vagina

noun

va·​gi·​na və-ˈjī-nə How to pronounce vagina (audio)
plural vaginas also vaginae və-ˈjī-(ˌ)nē How to pronounce vagina (audio)
1
a
: a canal in a female mammal that leads from the uterus to the external orifice of the vulva
b
: the external parts of the female genital organs : vulva
—not used technically
2
: a canal that is similar in function or location to the vagina and occurs in various animals other than mammals
Female ducks have evolved vaginas that spiral clockwise, and contain sharp turns, which scientists believe were used to prevent insemination by unwanted suitors.—Tim Barribeau

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, going back to Latin vāgīna "scabbard, sheath," of uncertain origin

Note: Latin vāgīna as an anatomical term does not appear to be earlier than the sixteenth century, though Roman use of the word as a sexual metaphor is as old as Plautus's comedy Pseudolus ("… quom tu ibas simul, conveniebatne in vaginam tuum machaera militis?" - "… when you were going with him, did the soldier's sword fit in your scabbard?"). Latin vāgīna has been compared with Lithuanian vóžti "to close with a lid or cover, shut" (from Indo-European *u̯eh2ǵ-?), though a link is doubtful given the vague sense connection and lack of other comparanda. According to Ernout and Meillet (Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine: histoire des mots, fourth edition, 1959), "undoubtedly a borrowed technical term" ("terme technique sans doute emprunté").

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of vagina was in 1612

Dictionary Entries Near vagina

vagile

vagina

vaginal

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Vagina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vagina. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

vagina

noun
va·​gi·​na və-ˈjī-nə How to pronounce vagina (audio)
plural vaginas also vaginae -nē How to pronounce vagina (audio)
: a canal that leads from the uterus to the outside opening of the female sex organs
vaginal
ˈvaj-ən-ᵊl
adjective

Medical Definition

vagina

noun
va·​gi·​na və-ˈjī-nə How to pronounce vagina (audio)
plural vaginas also vaginae -(ˌ)nē How to pronounce vagina (audio)
1
: a canal in a female mammal that leads from the uterus to the external orifice of the vulva between the labia minora
2
: the external parts of the female genital organs : vulva
—not used technically

More from Merriam-Webster on vagina

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vagina

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...