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coitus

[koh-i-tuh s]
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noun
  1. sexual intercourse, especially between a man and a woman.
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Origin of coitus

1705–15; < Latin: a coming together, uniting, sexual intercourse, equivalent to coi- (see coition) + -tus suffix of v. action
Related formsco·i·tal, adjectiveco·i·tal·ly, adverbpost·co·i·tal, adjectivepost·co·i·tal·ly, adverbpre·co·i·tal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for coitus

coitus

coition (kəʊˈɪʃən)

noun
  1. technical terms for sexual intercourse
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Derived Formscoital, adjective

Word Origin

C18 coitus: from Latin: a uniting, from coīre to meet, from īre to go
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

Word Origin and History for coitus

n.

"copulation," 1713, scientific Latin, from Latin coitus "a meeting together; sexual union," past participle of coire, from com- "together" (see co-) + ire "come, go," (see ion). In Middle English as coite (early 15c.). Used in English in general senses of "meeting, uniting," and also of magnetic force, planetary conjunction, etc., before sexual sense came to predominate.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
coitus in Medicine

coitus

(kō′ĭ-təs, kō-ē′-)
n.
  1. Sexual union between a male and a female involving insertion of the penis into the vagina.coition copulation
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Related formsco′i•tal adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.