orgy

American  

[awr-jee] / ˈɔr dʒi /

noun

plural

orgies

1. wild or drunken festivity or revelry, especially involving sex with multiple participants.

2. any actions or proceedings marked by unbridled indulgence of passions.

   an orgy of killing.

3. orgies, (in ancient Greece) esoteric religious rituals, especially in the worship of Demeter or Dionysus, characterized in later times by wild dancing, singing, and drinking.

4. Informal. a boisterous, rowdy party.

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orgy British  

/ ˈɔːdʒɪ /

noun

1. a wild gathering marked by promiscuous sexual activity, excessive drinking, etc

2. an act of immoderate or frenzied indulgence

3. (often plural) secret religious rites of Dionysus, Bacchus, etc, marked by drinking, dancing, and songs

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Other Word Forms

• orgiastic adjective

Etymology

Origin of orgy

First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French orgie, from Latin orgia (neuter plural) “secret rites,” from Greek órgia, akin to érgon “work”; work

Related Words

• binge
• rampage
• spree