condom
[ kon-duh m, kuhn- ]
/ ˈkɒn dəm, ˈkʌn- /
noun
a thin sheath, usually of very thin rubber, worn over the penis during sexual intercourse to prevent conception or sexually transmitted disease.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
condo, condole, condolence, condolences, condolent, condom, condominium, condon, condonance, condonation, condone
Origin of condom
First recorded in 1700–10; of obscure origin, but popularly supposed to have been named after an 18th-century English physician, who allegedly devised it
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for condom
British Dictionary definitions for condom
condom
/ (ˈkɒndɒm, ˈkɒndəm) /
noun
a sheathlike covering of thin rubber worn on the penis or in the vagina during sexual intercourse to prevent conception or infection
Word Origin for condom
C18: of unknown origin
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 condom
condom
1706, traditionally named for a British physician during reign of Charles II (a story traceable to 1709), but there is no evidence for that. Also spelled condam, quondam, which suggests it may be from Italian guantone, from guanto "a glove." A word omitted in the original OED (c.1890) and not used openly in the U.S. and not advertised in mass media until November 1986 speech by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop on AIDS prevention. Cf. prophylactic.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for condom
condom
[ kŏn′dəm ]
n.
A flexible sheath, usually made of thin rubber or latex, designed to cover the penis or vagina during sexual intercourse for contraceptive purposes or as a means of preventing sexually transmitted diseases.
A similar device, consisting of a loose-fitting polyurethane sheath closed at one end, that is inserted into the vagina before sexual intercourse.female condom
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.