troilism

English

Alternative forms

• triolism

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɔɪɨ̞lɪz(ə)m/

Noun

troilism (uncountable)

1. The practice of two people having sex while a third person watches (and may or may not take part).
   • 1981, William H. Gotwald, Gale Holtz Golden, Sexualidad: la experiencia humana, Prentice Hall

     Troilism is primarily a male problem, but one case of a woman who watched her husband have intercourse with a young girl has been reported in the literature (Smith, 1976).

   • 2006, Irish University Review:

     These various strands are frequently interwoven in Banville's many glimpses, glancing hints, and full scenes of troilism.

   • 2008, D. Richard Laws, William T. O'Donohue, Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment, Guilford Press (→ISBN), page 410:

     Although historically troilism has been conceptualized as a form of voyeurism, [...] in cases of troilism the sexual partners are typically aware that they are being observed.

2. The practice of three people having sex, i.e. having threesomes.
   • 1972, Penthouse:

     Now if it's true, as I believe, that every woman has a bit of a lesbian streak, or at least curiosity, then it follows that the ideal way to satisfy it is with troilism — making love with two girls and a man. I've tried it myself and I know. ...

   • (Can we date this quote?) Hugh Carleton Greene, portrayed by Hugh Bonneville in Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story, on his exasperation at Mary Whitehouse's (Julie Walters) attempts to remove any material deemed mildly offensive from BBC TV:

     The woman wants to censor us, Hill. If she had her way, all we'd show would be Andy bloody Pandy, and she'd stop him climbing into that basket with Looby Lou - let alone Teddy - lest some child be corrupted by the whiff of puppet troilism. And bestiality, I suppose - or would it be bestiality with a teddy bear... rather than a real bear?

Derived terms

• troilist
• troilistic

Related terms

• ménage à trois

Coordinate terms

• twosome, foursome, fivesome, etc.

See also

• swinging
• threesome