Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The external sac of skin enclosing the testes in most mammals.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The purse-like tegumentary investment of the testes and part of the spermatic cord; the cod. The scrotum is a double bag, whose two cavities are separated by the septum scroti, which is indicated on the surface by a median seam or raphe. It consists of two layers—the skin, or integumentary layer, and the contractile layer, or dartos. The integument is very thin, brownish, provided with hairs and sebaceous follicles, and more or less corrugated or rugose, owing to the contraction of the dartos, which is a vascular layer containing a large amount of non-striated muscular tissue. All mammals whose testes leave the abdominal cavity have a scrotum, but in position, as well as in other particulars, it differs much in different-cases. It is perineal, as in man, monkeys, dogs, etc.; or inguinal, as in the horse, bull, etc.; or abdominal, as in marsupials, in the position of the mammary pouch of the female. It may be sessile and little protuberant, or pendulous by a narrow neck, as in the bull, marsupials, etc.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The bag or pouch which contains the testicles; the cod.
WordNet 3.0
- n. the external pouch that contains the testes
Etymologies
- Latin scrōtum.
Examples
“Banning a book because of the word scrotum is ridiculous.”
“If your 10 and 12-year-olds don't know what a scrotum is and librarians and teachers want to keep it that way, America, you have a problem.”
“I was greatly amused by the statement the word scrotum is not used in polite conversation ... excuse me, but if, for example, my husband had testicular cancer or some other cancer in the scrotal area, scrotum would indeed be a matter and a word used in polite conversation ... and if a dog got bit on the scrotum in front of children, then use the word in front of them or anyone else.”
“Because surely worse that using the word scrotum, is that some poor dog got a bite on one of his.”
“My guess is any book that so honors the word scrotum, which isn't really a nice sounding word at all no matter its meaning, is a sort of book any normal child wouldn't read.”
“Though I have to say, I tried to explain "scrotum" to my daughter the way it was explained at the end of the book (my daughter had questions about the cat which was to be neutered) and my husband laughed so hard he couldn't catch his breath.”
“I mean, at least "scrotum" is the proper anatomical term.”
“IMO, the word "scrotum" is a more elevated term than others the author might have used: nutsack applesack ballsack”
“When he could have been practicing his Shaolin scrotum lock”
“Is a book which contains the word scrotum appropriate for 9-12 year olds?”
Lists
‘scrotum’ hasn't been added to any lists yet.
blafferty "Scrotum sounded to Lucky like something green that comes up when you have the flu and cough too much." - from _The Higher Power of Lucky_ May 11, 2011
hernesheir See courage-bag. May 11, 2011
reesetee Just "hearing" it in my head that way gives me a laugh, fearraigh. :-) Feb 21, 2007
fearraigh I first learned this off Billy Connolly when I was about ten; it was his 'Last Chicken in Sainsbury's' sketch. For some time I was pronouncing it with a rolled Scots 'r'. And look how I turned out... Feb 21, 2007
reesetee I second that, Genneaux! Feb 20, 2007
genneaux DON'T BAN BOOKS!!!
Keep "The Higher Power of Lucky" in school libraries! Feb 20, 2007