eroto-

Eroto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “sexual desire.” It is used in some scientific terms, including in psychiatry.

Eroto- comes from the Greek érōs, meaning “love.” In Greek mythology, Eros is the god of love. You might be more familiar with its Roman counterpart, Cupid, whose name comes from the Latin for “desire.”

Other words you may recognize that derive from the Greek érōs include erotic and erogenous. Learn more about their meaning and histories at our entries for the word.

One example of a term that features eroto- is erotology, meaning “the study of erotic stimuli and sexual behavior.”

The first part of the word, eroto-, means “sexual desire.” What about –logy? Ultimately from the Greek lógos (“word, saying, discourse”), -logy is a combining form commonly used to indicate a field of study. Erotology, then, literally translates to “the study of sexual desire.”

What are some words that use the combining form eroto-?

• erotogenesis (using the equivalent form of eroto- in New Latin)
• erotogenic
• erotomania
• erotopathy
• erotophobia

What are some other forms that eroto- may be commonly confused with?

• erythro-
• excito-

The combining form -phobia means “fear.” What is erotophobia?