Erogenous
/ɪˈrɒdʒ.ə.nəs/noun
Relating to areas of the body that are especially sensitive to sexual stimulation.
Did you know?Erogenous is built from Greek roots meaning “love/desire” and “to produce,” so the word literally frames arousal as something generated by the body itself.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
erōs
“desire, sexual love”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-genēs / -genes
“born, produced, generated”
Late 19th Century
French/Scientific English
érogène
“producing sexual excitement”
Early 20th Century
English
erogenous
“producing or relating to sexual arousal”
Modern English
English
erogenous
“relating to areas of the body especially sensitive to sexual stimulation”