pubes
pubes Lexical Profile
pubes Game Scores & Validity
• noun
(informal) Pubic hair or individual pubic hairs (plural of pube).
"The comedian made a crude joke about trimming his pubes that left half the audience cringing."
The lower part of the abdomen located at the front of the pelvis, which becomes covered with hair from puberty; the pubic region.
"The anatomical diagram clearly illustrates the position of the pubes relative to the surrounding pelvic organs."
Plural form of pubis; the pair of pubic bones forming the front arch of the pelvis.
"The radiologist examined the X-ray to check for any hairline fractures along the pubes."
(botany) A soft, downy covering of short, fine hairs on the surface of leaves, stems, or other plant parts.
"Under the magnifying lens, the delicate pubes covering the underside of the leaf became clearly visible."
Word Nuance & Usage
Pronunciation and register vary sharply by sense: as a clinical or anatomical term (/ˈpjuːbiːz/), it is formal and functions as either a singular noun or the plural of 'pubis', whereas the clipped colloquial plural for pubic hairs (/pjuːbz/) is strictly informal.
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-16th century from Latin 'pubes', meaning the signs of manhood, pubic hair, or the genital region, related to 'puber' (adult, of ripe age).