testicle

American  

[tes-ti-kuhl] / ˈtɛs tɪ kəl /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

testicles plural

1. (not in technical use) the male gonad or reproductive gland, either of two oval glands located in the scrotum.

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testicle British  

/ ˈtɛstɪkəl, tɛˈstɪkjʊlə /

noun

1. Also called: testis.  either of the two male reproductive glands, in most mammals enclosed within the scrotum, that produce spermatozoa and the hormone testosterone

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testicle Scientific  

/ tĕs′tĭ-kəl /

1. Either of the testes of a male mammal together with the scrotum that contains it.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• testicular
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• testicles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of testicle

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; from Latin testiculus; see origin at testis, -cle ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

testicle testicles

With Marsh, who missed Australia's first two matches, still doubtful for Monday's game in Kandy after suffering bleeding from a testicle, Smith is in line to pad up at the top of the order.

From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026

The main symptoms include a lump or swelling in the testicle, an ache or pain in the testicle or scrotum, the testicle getting bigger, or the scrotum feeling heavy.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2025

Only after I’d taken a bite would he reveal what I’d eaten: a brain, an intestine, a bull testicle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2024

Previously, patients with low sperm counts or those thoughts to have no sperm at all had to undergo an invasive surgery in which sperm was removed through a needle inserted into the testicle.

From New York Times ● Oct. 21, 2022

Subsequently the testicle swelled up to the size of a grapefruit, and by the time the doctor saw him it was too late; it had to be removed.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

My dad, who survived the removal of tumors in his testicles 30 years apart, drove me to a clinic in Orange on Friday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026

Semenya was legally registered as female at birth and has said that although she was born without a uterus and with internal testicles, she has a vagina and is a woman.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2025

Johnson’s social media posts show him lifting massive weights, pulling trucks and consuming everything from uncooked liver to testicles with his sons.

From Salon ● Jun. 1, 2025

You may be wondering why I, a person without testicles, am so concerned with this stuff.

From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2024

Biobanks store appendixes, ovaries, skin, sphincters, testicles, fat, even foreskins from most circumcisions.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot