shunamitism means the ancient practice of an old man sleeping with, but not necessarily having sex with, a young virgin to preserve his youth. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “shunamitism” is a great word
SHUNAMITISM — [Noun] A historical therapeutic practice wherein an elderly man sleeps beside a young virgin, abstaining from intercourse, in the belief that her vitality will transfer to him for rejuvenation. From Shunamite (a woman from Shunem, specifically Abishag, the young woman who attended King David) + -ism (denoting a practice or doctrine). The term was used medically in the 17th century by Thomas Sydenham. Unlike gerontophilia (a sexual attraction to the elderly) or the general aim of rejuvenation, shunamitism is a ritualized, one-way transaction of presumed vitality. It is the chill of a royal bed warmed by a stranger's breath, the silent geometry of two bodies sharing a bed like a circuit diagram for life, and the desperate faith in warmth as borrowed currency—a melancholy testament to the clinical magic prescribed against the gathering dark.
noun
- The ancient practice of an old man sleeping with, but not necessarily having sex with, a young virgin to preserve his youth.