clitoris
Meanings
Plural: clitorides, clitorises
Noun
- a female sexual organ homologous to the penis
- A sensitive elongated erectile sex organ at the anterior part of the vulva in female humans and other mammals.
- A similar erectile sexual organ present in the cloacas of female amniotes.
Origin / Etymology
From post-classical Latin clītoris (16th century), or its source, Koine Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís), probably from Ancient Greek κλείω (kleíō, “I sheathe, shut”), in reference to its being covered by the labia minora.
The related noun form κλείς (kleís) has a second meaning of "a key, a latch or hook (to close a door)." Wooden pegs were the original keys; a connection also revealed in Latin clavis (“nail”) and claudere (“to shut”) (see close). Some medical sources give a supposed Greek verb κλειτοριάζω (kleitoriázō, “touch or titillate lasciviously, tickle”) literally "to be inclined (toward pleasure)" (compare German Kitzler (“clitoris”, literally “tickler”), related to Greek κλειτύς (kleitús, “shut, closed”), a variant of κλιτύς (klitús, “hillside”), related to κλίνω (klínō, “I slope”), from the same root as κλῖμαξ (klîmax, “ladder”). But many sources take κλειτορίς (kleitorís) literally as Ancient Greek "little hill".
Synonyms
bean, boy in the boat, butter bean, button, clit, clitoris, devil's doorbell, happy button, jewel, kernel, knob, little man in the boat, love button, lovebud, nub, nubbin, panic button, pearl, skittle, sugar plum, sweet spot
Scrabble Score: 10
clitoris is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordclitoris is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
clitoris is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary