Glans
/ɡlænz/noun
The rounded, sensitive tip of the penis or clitoris.
Did you know?Roman medical language called the glans an “acorn” because its rounded shape resembled the oak nut; the related word “gland” originally meant a little acorn.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷelH-
“A reconstructed root associated with rounded objects, especially acorns; the exact reconstruction is debated.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βάλανος (balanos)
“Acorn; also used for similarly shaped objects.”
Classical Latin
Latin
glāns
“Acorn; by extension, a rounded object resembling an acorn.”
Late Latin
Latin
glans penis
“The “acorn of the penis,” a descriptive anatomical expression.”
17th Century
English
glans
“A learned anatomical term for the rounded terminal part of the penis.”
Modern English
English
glans
“The rounded, sensitive tip of the penis or clitoris.”