labium

American  

[ley-bee-uhm] / ˈleɪ bi əm /

noun

plural

labia

1. a lip or liplike part.

2. Anatomy.

   1. a lip or lip-shaped structure or part.

   2. any of the folds of skin bordering the vulva.

3. Botany. the lower lip of a bilabiate corolla.

4. Entomology. the posterior, unpaired member of the mouthparts of an insect, formed by the united second maxillae.

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labium British  

/ ˈleɪbɪəm /

noun

1. a lip or liplike structure

2. any one of the four lip-shaped folds of the female vulva See labia majora labia minora

3. the fused pair of appendages forming the lower lip of insects

4. the lower lip of the corolla of labiate flowers

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labium Scientific  

/ lā′bē-əm /

plural

labia

1. Either of two pairs of folds of tissue that make up part of the external genitalia of female mammals.

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Other Word Forms

• pseudolabium noun

Etymology

Origin of labium

1590–1600; < Latin: lip, akin to lambere to lick, lap ³. See labrum ¹, lip

Example Sentences

She also had elongated labia, a physical feature derogatorily referred to as a "Hottentot apron."

From Salon

Most undergo an extreme form known as infibulation, which involves the removal and repositioning of the labia to narrow the vaginal opening.

From Washington Times

Not enough to put me off having sex and I never had complaints, but it was always in the back of my mind that my labia were on the larger side.

From The Guardian

Nor is it because some dolt came up with the line “Lawrence of my labia”.

From The Guardian

“Versus my right side, there’s no triangle at all and it looks like I have a big labia fold.”

From New York Times

Related Words

• rim