clitoris
Americannoun
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the erectile organ of the vulva, used exclusively for sexual arousal and stimulation: located inside of the vulva except for the protruding glans.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of clitoris
First recorded in 1605–15; from Greek kleitorís, akin to kleíein “to shut”
Explanation
The clitoris is a female sexual organ. A certain type of embryonic tissue develops either into a penis, in male babies, or a clitoris, in female babies. Like the penis, the clitoris has many sensitive nerve endings. It is located at the anterior end of the vulva.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The majority of birds lack a penis or a clitoris.
From Scientific American • Feb. 16, 2023
Her co-authored paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B Journal this week locates the clitoris in a female snake's tail.
From BBC • Dec. 14, 2022
There have been documented injuries to the clitoris in procedures including pelvic mesh surgeries, episiotomies during childbirth and even hip surgeries.
From New York Times • Oct. 17, 2022
Do you feel uncomfortable saying the word clitoris?
From The Guardian • Oct. 8, 2019
The absence of the clitoris coincides with epispadias in the male, and in atrophy of the vulva it is common to find the clitoris rudimentary; but a more frequent anomaly is hypertrophy of the clitoris.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)
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.
