pudendum

English

Etymology

From Latin pudenda (“that whereof one ought to feel shame”), substantive use of the neuter plural gerundive of pudet (“it shames”); in Latin the usage in the plural form (to mean external genitalia), was far more common than the singular form, as is also the case in English.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: pyo͝odĕnʹdəm, pyo͞odĕnʹdəm, IPA^(key): /pjʊˈdɛndəm/, /pjuːˈdɛndəm/

Noun

pudendum (plural pudenda)

1. (usually in the plural) External genital organs in a human; especially a woman's vulva.
   • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 228:

     Wax models of the pudenda of both sexes were regularly placed before the altar.

2. (in the plural) A person's genitals, mons pubis, anus, and buttocks collectively.
3. (figuratively) A shameful part of something.

Usage notes

• This term appears far more frequently in the plural — as pudenda — than in the singular, analogously with genitalia, which is rarely encountered in its obscure singular form genitale, and with genitals, a plurale tantum whose hypothetical singular form, genital, is otherwise an adjective in English.

Derived terms

• pudendal
• pudendum muliebre (dated)
• pudendum virile (dated)
• pudic
• ulcerating granuloma of the pudendum

References

• “pudendum” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2^nd Ed.; 1989]
• “pudendum, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [Draft revision; Dec. 2008]

Anagrams

• undumped

Latin

Etymology

From pudet (“it shames”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [pʊˈdɛn.dũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [puˈdɛn.dum]

Verb

pudendum (accusative, gerundive pudendus)

1. shaming

Declension

Second declension

	singular
nominative	—
genitive	pudendī
dative	pudendō
accusative	pudendum
ablative	pudendō
vocative	—

There is no nominative form. The present active infinitive of the parent verb is used in situations that require a nominative form. The accusative may also be substituted by the infinitive in this way.

Participle

pudendum

1. inflection of pudendus:
   1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular
   2. accusative masculine singular

Related terms

• pudenda