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clitoris

[ klit-er-is, kli-tawr-is ]
/ ˈklɪt ər ɪs, klɪˈtɔr ɪs /
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noun Anatomy.
the erectile organ of the vulva, homologous to the penis of the male.
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Origin of clitoris

1605–15; <Greek kleitorís, akin to kleíein to shut

OTHER WORDS FROM clitoris

clit·o·ral, cli·tor·ic [kli-tawr-ik, -tor-], /klɪˈtɔr ɪk, -ˈtɒr-/, clit·o·rid·e·an [klit-uh-rid-ee-uhn], /ˌklɪt əˈrɪd i ən/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use clitoris in a sentence

  • Clitoral stimulation, however, is not an image that gets a lot of airtime.

    The Orgasm Gap|Hannah Seligson|February 9, 2009|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for clitoris

clitoris
/ (ˈklɪtərɪs, ˈklaɪ-) /

noun
a part of the female genitalia consisting of a small elongated highly sensitive erectile organ at the front of the vulva: homologous with the penis

Derived forms of clitoris

clitoral, adjective

Word Origin for clitoris

C17: from New Latin, from Greek kleitoris; related to Greek kleiein to close
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

Scientific definitions for clitoris

clitoris
[ klĭtər-ĭs, klĭ-tôrĭs ]

A sensitive external organ of the reproductive system in female mammals and some other animals that is capable of becoming erect. It is located above or in front of the urethra.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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