noun, Psychiatry. 1. an inability to speak, due to a physical defect, conscious refusal, or psychogenic inhibition. Origin of mutism.
1 A new study finds girls are developing breasts earlier than ever before; American boys and girls are entering puberty about five years younger than they did in 1920.
The average age at which the onset of puberty occurs has dropped significantly since the 1840s. This was dubbed 'the secular trend' by J. M. Tanner. In every decade from 1840 to 1950 there was a drop of four months in the average age of menarche among Western European females.