Masturbation
/ˌmæstəˈbeɪʃən/noun
Self-stimulation of the genitals, especially to orgasm.
Did you know?The exact origin is disputed, but many scholars connect it to Latin elements for “hand” and a verb meaning “to defile,” showing how moral panic can shape word history.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
masturbation
“Self-stimulation of the genitals, especially to orgasm.”
18th Century
English
masturbation
“A medical and moral term for self-stimulation, often treated as sinful or harmful.”
18th Century
Latin
masturbatio
“A learned form used in medical and scholarly writing.”
Classical Latin
Latin
masturbari
“A possibly related verb, though its true origin is uncertain; often explained in older scholarship as involving the hand and defilement.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*man-
“Hand.”
Explore more surprising origins