phallus

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   formal, anatomical, or anthropological: the penis, especially when erect

   The anatomical plate labels the developing phallus before sexual differentiation is complete.

2. 2
   noun

   an image or representation of an erect penis, especially as a symbol of fertility, potency, or generative power

   The ritual object was carved as a phallus symbolizing fertility.

3. 3
   noun

   psychoanalysis: a symbolic signifier of desire, authority, or power, distinguished from the anatomical organ

   The essay treats the phallus as a symbolic position rather than a bodily part.

Borrowed from Latin phallus, from Greek phallos, 'penis or an image of one.' Classical religious and civic rites used phallic images as emblems of fertility and protective power. Modern anthropology, psychology, and literary theory extended the word from the organ and its representation to symbolic power and desire.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary