# clitoris
## English
### Etymology

From post-classical Latin clītoris (16th century), or its source, Koine Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís), probably from Ancient Greek κλείω (kleíō, “I sheathe, shut”), in reference to its being covered by the labia minora.
The related noun form κλείς (kleís) has a second meaning of "a key, a latch or hook (to close a door)." Wooden pegs were the original keys; a connection also revealed in Latin clavis (“nail”) and claudere (“to shut”) (see close). Some medical sources give a supposed Greek verb κλειτοριάζω (kleitoriázō, “touch or titillate lasciviously, tickle”) literally "to be inclined (toward pleasure)" (compare German Kitzler (“clitoris”, literally “tickler”), related to Greek κλειτύς (kleitús, “shut, closed”), a variant of κλιτύς (klitús, “hillside”), related to κλίνω (klínō, “I slope”), from the same root as κλῖμαξ (klîmax, “ladder”). But many sources take κλειτορίς (kleitorís) literally as Ancient Greek "little hill".

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈklɪtəɹɪs/, IPA: /klɪˈtɔːɹɪs/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)

### Noun

clitoris (plural clitorises or clitorides)
* (anatomy) A sensitive elongated erectile sex organ at the anterior part of the vulva in female humans and other mammals. [from 17th c.]
    stimulate the clitoris
    She complains that her boyfriend can't find her clitoris.
** 1740, anonymous author, A Dialogue Between a Lady and a Maid:Juſt before them, towards the upper Part of the C—t, is a Thing they call Clitoris, which, is a little like a Man's P—k, for it will ſwell, and ſtand like his […] .
** 1999, Natalie Angier, Woman: An Intimate Geography, page 65:The average infant clitoris, when measured from the base of the shaft to the top of the glans, is about 4 or 5 millimeters, the height of a pencil eraser.
* (zoology) A similar erectile sexual organ present in the cloacas of female amniotes.

#### Synonyms

* See Thesaurus:clitoris

#### Hypernyms

* genital tubercle - embryological precursor

#### Derived terms

* clit
* cliterati
* clitoral
* clitoral foreskin
* clitoral glans
* clitoral hood
* clitorectomy
* clitorial
* clitoric
* clitoridectomy
* clitoridotomy
* clitorised
* clitorislike
* clitorism
* clitorist
* clitoritis
* clitorize
* clitoromegaly
* hemiclitoris
* macroclitoris
* shitoris

#### Related terms

* glans clitoridis, glans clitoris
* os clitoridis
* praeputium clitoridis

#### Translations
### Anagrams

* coistril

## Dutch
### Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin clitoris, from Ancient Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkli.toː.rɪs/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: cli‧to‧ris

### Noun

clitoris f (plural clitores or clitorissen, diminutive clitorisje n)
* clitoris
    Synonym: kittelaar

#### Related terms

* clit
* clitoridectomie

#### Descendants

* → Indonesian: klitoris

## French
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kli.tɔ.ʁis/

### Noun

clitoris m (plural clitoris)
* clitoris
    Les personnes qui prennent de la testostérone dans le cadre d’une transition de genre médicale de femme à homme ont également un clitoris dont la taille est au-dessus de la moyenne.People who take testosterone as part of a female-to-male medical gender transition also have a clitoris of above-average size.

#### Derived terms

* clitoridien

### Further reading

* “clitoris”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Interlingua
### Noun

clitoris (uncountable)
* clitoris

## Latin
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Koine Greek κλειτορίς (kleitorís).

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈkliː.to.ris/, [ˈklʲiːt̪ɔrɪs̠]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈkli.to.ris/, [ˈkliːt̪oris]

### Noun

clītoris f (genitive clītoridis); third declension
* clitoris (postclassical)

#### Declension

Third-declension noun.

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French clitoris.

### Noun

clitoris n (plural clitorisuri)
* clitoris