clitoris
English
Etymology
From post-classical Latin clitoris (16th century), or its source, Koine Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís), probably from Ancient Greek κλείω (kleíō, “I sheathe, shut”), in reference to its being covered by the labia minora.
The related noun form κλείς (kleís) has a second meaning of "a key, a latch or hook (to close a door)." Wooden pegs were the original keys; a connection also revealed in Latin clavis (“nail”) and claudere (“to shut”) (see close). Some medical sources give a supposed Greek verb κλειτοριάζω (kleitoriázō, “touch or titillate lasciviously, tickle”) literally "to be inclined (toward pleasure)" (compare German Kitzler (“clitoris”, literally “tickler”), related to Greek κλειτύς (kleitús, “shut, closed”), a variant of κλιτύς (klitús, “hillside”), related to κλίνω (klínō, “I slope”), from the same root as κλῖμαξ (klîmax, “ladder”). But many sources take κλειτορίς (kleitorís) literally as Ancient Greek "little hill".
Pronunciation
Noun
clitoris (plural clitorises or clitorides)
- (anatomy) A sensitive elongated erectile organ at the anterior part of the vulva in female humans and other mammals, homologous with the penis. [from 17th c.]
- stimulate the clitoris
- She complains that her boyfriend can't find her clitoris.
- 1740, anonymous author, A Dialogue Between a Lady and a Maid:
- Juſt before them, towards the upper Part of the C—t, is a Thing they call Clitoris, which, is a little like a Man's P—k, for it will ſwell, and ſtand like his […] .
- 1999, Natalie Angier, Woman: An Intimate Geography, page 65:
- The average infant clitoris, when measured from the base of the shaft to the top of the glans, is about 4 or 5 millimeters, the height of a pencil eraser.
- (zoology) A similar erectile sexual organ present in the cloacas of female amniotes.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
elongated erectile organ
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Anagrams
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from New Latin clitoris, from Ancient Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís).
Pronunciation
Noun
clitoris f (plural clitores or clitorissen, diminutive clitorisje n)
Related terms
Descendants
- → Indonesian: klitoris
French
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís).
Pronunciation
Noun
clitoris m (plural clitoris)
- clitoris
- Les personnes qui prennent de la testostérone dans le cadre d’une transition de genre médicale de femme à homme ont également un clitoris dont la taille est au-dessus de la moyenne.
- People who take testosterone as part of a female-to-male medical gender transition also have a clitoris of above-average size.
Derived terms
Further reading
- “clitoris”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Interlingua
Noun
clitoris (uncountable)
Latin
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): /ˈkliː.to.ris/, [ˈklʲiːt̪ɔrɪs̠]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈkli.to.ris/, [ˈkliːt̪oris]
Noun
clītoris f (genitive clītoridis); third declension
- clitoris (postclassical)
Declension
Third-declension noun.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | clītoris | clītoridēs |
| Genitive | clītoridis | clītoridum |
| Dative | clītoridī | clītoridibus |
| Accusative | clītoridem | clītoridēs |
| Ablative | clītoride | clītoridibus |
| Vocative | clītoris | clītoridēs |
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French clitoris.
Noun
clitoris n (plural clitorisuri)
Declension
Declension of clitoris
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
| nominative/accusative | (un) clitoris | clitorisul | (niște) clitorisuri | clitorisurile |
| genitive/dative | (unui) clitoris | clitorisului | (unor) clitorisuri | clitorisurilor |
| vocative | clitorisule | clitorisurilor | ||
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- nl:Genitalia
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- ro:Genitalia