lingam

[ ling-guh m ]

/ ˈlɪŋ gəm /

noun

Sanskrit Grammar. the masculine gender.

(in popular Hinduism) a phallus, symbol of Siva.

Nearby words

lineup, liney, ling, ling., lingala, lingam, lingayat, lingayata, lingayen gulf, lingcod, linger

Also lin·ga

[ling-guh] /ˈlɪŋ gə/.

Compare yoni.

Origin of lingam

From the Sanskrit word liṅga mark, gender, phallus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for linga

The linga yoni (fig. 1) is indeed one of the commonest of religious symbols in India.
Bible Studies|Joseph M. Wheeler
As the linga of Mahadeva, so do they venerate the bhaga, that is, the female organ.
Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism|Thomas Inman
Besides the linga, there is another form in which Siva is worshipped, called Muhakalu.
Phallic Miscellanies|Hargrave Jennings
Thus this subtle ego dwells in a linga, is identical with Śiva, and manifests itself in the successive kings of the royal house.
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 (of 3)|Charles Eliot

It is matter for regret that this privilege of remarrying is much abused, as among the Linga Balijas.
Castes and Tribes of Southern India|Edgar Thurston

British Dictionary definitions for linga

lingam

linga (ˈlɪŋɡə)

/ (ˈlɪŋɡəm) /

noun

(in Sanskrit grammar) the masculine gender

the Hindu phallic image of the god Siva
the penis

Word Origin for lingam

C18: from Sanskrit

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 linga

lingam

"phallic emblem under which Siva is worshipped," 1719, from Sanskrit linga (nominative lingam) "mark, token, sign, emblem," of unknown origin.