English word origin

Etymology of clit

Shortened from clitoris.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

To stimulate the clitoris.

noun

Clipping of clitoris. · A penis likened to a clitoris, especially in terms of smallness. · A term of abuse.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Shortened from clitoris.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "clitoris",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "clitoris"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "clitoris",
      "clitoris#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To stimulate the clitoris."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "transitive",
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "recordId": "64acaf67459485c49b6e2e6ed786fdbcb1b0a8850131e7d6eb26c5535940ed5f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "bfe0fc0b99b9a60a775da4638d257b3db51e8376f3b836ac6a652744b006b387",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 163852
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Clipping of clitoris.",
        "A penis likened to a clitoris, especially in terms of smallness.",
        "A term of abuse."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "clipping",
        "informal",
        "vulgar",
        "derogatory",
        "often",
        "slang",
        "offensive"
      ],
      "recordId": "8d90a823933c62e633d534338460091c4a86dcd20f266797c56b6725eac91521",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f3f3454401d08e76a12888cac1fdf8f7f4e52cb7dc9cc4df05e9f5ba7db1e094",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 163851
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To tangle or stick together.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Possibly from clight, clitch.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "clight",
      "clight#English"
    ],
    [
      "clitch",
      "clitch#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To tangle or stick together."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "dialectal",
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "50be1d085235fe6729629bcc974753d591ca6f323316427d1ec9331bbe91c2db",
      "rawRecordSha256": "70357b006cd993f6f5703bd71ca58962a5abd2a969b4ee2a94a30c2c68475292",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 163853
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for clit →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-Y2xpdA