pederast

noun

ped·​er·​ast ˈpe-də-ˌrast How to pronounce pederast (audio)
: a man who desires or engages in sexual activity with a boy
pederastic adjective
pederasty noun

Examples of pederast in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Activists say that anything that helps prosecute pederasts would be a welcome tool. Julia Scheeres, WIRED, 4 June 2002 Think of convicted pederast Jerry Sandusky, whose Second Mile foundation—cited as one of President Bush's 1,000 points of light in a 1990 letter of commendation—put him continually in the presence of young boys. Kevin Conley, Town & Country, 30 Mar. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Greek paiderastēs, literally, lover of boys, from paid- ped- + erastēs lover, from erasthai to love — more at eros

First Known Use

1638, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pederast was in 1638

Dictionary Entries Near pederast

Cite this Entry

“Pederast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pederast. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

pederast

noun
ped·​er·​ast ˈped-ə-ˌrast How to pronounce pederast (audio)
variants or chiefly British paederast
: one that practices pederasty

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