cervical cap

noun

1. a contraceptive device made of rubberlike plastic and fitted over the cervix, where it may be kept for long periods without removal.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cervical cap¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Only in this show could a woman of a certain age stroll through a public space with a collapsed gingham cervical cap on her head and have strangers behave as if nothing is amiss.

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Even after fitting hundreds of working-class women with caps, she still associates cervical cap use with women who need contraception because they cannot afford to have more pregnancies.

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There was crocodile dung in ancient Egypt, Aristotle's recommendation of cedar oil, and Casanova's method of using half a lemon as a cervical cap.

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This 1920s cervical cap fit over the cervix to prevent sperm from entering the uterus.

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In Giacomo Casanova’s memoirs, written in the late 18th century, he takes credit for inventing a primitive version of the cervical cap, when he describes using partly squeezed lemon halves during sex.

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