Deflower
/diːˈflaʊər/noun
To deprive of virginity or, more literally, to strip away flowers or bloom.
Did you know?In older English, flower and bloom could symbolize virginity and freshness, so the word’s sexual meaning grew out of a very physical image of taking away a person’s “blossom.”
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
flōr
“flower, blossom”
Late Old English / Middle English
OE/ME
deflouren
“to strip of flowers or bloom”
Middle English
ME
deflour
“to deprive of virginity; to ruin the bloom or freshness”
16th Century
English
deflower
“to take away the virginity of; to rob of bloom or freshness”
Modern English
English
deflower
“to deprive of virginity or of natural freshness”
Explore more surprising origins