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aphrodisiac

[ af-ruh-dee-ze-ak, -diz-ee-ak ]
/ ˌæf rəˈdi zɛˌæk, -ˈdɪz iˌæk /
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adjective
Also aph·ro·di·si·a·cal [af-ruh-duh-zahy-uh-kuhl, -sahy-]. /ˌæf rə dəˈzaɪ ə kəl, -ˈsaɪ-/. arousing sexual desire.
noun
an aphrodisiac food, drug, potion, or other agent that arouses sexual desire.
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Origin of aphrodisiac

1710–20; <Greek aphrodīsiakós relating to love or desire, equivalent to aphrodī́si(os) of Aphrodite + -akos-ac

OTHER WORDS FROM aphrodisiac

an·ti·aph·ro·dis·i·ac, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aphrodisiac in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for aphrodisiac

aphrodisiac
/ (ˌæfrəˈdɪzɪæk) /

noun
a drug, food, etc, that excites sexual desire
adjective
exciting or heightening sexual desire

Word Origin for aphrodisiac

C18: from Greek aphrodisiakos, from aphrodisios belonging to Aphrodite
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

Cultural definitions for aphrodisiac

aphrodisiac
[ (af-ruh-dee-zee-ak, af-ruh-diz-ee-ak) ]

A substance or quality that excites sexual desire.

notes for aphrodisiac

Aphrodisiacs are named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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