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