In amniotes, the clitoris (/ˈklɪtərɪs/ ⓘ KLIT-ər-iss or /klɪˈtɔːrɪs/ ⓘ klih-TOR-iss; pl.: clitorises or clitorides) is a female sex organ.[1] In humans, it is the vulva's most erogenous area and generally the primary anatomical source of female sexual pleasure.[2] The clitoris is a complex structure, and its size and sensitivity can vary. The visible portion, the glans, of the clitoris is typically roughly the size and shape of a pea and is estimated to have at least 8,000 sensory nerve endings.[3][4]
Sexological, medical, and psychological debate has focused on the clitoris,[5] and it has been subject to social constructionist analyses and studies.[6] Such discussions range from anatomical accuracy, gender inequality, female genital mutilation, and orgasmic factors and their physiological explanation for the G-spot.[7] The only known purpose of the human clitoris is to provide sexual pleasure.[8]
Knowledge of the clitoris is significantly affected by its cultural perceptions. Studies suggest that knowledge of its existence and anatomy is scant in comparison with that of other sexual organs and that more education about it could help alleviate stigmas associated with the female body and female sexual pleasure. Examples of stigma include the ideas that the clitoris and vulva in general are visually unappealing, that female masturbation is taboo, or that men should be expected to master and control women's orgasms.[9]
The Oxford English Dictionary states that the Latin word clitoris likely has its origin in the Ancient Greek κλειτορίς, kleitoris, perhaps derived from the verb κλείειν, kleiein, "to shut".[11] Clitoris is also Greek for the word key, "indicating that the ancient anatomists considered it the key" to female sexuality.[12][13] In addition to key, the Online Etymology Dictionary suggests other Greek candidates for the word's etymology include a noun meaning "latch" or "hook"; a verb meaning "to touch or titillate lasciviously", "to tickle" (one German synonym for the clitoris is der Kitzler, "the tickler"), although this verb is more likely derived from "clitoris"; and a word meaning "side of a hill", from the same root as "climax".[14] The Oxford English Dictionary also states that the colloquially shortened form "clit", the first occurrence of which was noted in the United States, has been used in print since 1958: until then, the common abbreviation was "clitty".[11] Other slang terms for clitoris include bean, nub, and love button.[15][16][17] The term clitoris is commonly used to refer to the glans alone.[18] In recent anatomical works, the clitoris has also been referred to as the bulbo-clitoral organ.[19]
Most of the clitoris is composed of internal parts. Regarding humans, it consists of the glans, the body (which is composed of two erectile structures known as the corpora cavernosa), the prepuce, and the root. The frenulum is beneath the glans.[20]
Research indicates that clitoral tissue extends into the vaginal anterior wall.[21] Şenaylı et al. said that the histological evaluation of the clitoris, "especially of the corpora cavernosa, is incomplete because for many years the clitoris was considered a rudimentary and nonfunctional organ". They added that Baskin and colleagues examined the clitoris' masculinization after dissection and using imaging software after Masson's trichrome staining, put the serial dissected specimens together; this revealed that the nerves of the clitoris surround the whole clitoral body.[22]