phallic

English

Etymology

phallus (“penis”) +‎ -ic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfælɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ælɪk

Adjective

phallic (not comparable)

1. Relating to, or characteristic of the penis.
   • 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 10:

     A little later the phallic explanation of everything came into fashion. The deities were all polite names for the organs and powers of procreation.

   • 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 128:

     The natural rhythm of the male is a phallic one of rise and fall, whether it involves towers, stock markets, or whole civilizations.

2. Shaped like an erect human penis.

   My mother has a very phallic salt shaker.

   • 1993, Joseph Downton, Washington D.C.: An Alternative Guide, page T-221:

     For many first-time visitors, a common initial impression of the Washington Monument is that it is incredibly phallic.

   • 2005, Mother Mother (lyrics and music), “Verbatim”:

     The incinerator and a big smoke stack / It's a phallic symbol and it makes me laugh

3. Relating to or exhibiting masculine or patriarchal traits, seen metaphorically as seated in the male genitalia.
   • 1990 April 14, Jeremy Grainger, Read Weaver, “You Don't Gotta!”, in Gay Community News, page 8:

     Opposing the war in El Salvador and opposing the phallic aggression everywhere.

Synonyms

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Translations

See also

• vulvar
• yonic
• phallus

Anagrams

• Cap Hill