Priapulus
/ˌpraɪəˈpjuːləs/noun
A genus of marine, unsegmented worms commonly called priapulids or penis worms.
Did you know?Priapus was a Greco-Roman fertility deity associated with an enormous phallus, and his name later became the source of the medical term priapism.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Priāpos (Πρίαπος)
“Priapus, a fertility god traditionally depicted with an exaggerated phallus”
Classical Latin
Latin
Priapus
“The Roman form of the name of the fertility deity”
1816
New Latin
Priapulus
“A taxonomic genus name formed as a diminutive of Priapus, referring to the worm’s suggestive shape”
19th Century
Scientific English
Priapulus
“The recognized genus of marine priapulid worms”
Modern English
English
Priapulus
“A genus of penis worms inhabiting marine sediments”
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