tampon
n.n. a small piece of soft material that you put inside your body to absorb menstrual blood. It is usually made of cotton or plastic and is used during a woman's period.
n. a cylindrical or conical device made of absorbent material, such as cotton or synthetic fibers, used to collect menstrual flow internally.
She buys a pack of tampons every month.
The nurse explained how to insert a tampon correctly to ensure it stays in place during the day.
While some women prefer external pads, others find tampons more convenient for physical activities or when they want to avoid visible signs of their menstrual cycle.
First attested in 1848. Borrowed from French tampon, from Middle French tampon, a nasalised variant of tapon, a diminutive or augmented form of Old French tape (“plug, bung, tap”), from Frankish tappō (“stopper, plug”), from Proto-Germanic tappô (“plug, tap”). Cognate with Old High German zapfo (“stopper”), Old English tæppa (“stopper”). Doublet of tampion. More at tap.