Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- especially sensitive to sexual stimulation, as certain areas of the body: erogenous zones.
- arousing or tending to arouse sexual desire; sexually stimulating.
adjective
- sensitive to sexual stimulationerogenous zones of the body
- arousing sexual desire or giving sexual pleasure
formed 1889 from Greek eros “sexual love” (see Eros) + -genous “producing.” A slightly earlier variant was erogenic (1887), from French érogénique. Both, as OED laments, are improperly formed. Erogenous zone attested by 1905.
In this connection reference may be made to the well-known fact that in some hysterical subjects there are so-called “erogenous zones” simple pressure on which suffices to evoke the complete orgasm. There is, perhaps, some significance, from our present point of view, in the fact that, as emphasized by Savill (“Hysterical Skin Symptoms,” Lancet, January 30 1904) the skin is one of the very best places to study hysteria. [Havelock Ellis, “Studies in the Psychology of Sex,” 1914]
adj.
- Responsive or sensitive to sexual stimulation, as of particular body parts.
- Arousing sexual desire.