberty Glossary

61 puberty and health words explained in plain, medically accurate language. Using correct names helps kids ask questions and stay safe.

Acne: Pimples, blackheads and whiteheads caused when oil and dead skin clog pores; very common during puberty.
Adolescence: The life stage between childhood and adulthood, roughly ages 10–19, which includes puberty.
Adam's apple: The bump at the front of the throat that becomes more visible as the voice box grows, especially in boys.
Androgens: Hormones such as testosterone that drive many puberty changes in all bodies, including body hair and oil production.
Antiperspirant: A product that reduces how much you sweat. Different from deodorant, which masks odour.
Areola: The darker skin around the nipple, which may get larger and darker during puberty.
Body autonomy: The idea that you have the right to decide what happens to your own body.
Body image: How you see, think and feel about your body.
Breast buds: Small, sometimes tender lumps under the nipple — usually the first sign of puberty in girls.
Cervix: The lower, narrow part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
Cramps: Aches in the lower belly or back around a period, caused by the uterus contracting.
Delayed puberty: When puberty hasn't started by about 13 in girls or 14 in boys; worth a doctor's check.
Deodorant: A product that reduces or covers body odour.
Discharge: Clear or white fluid from the vagina that keeps it healthy; often starts before the first period.
Endocrine system: The system of glands that make hormones, including the pituitary gland, ovaries and testes.
Erection: When the penis temporarily fills with blood and becomes firm; can happen unexpectedly during puberty and is normal.
Estrogen: A hormone made mainly by the ovaries that drives breast development and the menstrual cycle.
Fallopian tubes: Two narrow tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus.
Follicle: A tiny pocket in the skin that a hair grows from; or a small sac in the ovary that holds an egg.
Growth plate: Areas of growing cartilage near the ends of long bones; they close after puberty when growth stops.
Growth spurt: A period of rapid increase in height and weight during puberty.
Gynecomastia: Swelling of breast tissue in boys; common during puberty and usually temporary.
Hormones: Chemical messengers carried in the blood that tell the body what to do.
Hygiene: Habits that keep your body clean and healthy, like showering and brushing your teeth.
Hypothalamus: A part of the brain that starts puberty by signalling the pituitary gland.
Labia: The folds of skin around the opening of the vagina.
Menarche: The medical name for a person's very first period.
Menstrual cup: A flexible reusable cup worn inside the vagina to collect period blood.
Menstrual cycle: The monthly cycle of changes that prepares the body for a possible pregnancy, counted from the first day of one period to the next.
Menstruation: Another word for a period: the monthly shedding of the uterus lining through the vagina.
Mood swings: Quick changes in feelings, common during puberty because of hormones and brain development.
Nocturnal emission: Also called a wet dream: a release of semen during sleep. Normal and not something you can control.
Ovaries: Two small organs that store eggs and make estrogen and progesterone.
Ovulation: When an ovary releases an egg, usually about two weeks before a period.
Pad: An absorbent strip worn in underwear to collect period blood.
Panty liner: A thin pad for light flow or discharge.
Penis: The external male reproductive organ, which also carries urine out of the body.
Period underwear: Absorbent, washable underwear that can be worn instead of or with pads or tampons.
Pituitary gland: A pea-sized gland in the brain that releases hormones that start puberty.
PMS: Premenstrual syndrome: physical and emotional symptoms in the days before a period, like bloating or irritability.
Precocious puberty: Puberty that starts unusually early — before about 8 in girls or 9 in boys.
Progesterone: A hormone made by the ovaries that helps regulate the menstrual cycle.
Puberty: The years when a child's body develops into an adult body, driven by hormones.
Pubic hair: Hair that grows around the genitals during puberty.
Scrotum: The pouch of skin that holds the testicles.
Sebaceous glands: Skin glands that make oil (sebum); they become more active in puberty.
Self-esteem: How much you value and respect yourself.
Semen: Fluid containing sperm, released from the penis.
Sperm: Male reproductive cells made in the testicles after puberty starts.
Stretch marks: Thin lines on the skin from fast growth; very common and fade over time.
Sweat glands: Glands in the skin that make sweat; the ones under the arms become active in puberty.
Tampon: A small plug of absorbent material worn inside the vagina to collect period blood.
Tanner stages: A five-stage scale doctors use to describe how far along puberty is.
Testicles (testes): Two organs in the scrotum that make sperm and testosterone.
Testosterone: The main androgen hormone, made mainly in the testicles; drives voice deepening and facial hair.
Trusted adult: A grown-up you feel safe with and can go to for help, like a parent, teacher, coach or school nurse.
Urethra: The tube that carries urine out of the body.
Uterus: A hollow, muscular organ (also called the womb) whose lining sheds during a period.
Vagina: The muscular passage that connects the uterus to the outside of the body.
Vulva: The external genitals of the female body, including the labia and the opening of the vagina.
Voice breaking: The deepening and cracking of the voice as the voice box grows during puberty.