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lasciviousness

 - 4 dictionary results

las⋅civ⋅i⋅ous

  [luh-siv-ee-uhs]
Use lasciviousness in a Sentence
–adjective
1. inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: a lascivious, girl-chasing old man.
2. arousing sexual desire: lascivious photographs.
3. indicating sexual interest or expressive of lust or lewdness: a lascivious gesture.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < L lascīvi(a) playfulness, wantonness (lascīv(us) playful, wanton + -ia -ia ) + -ous

Related forms:
las⋅civ⋅i⋅ous⋅ly, adverb
las⋅civ⋅i⋅ous⋅ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To lasciviousness
las·civ·i·ous   (lə-sĭv'ē-əs)   
adj.  

  1. Given to or expressing lust; lecherous.

  2. Exciting sexual desires; salacious.


[Middle English, from Late Latin lascīviōsus, from Latin lascīvia, lewdness, playfulness, from lascīvus, lustful, playful; see las- in Indo-European roots.]
las·civ'i·ous·ly adv., las·civ'i·ous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

lascivious 
c.1425, from L.L. lasciviosus (used in a scolding sense by Isidore and other early Church writers), from L. lascivia "lewdness, playfulness," from lascivus "lewd, playful," from PIE *las-ko-, from *las- "to be eager, wanton, or unruly" (cf. Skt. -lasati "yearns," lasati "plays, frolics," Hittite ilaliya- "to desire, covet," Gk. laste "harlot," O.C.S. laska "flattery," Slovak laska "love," O.Ir. lainn "greedy," Goth. lustus, O.E. lust "lust").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: las·civ·i·ous
Pronunciation: l&-'si-vE-&s
Function: adjective
: reflecting or producing sexual desire or behavior esp. that is considered indecent or obscene lascivious behavior>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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