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Definition of penis - 8 dictionary results

pe⋅nis

  [pee-nis]
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–noun, plural -nis⋅es, -nes  [-neez] . Anatomy, Zoology.
the male organ of copulation and, in mammals, of urinary excretion.
Origin:
1685–95; < L pēnis tail, penis

Related forms:
pe⋅nile  [peen-l, pee-nahyl] , pe⋅ni⋅al  [pee-nee-uhl] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pe·nis   (pē'nĭs)   
n.   pl. pe·nis·es or pe·nes (-nēz)
  1. The male organ of copulation in higher vertebrates, homologous with the clitoris. In mammals, it also serves as the male organ of urinary excretion.
  2. Any of various copulatory organs in males of lower animals.

[Latin pēnis; see pes- in Indo-European roots.]
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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Penis

Pe"nis\ (p[=e]"n[i^]s), n. [L.] (Anat.) The male member, or organ of generation.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : penis
Spanish: pene,
German: der Penis,
Japanese: 陰茎
More Translations »

penis

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.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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penis 
1676, perhaps from Fr. pénis or directly from L. penis "penis," earlier "tail" (cf. Eng. tail in both senses, the sexual one slang), from PIE *pes-/*pesos- "penis" (cf. Skt. pasas-, Gk. peos, posthe "penis," probably also O.E. fæsl "progeny, offspring," O.N. fösull, Ger. Fasel "young of animals, brood"). The proper plural is penes. The adj. is penial. In psychological writing, penis envy is attested from 1924.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: pe·nis
Pronunciation: 'pE-n&s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural pe·nes /'pE-(")nEz/ or pe·nis·es
: the male copulatory organ of a higher vertebrate animal that in mammals including humans usually functions as the channel by which urine leaves the bodyand is typically a cylindrical organ that is suspended from the pubic arch, contains a pair of large lateral corpora cavernosa and a smaller ventromedial corpus cavernosum containing the urethra, andhas a terminal glans enclosing the ends of the corpora cavernosa, covered by mucous membrane, and sheathed by a foreskin continuous with the skin covering the body of the organ
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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penis pe·nis (pē'nĭs)
n. pl. pe·nis·es or pe·nes (-nēz)
The male organ of copulation and of urinary excretion, formed by three columns of erectile tissue, two arranged laterally on the dorsum and one medianly below; the extremity is formed by an expansion of the corpus spongiosum, covered by a free fold of skin.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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penis   (pē'nĭs)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural penises or penes (pē'nēz)
  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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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