copulation
Americannoun
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sexual intercourse.
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a joining together or coupling.
Etymology
Origin of copulation
1350–1400; Middle English copulacion < Latin cōpulātiōn- (stem of copulātio ) a binding together. See copulate, -ion
Explanation
Copulation is a word for sex — a more scientific way of saying "sexual intercourse." You can use this word to describe the sexual practices of both humans and animals. Zoologists need to make sure there is copulation among endangered animals such as pandas. Stray animals like cats engage in a lot of copulation, which is why there are so many cats. If your female dog is not fixed and copulates at the park, you might have puppies on the way soon.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Female black widow spiders eat males following copulation.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Snails also exhibit no outward gender identity until the moment of copulation.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2021
This "forced extra-pair copulation," as it's known, is a fairly rare strategy across birds as a whole.
From Salon • Jul. 25, 2021
Competition for females is tough among these polygynous birds, and those who settle down in a single spot had little chance of copulation.
From The Guardian • Jan. 9, 2017
In the laboratory, male gypsy moths have attempted copulation with chips of wood, vermiculite, and other small, inanimate objects, so long as they were suitably impregnated with gyplure.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
