premenstrual tension

Noun

premenstrual tension (uncountable)

1. (UK) Synonym of premenstrual syndrome: the physical and psychological malaise experienced by many women between ovulation and the onset of menstruation.
   • There may be an actual distaste for sexual relations for a week or so prior to the period, perhaps as part of a picture of general irritability and vague feelings of discomfort of which some women complain; the name "premenstrual tension" has been applied to this.1950, Louis Portnoy, Jules Saltman, Fertility in Marriage: A Guide for the Childless
   • However, the pervasive social impact of the premenstrual tension comes from psychological, behavioral change, and this is the time of month that women are likely to be admitted to psychiatric wards.1950, Public Health Service publication no. 263, sect. 20, 1969

   Synonyms:

   premenstrual syndrome