phallus

American  

[fal-uhs] / ˈfæl əs /

noun

plural

phalli, phalluses

1. an image of the male reproductive organ, especially that carried in procession in ancient festivals of Dionysus, or Bacchus, symbolizing the generative power in nature.

2. Anatomy. the penis, the clitoris, or the sexually undifferentiated embryonic organ out of which either of these develops.

---

phallus British  

/ ˈfæləs /

noun

1. another word for penis

2. an image of the penis, esp as a religious symbol of reproductive power

---

Etymology

Origin of phallus

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin, from Greek phallós “penis”; bull ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Other carvings depict skulls, phalluses, scarabs and Harpocrates, the Hellenistic deity of silence and secrets, according to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, the group that made the finding.

From Washington Post

And whether I’m sitting in the company of a lovesick ghost or in a sea of phalluses, they offer a window into the spiritual side of Thai society that can otherwise be easy to miss.

From The Guardian

It also raises the question: Where did “Euphoria” find all those phalluses?

From Los Angeles Times

Bushes and trees suggest large vegetables or flowers; chopped-off tree trunks intimate water pipes, corncobs or phalluses.

From New York Times

Another reaction might be that it suggests the exaggerated leather phalluses the actors in ancient Greek and Roman comedy attached to their costumes for droll effect.

From The Wall Street Journal