penis
Americannoun
noun
-
The male reproductive organ of mammals and some reptiles and birds. In mammals, the penis contains the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder and releases sperm during reproduction.
-
A similar organ found in the males of some invertebrate animals.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of penis
First recorded in 1685–95, from Latin pēnis “tail, penis”; akin to Greek péos, Sanskrit pásas
Explanation
The penis is the male sexual organ. Boys and men and male animals all have penises. Kids and teens often giggle at the word penis, but it's just a word for a body part like "arm" or "leg." Well, a penis is a little different, since it's the organ males use for sex and urinating. Some men take a lot of pride in their penis, which in slang is most often called a dick. However, if you're talking about a dick with a parent or teacher, or you're writing about one in a paper, penis is the word you want to use.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Gardasil 9 HPV vaccine protects against types of HPV that can cause cancers of the mouth, throat, vulva, vagina, penis and anus.
From Salon ● Feb. 22, 2026
She leads nutrition education at the Feed Real Institute, an online certificate program founded in 2015 by Balaram, who also runs a company that sells air-dried dog treats like bull penis and rabbit feet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
That's because it is often detected only when the prostate is big enough to have impacted the urethra, the tube that connects the bladder to the penis.
From BBC ● May 19, 2025
The prostate is shaped like a doughnut surrounding the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2024
I had a penis, and therefore I had to figure out what being male meant.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
In a medley, contained in a curious and ancient MS. cantus, penes J.G.
From Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, Volume 2 Consisting of Historical and Romantic Ballads, Collected in The Southern Counties of Scotland; with a Few of Modern Date, Founded Upon Local Tradition by Scott, Walter, Sir
In answer to the Query of Mr. Ellacombe, "I should like to know whether the MSS. of Randle Holme, of Chester, 1670, which afterwards were penes Dr. Latham, are still accessible?"
From Notes and Queries, Number 58, December 7, 1850 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Bell, George
And every city of the Roman empire could testify to the truth of what he added: “Sed vobis maximum discrimen penes quos aurum et opes, præcipuæ bellorum causæ.”
From Church and State as Seen in the Formation of Christendom by Allies, T. W. (Thomas William)
It would, of course, be re-printed here; but our copy, penes nos, is a genuine Caxton.
From The History of Tasmania , Volume II by West, John
Snake penises - hemipenes - have been studied for decades.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2022
“Any kid can have any type of body,” the presentation states, adding that boys can have vulvas and girls can have penises.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 1, 2022
England's drug stores were stocked with bulls' penises, frogs' lungs, and powdered Egyptian mummy, which was evidently used against tuberculosis.
From Salon ● Nov. 14, 2021
The smartest among you will use a stand-to-pee device, which makes it possible for people without penises to pee without pulling down their pants.
From Slate ● Feb. 11, 2021
Smith mentions a man who had two penises and two bladders, on one of which lithotomy was performed.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
