labia minora

1 7.6

Two thin inner folds of skin beside the opening of the vagina

noun
/ˈleɪbiə mɪˈnɔːrə/

Specialized

: labios menores

During a medical examination, the doctor explained the function of the labia minora in relation to the vulva.
labia minora and clitoris
part of the labia minora

Examples

The labia minora are the two thin folds of skin located on either side of the vaginal opening.
Then, the labia minora are the asymmetrical delicate folds of soft, spongy erectile tissue within the labia majora.

Blog text (30)
Clitorectomy requires the removal of the entire clitoris along with part of the labia minora.

Academic text (2007)
The length and shape of labia minora and majoras is the first place where you'll notice that every woman's vagina looks different from another's.

Blog text (30)
Each woman's anatomy can vary significantly, especially when it comes to the size and shape of the labia minora.

Surface Forms

labia minora singular

labia minoras plural

Morphology

labium + minora

The phrase is compositional: 'labia' (plural of labium, a lip‑like anatomical structure) combined with 'minora' (Latin plural of 'minor', ‘smaller’) literally yields 'the smaller labial/lip-like folds'. However, it is technical Latin medical vocabulary and uses non‑English morphology, so while a learner who knows the constituents could infer the basic idea, the exact anatomical sense and formality are likely unclear without prior exposure.

Etymology

Labia minora is a medical name from Latin that means 'smaller lips'. Labia means 'lips' and minora means 'smaller', so the name shows the two thin inner 'lips' at the vaginal opening and explains the term's current meaning.