metoidioplasty

noun

me·​toid·​io·​plas·​ty mə-ˈtȯi-dē-ə-ˌpla-stē 

plural metoidioplasties

: a type of gender-affirming surgery in which the clitoris is used to construct a penis and which often also includes lengthening the urethra and connecting it to the new penis and forming a scrotum from the outer labia

Soon, Ayers hopes to get gender confirmation surgery as well, which in his case, would involve a double mastectomy—the removal of breasts, also referred to as top surgery—and a metoidioplasty—the creation of a penis from existing genital tissue …

—Miranda Willson

Of course, testosterone does nothing to give you male sex organs. … There are two surgical options. … The more commonly chosen option is called metoidioplasty. This procedure involves releasing your clitoris, which has become enlarged by testosterone. … The result is a significantly smaller-than-average penis, although it is sexually sensitive and does get erect.

—Joanne Herman

compare phalloplasty

Word History

Etymology

met- + oidio-, presumably erroneously for aedoeo- or edeo-, combining form from Greek aidoîa "area of the body concealed through modesty, private parts, genitals (of either sex)" (noun derivative from neuter plural of aidoîos "respected, revered, bashful, modest," derivative from the base of aídomai, aídesthai "to have due regard for, respect, be ashamed," of uncertain origin) + -plasty

Note: The development of metoidioplasty as a surgical procedure is closely associated with the American plastic surgeon Donald Laub (1935-2024), who may have introduced the word. The chapter "Metoidioplasty" of the multi-author collection Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery of the External Genitalia (Philadelphia, 1999), written by Gail S. Lebovic, Donald R. Laub, Güneyt Özek and Donald R. Laub, Jr., contains references to unpublished papers given by Laub in 1982 and 1985 that use metoidioplasty in their titles. These dates appear to precede published use of the term. According to the chapter authors, "The term metoidioplasty was derived from the Greek words meta, 'toward'; oidion, 'male genitalia'; and plasty, surgical molding" (p. 355). There is no Greek word oidion, and the authors presumably meant aidoîa, which, in the judgment of The Cambridge Greek Lexicon editors, can refer to either male or female genitals. The Greek verb aídomai is conventionally linked to Gothic aistan, translating Greek entrépesthai "to have regard or respect for," and Sanskrit ī́ṭṭe "(s/he) venerates, praises," going back to Indo-European *h₂ei̯sd-, with *-d- supposedly a root extension joined to *h₂ei̯s-, whence the Germanic base of Old English ār, āre "honor, reverence." However, *h₂ei̯sd- should yield Greek aiz- (αἰζ-) rather than aid- (αἰδ-).

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above