Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A small erectile body situated at the anterior portion of the vulva and projecting between the branched extremities of the labia minora forming its prepuce and frenulum.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An erectile organ of the female of most mammals, including the human species, and of sundry birds, as the ostrich, differing from the penis of the male chiefly in its smaller size and usually imperforate state, being as a rule not perforated or grooved by a urethra, though it is so in some animals, as lemurs.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Anat.) A small organ at the upper part of the vulva in females, homologous to the penis in the male.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun anatomy A small sensitive elongated erectile organ at the anterior part of the vulva in female mammals, homologous with the penis.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a female sexual organ homologous to the penis

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin clītoris, from Greek kleitoris; see klei- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek κλειτορίς (kleitoris), a diminutive of uncertain origin, probably from κλείω (kleiō, "I sheathe, shut"), in reference to its being covered by the labia minora.

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Examples

  • It doesn't seem like playing tag with the clitoris is the path to sensual pleasure.

    The Mysteries Of Porno 2005

  • The clitoris is the penis, for example, the scrotum, the labia, etc.

    The Brave One Goes Crazy And Murders Weekend Box Office 2009

  • Of course (forgive me for saying this-making a point), the clitoris is more out there and noticed ... but we women don't go around talking about that either.

    The V-Word aka TBTAM 2009

  • The clitoris is considered to be an impure part of the girl-child and bleeding it is believed to make her pure and free of evil spirits.

    ProWomanProLife » Thanks, Ayaan Hirsi Ali! 2010

  • After all, the clitoris is the sweet spot of the entire female apparatus.

    Roseanne Archy Roseanne Barr 2011

  • After all, the clitoris is the sweet spot of the entire female apparatus.

    Roseanne Archy Roseanne Barr 2011

  • Those who perform clitorectomies (generally women themselves, I believe) have been found to believe appalling things about female anatomy — one I read about thought that the clitoris was a worm that would burrow into the female body if not cut out.

    Matthew Yglesias » The Surge and Afghan Women 2009

  • After all, the clitoris is the sweet spot of the entire female apparatus.

    Roseanne Archy Roseanne Barr 2011

  • If a group of people really believe, as you claim, that “the clitoris was a worm that would burrow into the female body if not cut out,” then I highly doubt they hold modern, progressive, or scientific views on other subjects.

    Matthew Yglesias » The Surge and Afghan Women 2009

  • After all, the clitoris is the sweet spot of the entire female apparatus.

    Roseanne Archy Roseanne Barr 2011

Comments

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  • One of the best things ever - besides sex, wisdom, and the Seventies!

    June 23, 2007