Definition of "hymen" []

• A membranous fold of tissue that partly or completely occludes the external vaginal orifice. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "She also comes from a culture where the hymen is like … the golden key to happiness."
• "And why on earth would a young working class woman want to understand how to avoid STDs and know where to find plan B contraception, when she could instead receive a patronizing lecture telling her that her hymen is sacred?"
• "In keeping with this philosophy, I presume that the administration will soon be ordering Condoleeza to undergo a public medical examination to prove that her hymen is intact."