aphrodisiac

[ af-ruh-dee-ze-ak, -diz-ee-ak ]
See synonyms for aphrodisiac on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. Also aph·ro·di·si·a·cal [af-ruh-duh-zahy-uh-kuhl, -sahy-]. /ˌæf rə dəˈzaɪ ə kəl, -ˈsaɪ-/. arousing sexual desire.

noun
  1. an aphrodisiac food, drug, potion, or other agent that arouses sexual desire.

Origin of aphrodisiac

1
1710–20; <Greek aphrodīsiakós relating to love or desire, equivalent to aphrodī́si(os) of Aphrodite + -akos-ac

Other words from aphrodisiac

  • an·ti·aph·ro·dis·i·ac, adjective, noun

Words Nearby aphrodisiac

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How to use aphrodisiac in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for aphrodisiac

aphrodisiac

/ (ˌæfrəˈdɪzɪæk) /


noun
  1. a drug, food, etc, that excites sexual desire

adjective
  1. exciting or heightening sexual desire

Origin of aphrodisiac

1
C18: from Greek aphrodisiakos, from aphrodisios belonging to Aphrodite

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

Cultural definitions for aphrodisiac

aphrodisiac

[ (af-ruh-dee-zee-ak, af-ruh-diz-ee-ak) ]


A substance or quality that excites sexual desire.

Notes for aphrodisiac

Aphrodisiacs are named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.