clitoris

clitoris
clitoris 1610s, coined in Modern Latin, from Late Gk. kleitoris, a diminutive, but the exact sense is uncertain. Perhaps from Gk. kleiein "to sheathe," also "to shut," in reference to its being covered by the labia minora. The related Greek noun form kleis has a second meaning of "a key, a latch or hook (to close a door);" see CLOSE (Cf. close) (v.), and Cf. SLOT (Cf. slot) (2). Some ancient medical sources give a supposed Greek verb kleitoriazein "to touch or titillate lasciviously, to tickle" (Cf. Ger. slang der Kitzler "clitoris," lit. "the tickler"), but the verb is likely from the anatomy in this case. Perhaps related to Gk. kleitys, a variant of klitys "side of a hill," itself related to klinein "to slope," from the same root as climax (see LEAN (Cf. lean) (v.)), and with a sense of "little hill." The anatomist Mateo Renaldo Colombo (1516-1559), professor at Padua, claimed to have discovered it ("De re anatomica," 1559, p. 243). He called it amor Veneris, vel dulcedo "the love or sweetness of Venus." It had been known earlier to women.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • clitoris — [ klitɔris ] n. m. • 1611; gr. kleitoris ♦ Petit organe érectile de la vulve, situé à la jonction de l extrémité supérieure des petites lèvres. Ablation du clitoris. ⇒ excision. Abrév. fam. (1972) CLITO . ● clitoris nom masculin (grec kleitoris)… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • clitoris — CLÍTORIS s.n. Mic organ anatomic situat în vulvă, lângă canalul urinar. – Din fr. clitoris. Trimis de cata, 05.04.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  CLÍTORIS s. (anat.) (pop.) lindic. Trimis de siveco, 25.11.2008. Sursa: Sinonime  clítoris s. n …   Dicționar Român

  • clítoris — m. anat. Órgano pequeño, eréctil, alargado y muy sensible del aparato genital femenino; está situado en la región anterior y superior de la vulva, en la unión de los labios menores, formado por dos cuerpos cavernosos. Medical Dictionary. 2011 …   Diccionario médico

  • clitóris — s. m. 2 núm. [Anatomia] O mesmo que clítoris …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • clítoris — s. m. 2 núm. [Anatomia] Excrescência erétil na parte superior da vulva. = CLITÓRIDE, CLITÓRIS   ‣ Etimologia: grego kleitorís, ídos …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • clítoris — (plural clítoris) sustantivo masculino 1. Área: anatomía Órgano eréctil, pequeño y carnoso, que sobresale en la vulva …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • clítoris — (Del gr. κλειτορίς). m. Cuerpo pequeño, carnoso y eréctil, que sobresale en la parte más elevada de la vulva. ☛ V. prepucio del clítoris …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • Clitoris — Cli to*ris (kl[imac] t[ o]*r[i^]s or kl[i^]t [ o]*r[i^]s), n. [NL., fr. Gr. kleitori s, fr. klei ein to shut up. It is concealed by the labia pudendi.] (Anat.) A small organ at the upper part of the vulva in females, homologous to the penis in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Clitŏris — (Anat.), der Kitzler, s. Klitoris …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Clitŏris — Clitŏris, der Kitzler, s. Klitoris …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

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