orgy
pronunciation
How to pronounce orgy in British English:
UK [ˈɔ:dʒi]
How to pronounce orgy in American English:
US [ˈɔrdʒi]
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- Noun:
- any act of immoderate indulgence
- secret rite in the cults of ancient Greek or Roman deities involving singing and dancing and drinking and sexual activity
- a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
Word Origin
- orgy
- orgy: [16] Orgy comes ultimately from Greek órgia (like English organ, a descendant of the Indo-European base *worg- ‘work’), which denoted ‘religious revels involving dancing, singing, getting drunk, and having sex’. It was a plural noun, and passed into English via Latin orgia and French orgies as orgies. This was very much a historical term, denoting the goings-on in ancient Greece, but in the 18th century it was singularized to orgy, and used for any ‘copulatory revelry’.=> organ, work
- orgy (n.)
- 1560s, orgies (plural) "secret rites in the worship of certain Greek and Roman gods," especially Dionysus, from Middle French orgies (c. 1500, from Latin orgia), and directly from Greek orgia (plural) "secret rites," especially those of Bacchus, from PIE root *werg- "to do" (see organ). The singular, orgy, was first used in English 1660s for the extended sense of "any licentious revelry." OED says of the ancient rites that they were "celebrated with extravagant dancing, singing, drinking, etc.," which gives "etc." quite a workout.
Example
- 1. World 's biggest orgy 250 couples
- 2. Unfortunately the netflix version cuts some of the more provocative scenes , including an extended roman orgy featuring a midget .
- 3. Gathering by the title we 're going to assume that some guys sit around and fantasize about all their exes getting together and having one great big lesbian orgy .
- 4. Then there 's china 's spring festival or lunar new year celebration -- an orgy of pyrotechnic delights .
- 5. Christmas , more so than most seasonal festivals , is an annual orgy of plastic .