venereal
pronunciation
How to pronounce venereal in British English:
UK [vəˈnɪəriəl]
How to pronounce venereal in American English:
US [vəˈnɪriəl]
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- Adjective:
- of or relating to the external sex organs
Word Origin
- venereal
- venereal: [15] Latin venus meant ‘love, charm’ (it came ultimately from the same Indo- European base as produced English wish and winsome and Sanskrit vānchā ‘wish’). It was not that common as a generic term, its most familiar role being as the name of the Roman goddess of love. From it was derived venereus ‘of sexual love or sexual intercourse’, which English borrowed and adapted as venereal.The term venereal disease dates from the mid 17th century. Other contributions made by Latin venus to English include venerable [15] and venerate [17] (from Latin venerārī ‘revere’, a derivative of venus), venial [13], and possibly venom.=> venerate, venial, venus, winsome, wish
- venereal (adj.)
- early 15c., "of or pertaining to sexual desire or intercourse," from Latin venereus, venerius "of Venus; of sexual love," from venus (genitive veneris) "sexual love, sexual desire" (see Venus). Used of sexually transmitted diseases from 1650s. Related: Venereally.
Example
- 1. Those who wanted to keep the law contended that the statute was needed as a protection against venereal disease , but the court rejected that argument .
- 2. Chinese medicinal powder for treating skin ulcer and venereal disease .
- 3. Have you ever contracted a venereal disease ?
- 4. Fornication in public was common and even children were routinely treated for venereal disease .
- 5. A soft , highly infectious , nonsyphilitic venereal ulcer of the genital region , caused by the bacillus hemophilus ducreyi .