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self-abuse

[self-uh-byoos, self-]
See more synonyms for self-abuse on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. reproach or blame of oneself.
  2. abuse of one's health.
  3. masturbation.
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Origin of self-abuse

First recorded in 1595–1605
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for self-abuse

Historical Examples

  • A girl of nine years was brought to my office addicted to self-abuse.

    The Sexual Question

    August Forel

  • The symptoms of sexual excess are much the same as those of self-abuse.

  • Self-abuse in one or another form is as common in the case of the girl as in that of the boy.

    Sex

    Henry Stanton

  • Self-abuse is not an uncommon evil at the age of eight or ten.

  • What effect will a period of self-abuse have upon ones offspring?

British Dictionary definitions for self-abuse

self-abuse

noun
  1. disparagement or misuse of one's own abilities, etc
  2. a censorious term for masturbationSee masturbation
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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 self-abuse

n.

c.1600, "self-deception," from self- + abuse (n.). As a synonym for "masturbation," it is recorded from 1728; an earlier term was self-pollution (1620s).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
self-abuse in Medicine

self-abuse

n.
  1. Abuse of oneself or one's abilities.
  2. Masturbation.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.