onanism

[ oh-nuh-niz-uhm ]

/ ˈoʊ nəˌnɪz əm /

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noun

withdrawal of the penis in sexual intercourse so that ejaculation takes place outside the vagina; coitus interruptus.

the gratification or satisfaction of one's own needs or desires: Choosing to endlessly split hairs about abstractions is little better than intellectual onanism.

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Origin of onanism

First recorded in 1720–30; after Onan, son of Judah (Genesis 38:9); see -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM onanism

o·nan·ist, noun

Words nearby onanism

on a limb, on all fours, on and off, on and on, on an even keel, onanism, onanist, onanistic, on a par with, on a pedestal, put, on approval

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use onanism in a sentence

Many patients put their hands to their sexual organs and make motions tending to onanism.
Prof. Koch's Method to Cure Tuberculosis Popularly Treated|Max Birnbaum
General recommendations: Local baths, and rigorous cleanliness to avoid any stimulus to onanism.
Montessori Elementary Materials|Maria Montessori
All these phenomena lead to onanism or masturbation, of which we shall speak later on.
The Sexual Question|August Forel
Onanism, which is different, is decidedly injurious to both the man and the woman.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation|Austin O'Malley

Exquisite symbolic representations of onanism are sliding and coasting as well as tearing off a branch.
A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis|Sigmund Freud

British Dictionary definitions for onanism

onanism

/ (ˈəʊnəˌnɪzəm) /

noun

another name for masturbation, coitus interruptus

Derived forms of onanism

onanist, noun, adjectiveonanistic, adjective

Word Origin for onanism

C18: after Onan, son of Judah; see Genesis 38:9

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