Venery
/ˈvɛn.ə.ri/noun
The pursuit of sexual pleasure, or in older usage, the sport of hunting.
Did you know?In older English, venery could mean hunting because it came through French from Latin venari, “to hunt,” while the sexual sense developed later in English as a euphemistic extension.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wen-
“to desire, strive for, seek”
Latin
Latin
venārī
“to hunt, pursue”
Old French
Old French
venerie
“hunting, the chase”
Middle English
English
venery
“the sport of hunting”
16th Century
English
venery
“sexual indulgence or lust”
Modern English
English
venery
“sexual desire or indulgence; archaic: hunting”