copulation
Americannoun
-
sexual intercourse.
-
a joining together or coupling.
Etymology
Origin of copulation
1350–1400; Middle English copulacion < Latin cōpulātiōn- (stem of copulātio ) a binding together. See copulate, -ion
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.
While males are aggressive with each other, they aren’t aggressive toward females and do not force copulations, despite being twice the size of their mating partners.
From New York Times
The highly promiscuous ruddy ducks never form pair bonds, and almost all copulations are forced.
From National Geographic
Based on the assumptions that all copulations are successful and that females produce only one offspring per mating, the Bateman slope at birth equals 1.
From Science Magazine
Second, they determined whether the formant frequencies were predictive of dominance, number of successful copulations, and number of offspring sired.
From Scientific American
We find means to make commixtures and copulations of divers kinds, which have produced many new kinds, and them not barren, as the general opinion is.
From Project Gutenberg
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.
