Penis Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Cultural

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms penis American [pee-nis] / ˈpi nɪs /

noun

Anatomy, Zoology.

plural

penises, penes

1. the primary organ used for insemination and, in male mammals, urination.

penis British / ˈpiːnɪs /

noun

1. the male organ of copulation in higher vertebrates, also used for urine excretion in many mammals

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 penis Scientific / pē′nĭs /

plural

penises

1. The male reproductive organ of mammals and some reptiles and birds. In mammals, the penis contains the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder and releases sperm during reproduction.

2. A similar organ found in the males of some invertebrate animals.

penis Cultural

1. The organ of the male reproductive system through which semen passes out of the body during sexual intercourse. The penis is also an organ of urination.

Other Word Forms

• penial adjective
• penile adjective

Etymology

Origin of penis

First recorded in 1685–95, from Latin pēnis “tail, penis”; akin to Greek péos, Sanskrit pásas

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That's because it is often detected only when the prostate is big enough to have impacted the urethra, the tube that connects the bladder to the penis.

From BBC

When asked by presenter Nick Ferrari "so, a woman can have a penis?"

From BBC

To determine the order in which they would skydive from helicopters, the celebrities were told to drink cocktails of blended bull penis and fish eyes with a garnish made from vomit fruit.

From BBC

He was accused of causing the disappearance of the boy’s penis through witchcraft, an accusation that shocked him and is untrue.

From BBC

The conditions include the removal of breasts for transgender men, the removal of the penis and testes for transgender women, and having undergone continuous hormonal treatment for at least two years before applying.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• member
• weenie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.