masturbation en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌmɑːstəˈbeɪʃ(ə)n/ (UK)
- (US) audio
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌmæstəˈbeɪʃ(ə)n/ (UK)
- /ˌmæstɚˈbeɪʃən/ (US)
Etymology
Borrowed from French masturbation, New Latin masturbātiō, masturbātiōnem. By surface analysis, masturbat(e) + -ion.
Meanings
-
(uncountable, usually) Sexual stimulation of one's genitalia or other erotic regions, often to the point of orgasm.
While masturbation was never favored in Judeo-Christian tradition, Victorian morality, along with the Great Awakening and other religious revivals in America, created a perfect storm for people to really get obsessed with it.
2023 January 18, Matt Soniak, “When Corn Flakes Were Part of an Anti-Masturbation Crusade”, in Mental Floss, archived from the original on 08 Apr 2025:“Our big finding is that masturbation is not a negative response to captivity,” said Dr Chloe Heys, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Lancashire in Preston. “This is widespread in birds and we found it’s a perfectly natural and healthy behaviour that’s part of their repertoire of sexual behaviours.”¶Researchers historically tended to assume birds either did not masturbate or did so only under the stress of captivity. But Heys said the behaviour was quite common and distinctive. “I had a pet cockatiel that masturbated all the time,” she said. “If you’ve ever seen a bird masturbate, you absolutely know what that bird is doing.”
2026 June 1, Ian Sample, “Masturbation among birds is ‘natural’ and should not be punished, say experts”, in The Guardian, spoken by Dr. Chloe Heys, archived from the original on 01 Jun 2026:Diogenes in sight of all, exercising his Masturbation, bred a longing desire in the bystanders, that in such sort they might fill their bellies by rubbing or clawing the same.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:Masturbation is fun and natural. Not to mention it's a great way to earn five bucks without touchin' the guy.
2005, Jon Kimmel, Clum Babies (Drawn Together), season 2, episode 5, spoken by Foxxy Love (Cree Summer), via Comedy Central:
- (broadly, uncountable, usually) The stimulation of another person's genitals using the hands.
-
(derogatory, figuratively, uncountable, usually) A vain activity that serves only to provide self-indulgent satisfaction without any practical or external value.
So call me antisocial, call it masturbation Either way, it's a solo operation I'm just far more comfortable alone
2013, Days N' Daze, “Misanthropic Drunken Loner”, in Rogue Taxidermy:That experimental film was nothing more than intellectual masturbation for the director.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| masturbations | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
procrasturbation · musturbation · masturbational · intellectual masturbation · mutual masturbation · mental masturbation · overmasturbation · masturbationist · masturbationism · masturbationlike · antimasturbation
Descendants
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
mutual masturbation · fingering · gooning · female masturbation · autocunnilingus · autofellatio
Relateds
masturbatory · masturbator · masturbate
Synonyms
celebrating Palm Sunday · onanism · choking the chicken · self-love · self-pleasure · ham shank · self-abuse · self-defilement · spanking the monkey · hand shandy · solitary vice · self-abuse · solipsism · milking the sausage · lone rangering · beat one's meat · wank · secret vice · onanism · self-pollution · romancing the bone · polishing the jewels · Hand Solo · shaking out the curtains · tossing off · masturbation · peeling the cucumber · jerking off · shaking hands with the milkman · pocket pool · mastupration · manustupration · ipsation · jacking off
Translations (187)
ti ግብረ ሕቡእ (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · tpw pupuka (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · de Selbstbefriedigung (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · es masturbación (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sk ukájanie (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · uk мастурба́ція (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · is rúnk (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · cmn 自淫 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · uk рукоблу́дство (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · id ngocok (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ur جلق (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · bn হাত মারা (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ar عَادَة سِرِّيَّة (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja かわつるみ (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · mr हस्तमैथुन (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sl samozadovoljevanje (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · et masturbeerimine (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja セルフプレジャー (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · yue 打潛艇 /打潜艇 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 自涜 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh самозадовољавање (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ro masturbație (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 1P (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ko 자위행위 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh мастурбација (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · he אוֹנָנוּת (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh самоблуд (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · fi masturbaatio (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · la masturbātiō (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · hi हस्तमैथुन (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · tr otuz bir (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · th การสำเร็จความใคร่ (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh masturbacija (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja シコシコ (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 一人遊び (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 自淫 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ru мастурба́ция (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sk masturbácia (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ceb paglusi (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · cmn 自瀆 /自渎 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · bg мастурба́ция (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh onanija (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · el αυνανισμός (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ky онанизм (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh онанија (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · gd brodadh (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · nl masturbatie (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ru дро́чка (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · id masturbasi (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sl masturbácija (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · hu önkielégítés (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · tr mastürbasyon (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sw punyeto (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 手慰み (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · no onanering (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · se iešduhtadeapmi (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ne हस्तमैथुन (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh дркање (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · az kəfləmə (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · acw عَادَة سِرِّيَّة (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ko 마스터베이션 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 4545 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ka ნძრევა (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 自家発電 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · grc ἀναφλασμός (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ko 딸딸이 