fanny
Americannoun
noun
-
taboo the female genitals
-
the buttocks
Usage
Despite the theory that this word derives from the name `Fanny', its use in British English is still considered taboo by many people, and is likely to cause offence. In the US the word refers to the buttocks. Serious misunderstanding may therefore arise when what people in Britain know as a `bumbag' is referred to in the US as a `fanny pack'
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fanny
1925–30; of obscure origin; relation, if any, to British fanny “vulva” (vulgar) is unclear
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.
It’s worth noting that in “Austenland,” Jane’s budget package—copper, as opposed to platinum—makes her the movie’s counterpart to the orphaned Fanny, as well as the reliable Austen outsider.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Hakimi's lawyer Fanny Colin questioned the woman's co-operation in the investigation.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
Fanny Thomas, who is about to turn 80, says she has been walking in the area for her whole life.
From BBC • Oct. 31, 2025
But overall, the conveyor belt that brought us Fanny Craddock, Delia Smith and Keith Floyd has stopped.
From BBC • Sep. 10, 2025
I tell her about the gloves Fanny knitted for me.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
