phallus means A penis, especially when erect.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, phallus ranks #7,082 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #7,181 of 14,451 for Most Whimsical Words, #7,252 of 14,438 for Most Storied Words, #10,917 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say.
phallus is pronounced /ˈfæləs/.
Why “phallus” is a great word
A representation or image of an erect penis, especially as a symbol of generative power or, in psychoanalytic theory, as a key signifier of desire. From Latin phallus ("membrum virile, phallus, or a figure thereof"), from Ancient Greek φαλλός (phallós, "penis, especially erect; a carved image thereof"), first attested in English in the 1610s. Unlike penis, which denotes the biological organ, or lingam, a sacred emblem of Shiva, the phallus inhabits the realm of symbol, severed from flesh and specific divinity. It is the polished stone icon borne in ancient rites, the crude graffiti on a city wall, and the abstract, looming shape in a surrealist painting—a signifier carved from shadow, desire, and dread, pointing not to anatomy but to the hollows it haunts.
Etymology
From Latin phallus (“membrum virile, phallus, or a figure thereof”) from Ancient Greek φαλλός (phallós).
noun
- A penis, especially when erect.“The phallus had power to subdue the attacks of demons and the Evil Eye[.]”
- A representation of an erect penis, especially symbolising fertility or potency.“The initiated member gave a gift of a coin for the goddess, for which he received in turn a phallus and some salt.”
- The signifier of the desire of the Other, and the signifier of jouissance.
Words closest in meaning
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