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sl drkanje (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja せんずり (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 自慰行為 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sgs mastorbacėjė (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ga lámhchartadh (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ga glacaireacht (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ko 자위 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · yue 打飛機 /打飞机 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · et onanism (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 着せ剥ぎ (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · gd fèin-bhrodadh (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ta தற்புணர்ச்சி (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · uz masturbatsiya (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ar اِسْتِمْنَاء (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · smn jieštuđâttem (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · si ස්වයං වින්දනය (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 手妻 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · fr masturbation (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 自慰 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · fo sjálvsnøktan (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · az suxoylamaq (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 0721 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sa हस्तमैथुन (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja へんずり (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · cs onanie (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · bg чекия (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sv onani (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · tg мастурбатсия (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · hy մաստուրբացիա (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · id cokil (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja しこしこ (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · kmr destperkî (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · acw تَجْليخ (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · be мастурба́цыя (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · is sjálfsfróun (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · kl anisoorniarneq (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · id onani (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ms pelancapan (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · it masturbazione (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · gu હસ્તમૈથુન (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja マスターベーション (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · fr crosse (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh drkanje (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 手筒 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sq masturbim (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh manustupracija (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ca masturbació (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh rukoblud (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · vi sự thủ dâm (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · scn masturbazziuni (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · az suxoy vurmaq (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · bcl pagsalsal (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · tl jakol (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · cs masturbace (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · mn мастурбац (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sk onánia (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · az onanizm (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ms masturbasi (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · id coli (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · scn minata (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 手淫 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · cmn 自慰 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh samozadovoljavanje (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · kk мастурбация (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · es paja (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja オナニー (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ta சுய இன்பம் (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ps موټک (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · bn হস্তমৈথুন (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ro onanie (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · mn хангалга (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · pl onanizm (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja マス掻き (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · tl pagsalsal (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh мануступрација (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · da onani (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ka მასტურბაცია (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · el μαλακία (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · da masturbation (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sms jiijjâstoođtummuš (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ca palla (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · yue 自慰 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · uk онані́зм (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · mk мастурбација (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh рукоблуд (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · eo masturbado (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · fr onanisme (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · nl zelfbevrediging (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · vo masturbat (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · de Masturbation (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · az masturbasiya (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · kk онанизм (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · lt masturbacija (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · tl masturbasyon (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ky мастурбация (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 当て掻き (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · pl masturbacja (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ro masturbare (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sk onanovanie (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · pt punheta (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · th การช่วยตัวเอง (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · tr istimna (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ru онани́зм (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · fi itsetyydytys (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · fa جلق (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · fr manualisation (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · cmn 手淫 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · pt masturbação (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · lv masturbācija (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · hu maszturbáció (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja 一人エッチ (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ru рукоблу́дие (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ko 수음 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sh samoblud (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · ja オナニスム (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · sl masturbiranje (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · fr branlette (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · de Onanie (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · yue 手淫 (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · be анані́зм (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals) · kl tissassarneq (manual erotic stimulation of the genitals)