clitoris

From post-classical Latin clītoris (16th century), or its source, Koine Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís), probably from Ancient Greek κλείω (kleíō, “to sheathe, shut”), in reference to it 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, “to slope”), from the same root as κλῖμαξ (klîmax, “ladder”). But many sources take κλειτορίς (kleitorís) literally as Ancient Greek "little hill".

• IPA^(key): /ˈklɪtəɹɪs/, /klɪˈtɔːɹɪs/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

clitoris (plural clitorises or clitorides)

2. (anatomy) A sensitive elongated erectile sex organ at the anterior part of the vulva in female humans and other mammals. [from 17th c.]

   stimulate the clitoris

   She complains that her boyfriend can't find her clitoris.

   • 1740, anonymous author, A Dialogue Between a Lady and a Maid:

     Juſt before them, towards the upper Part of the C—t, is a Thing they call Clitoris, which, is a little like a Man's P—k, for it will ſwell, and ſtand like his […] .

   • 1999, Natalie Angier, Woman: An Intimate Geography, page 65:

     The average infant clitoris, when measured from the base of the shaft to the top of the glans, is about 4 or 5 millimeters, the height of a pencil eraser.

3. (zoology) A similar erectile sexual organ present in the cloacas of female amniotes.

• See Thesaurus:clitoris

• genital tubercle - embryological precursor

• glans clitoridis, glans clitoris
• os clitoridis
• praeputium clitoridis

• coistril

Borrowed from New Latin clitoris, from Ancient Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís).

• IPA^(key): /ˈkli.toː.rɪs/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cli‧to‧ris

clitoris f (plural clitores or clitorissen, diminutive clitorisje n)

1. clitoris

   Synonym: kittelaar

• clit
• clitoridectomie

• → Indonesian: klitoris

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís).

• IPA^(key): /kli.tɔ.ʁis/

clitoris m (invariable)

1. clitoris

   Les personnes qui prennent de la testostérone dans le cadre d'une transition de genre médicale de femme à homme ont également un clitoris dont la taille est au-dessus de la moyenne.

   People who take testosterone as part of a female-to-male medical gender transition also have a clitoris of above-average size.

• clitoridien

• → Romanian: clitoris

• “clitoris”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

clitoris (uncountable)

1. clitoris

Learned borrowing from Koine Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈkliː.tɔ.rɪs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈkliː.to.ris]

clītoris f (genitive clītoridis); third declension

1. clitoris (postclassical)

Third-declension noun.

• → English: clitoris
• → French: clitoris
  • → Romanian: clitoris

clitoris m (invariable)

1. pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of clitóris / clítoris
2. prescribed spelling of clitóris under the Orthographic Agreement of 1931, which was not effectively implemented

Borrowed from French clitoris.

clitoris n (plural clitorisuri)

1. clitoris