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coitus

American  
[koh-i-tuhs] / ˈkoʊ ɪ təs /

noun

  1. sexual intercourse, especially between a man and a woman.

coitus British  
/ kəʊˈɪʃən, ˈkəʊɪtəs /

noun

  1. technical terms for sexual intercourse

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of coitus

First recorded in 1705–15; from Latin: “a coming together, uniting, sexual intercourse,” equivalent to coi- ( see coition) + -tus suffix of verbal action

Explanation

Coitus is a word for sex, specifically vaginal sex that includes penetration and ejaculation. A couple has achieved coitus when they've had sex. This word may sound a little unusual to you because it's an old technical term for sex. Very few friends sitting around talking about sex will describe it as coitus, unless they're talking about The Big Lebowski, a movie that makes humorous mention of this old-fashioned term. Coitus may remind you of copulation and fornication: two other fancy words for sex.

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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.