A tampon is a small firm roll of cotton or a similar soft material that a woman puts inside her body during her period, so the blood is soaked up on the inside instead of on a pad worn outside. It is the everyday word — there is no polite word and no rude word for it; a doctor, a shop worker and a teenager all say the same thing.

A tampon棉條 is a small firm roll of cotton or a similar soft material是一小捲結實的棉花或類似的柔軟材質 that a woman puts inside her body during her period女性在生理期時放進體內的, so讓 the blood is soaked up on the inside經血在體內被吸收 instead of on a pad worn outside而不是靠外面穿的衛生棉來吸。It它 is the everyday word是日常用詞 — there is no polite word and no rude word for it沒有比較文雅的說法，也沒有比較粗俗的說法; a doctor, a shop worker and a teenager醫生、店員、青少年 all say the same thing都說同一個詞。

Most have a string at one end so you can pull it out, and many come inside a plastic or cardboard tube (an applicator) that pushes it in. In shops you will see it as a countable noun (a tampon, two tampons, a box of tampons), and it goes with use, put in, take out, change: 'I need to change my tampon.' English speakers talk about this more openly than many people expect, but it is still a private-life word, so it belongs in talk with friends, family, a doctor or a shop assistant, not in a business meeting.

Most大多數 have a string at one end一端有條線 so you can pull it out方便拉出來, and而且 many come inside a plastic or cardboard tube (an applicator)很多還會附一個塑膠或紙板的管子（導入器） that pushes it in幫忙把它推進去。In shops在店裡 you你 will see it as a countable noun會看到它是可數名詞 (a tampon一條, two tampons兩條, a box of tampons一盒), and而且 it goes with use, put in, take out, change常搭配use、put in、take out、change這些動詞: 'I need to change my tampon.'「I need to change my tampon我要換棉條了。」English speakers英語使用者 talk about this more openly than many people expect談這個話題比很多人想像得開放, but但 it is still a private-life word這仍然是私人生活的用詞, so所以 it belongs in talk with friends, family, a doctor or a shop assistant適合跟朋友、家人、醫生或店員聊, not而不 in a business meeting適合在商務會議上講。

In medicine the word is also used for a plug of cotton or gauze packed into any wound or opening to stop bleeding — this is where the word started, and a nurse may still use it that way. Rarer, and mostly a doctor's word, is the verb 'to tampon' a wound, meaning to plug it.

In medicine在醫學上, the word這個詞 is also used for a plug of cotton or gauze packed into any wound or opening to stop bleeding也可以指塞進傷口或身體開口用來止血的棉花或紗布塞 — this is where the word started這就是這個詞最早的來源, and而 a nurse may still use it that way護士現在有時候還是這樣用。Rarer, and mostly a doctor's word比較少見、主要是醫生用的, is the verb 'to tampon' a wound是動詞「to tampon」一個傷口, meaning to plug it意思是把它塞住。

Note also 'tamponade' (a related medical word about pressure inside the body), which sounds similar but is a different thing.

Note also另外要注意 'tamponade' 「tamponade」 (a related medical word about pressure inside the body一個跟體內壓力有關的相關醫學詞), which sounds similar聽起來很像 but但 is a different thing是不同的東西。