penis
SayPEE-nis/ˈpi.nɪs//ˈpiː.nɪs/
- 1The male organ used for sexual intercourse and, in humans and most mammals, for urination; similar organs occur in some birds and reptiles.
The urologist examined the patient's penis for signs of infection.
Erectile tissue in the penis fills with blood during arousal.
UsageThe usual plural is penises; penes appears in some scientific writing.
Note
English borrowed the word from Latin by the late 17th century, as a learned term; in Latin pēnis also meant "tail". It pushed aside native names such as pintle and tarse and is now the neutral word of anatomy and medicine.
Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- English borrowed penis from Latin as a learned term by the late 17th century. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin pēnis also meant “tail”. en.wikipedia.org
- Penis displaced native English names including pintle and tarse. en.wiktionary.org
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Origin
Borrowed by the late 16th century from Latin pēnis, “tail, penis,” perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *pes-. It replaced older native English words such as pintle.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- The word already occurs in sixteenth-century English: Cambridge University Library quotes an example from the English Nomenclator. specialcollections-blog.lib.cam.ac.uk
- The word was borrowed from Latin pēnis, meaning tail and penis. en.wikipedia.org
- Penis replaced older native English words including pintle. en.wiktionary.org