Penis Meaning
/ˈpiː.nɪs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe male erectile reproductive organ used for sexual intercourse that in the human male and other placental mammals is also used for urination; the tubular portion of the external male genitalia (excluding the scrotum).
nounA similar erectile sexual organ present in the cloacas of male amniotes.
Sentence Examples
The penis is one of the male reproductive organs.
Penis enlargement supplements, as sold on sites and in magazines, have essentially no effect.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The doctor explained that the ____ is the male organ for urination and reproduction.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The anatomy textbook included a detailed diagram of the male reproductive system including the ____.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pes- Proto-Indo-European *pes-ni-s Proto-Italic *peznis Latin pēnislbor. English penis Learned borrowing from Latin pēnis, from Proto-Italic *peznis, from Proto-Indo-European *pes-ni-s, from *pes- (“penis”). First attested in the late 17th century. Displaced native English pintle, tarse, pillicock.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The penis is the perfectly obvious and natural symbol of instantaneous time."
— 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 129:
"A life is more valuable than a penis."
— 1994 January 24, Lisa Kemler, Newsweek, page 19:
"Okay, hold on, because “stimulus package of your dreams” sounds like how Paul Krugman describes his penis."
— 2016 October 16, “Third Parties”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 26, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The doctor explained that the ____ is the male organ for urination and reproduction.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The anatomy textbook included a detailed diagram of the male reproductive system including the ____.