phallus

[fal-uh s]

noun, plural phal·li [fal-ahy] /ˈfæl aɪ/, phal·lus·es.

an image of the male reproductive organ, especially that carried in procession in ancient festivals of Dionysus, or Bacchus, symbolizing the generative power in nature.

Anatomy. the penis, the clitoris, or the sexually undifferentiated embryonic organ out of which either of these develops.

Origin of phallus

1605–15; < Latin < Greek phallós penis

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

Examples from the Web for phalli

Historical Examples of phalli

Some of these phalli were recreated as fast as they were worn away by zealous devotees.
Religion and Lust
James Weir
The mystery of procreation was indicated by phalli on the Herm.
A Problem in Greek Ethics
John Addington Symonds
It is said that there are thirty million phalli in India and that a phallus is found in nearly every Hindu household.
The Sex Worship and Symbolism of Primitive Races
Sanger Brown, II
The basket contains apples and phalli, which may have been made of pastry.
Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism
Thomas Inman
Phalli, usually in lead, have been even found in the river Rhône.
Aphrodisiacs and Anti-aphrodisiacs: Three Essays on the Powers of Reproduction
John Davenport

British Dictionary definitions for phalli

phallus

noun plural -luses or -li (-laɪ)

another word for penis

an image of the penis, esp as a religious symbol of reproductive power

Word Origin for phallus

C17: via Late Latin from Greek phallos

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 phalli

phallus

1610s, "an image of the penis," from Latin phallus, from Greek phallos "penis," also "carving or image of an erect penis (symbolizing the generative power in nature) used in the cult of Dionysus," from PIE *bhel-no-, from root *bhel- (2) "to blow, inflate, swell" (cf. Old Norse boli "bull," Old English bulluc "little bull," and possibly Greek phalle "whale;" see bole). Used of the penis itself (often in symbolic context) from 1924, originally in jargon of psychoanalysis.

phalli in Medicine

phallus

[făl′əs]

n. pl. phal•lus•es

The penis.

The sexually undifferentiated tissue in an embryo that becomes the penis or clitoris.

The immature penis considered in psychoanalysis as the libidinal object of infantile sexuality in the male.