sodomy

noun sod·omy \ ˈsä-də-mē \

Definition of sodomy

:anal or oral copulation with a member of the same or opposite sex; also :copulation with an animal

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sodomitic

play \ˌsä-də-ˈmi-tik\ or sodomitical play \ˌsä-də-ˈmi-ti-kəl\ adjective

See sodomy defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of sodomy from the Web

Galen Satoe was acquitted of felony attempted aggravated sodomy.

— mará rose williams, kansascity, "Bulk of Title IX lawsuit in Haskell university rape case is dismissed," 3 Aug. 2017
In 1979, Miller was charged with rape, robbery, kidnapping and sodomy and received a 15-year sentence, court records show, though he was released on parole in 1981.

— matthew glowicki, The Courier-Journal, "Testing old rape kits leads to first indictment in Louisville," 23 July 2017
After Mahathir fired Anwar in 1998, Anwar spent the next six years in prison on convictions for abuse of power and sodomy.

— pooi koon chong, Bloomberg.com, "Deadly Enemies Becoming Allies in Bid to Oust Malaysia's Najib," 17 July 2017
Dennis John Davis, 58, was sentenced to prison in 1993 for rape, sodomy and kidnapping.

— samantha matsumoto, OregonLive.com, "Warrant issued for sex offender wanted on parole violation," 13 July 2017
Prosecutors have twice brought charges of sodomy against Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the opposition coalition, who began his second jail term in 2015.

— The Economist, "Malaysia’s government harasses opponents as an election looms," 13 July 2017
Vernon Morris, 55, was convicted in July 1981 of forcible sodomy and unlawful imprisonment in New York.

— eric heisig, cleveland.com, "Sex offender who worked as security guard at school for at-risk children charged with failure to register," 7 July 2017
Todd Matus was convicted in absentia of rape and sodomy in 1976 and will now be sentenced to five to 15 years in a New York state prison for that crime, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said at a news conference Friday.

— frank eltman, The Seattle Times, "Arizona man who fled 1976 rape trial sent back to New York," 30 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sodomy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sodomy

Middle English, from Anglo-French sodomie, from Late Latin Sodoma Sodom; from the homosexual proclivities of the men of the city in Genesis 19:1–11

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First Known Use: 13th century

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SODOMY Defined for English Language Learners

sodomy

noun

Definition of sodomy for English Language Learners

: anal sex with someone

Medical Dictionary

sodomy

noun sod·omy \ ˈsäd-ə-mē \

medical Definition of sodomy

plural sodomies

:anal or oral copulation with a member of the same or opposite sex; also :copulation with an animal

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sodomist

\ˈsäd-ə-məst\ noun

Law Dictionary

sodomy

noun sod·omy \ ˈsä-də-mē \

legal Definition of sodomy

:the crime of oral or anal sexual contact or penetration between persons or of sexual intercourse between a person and an animal; especially :the crime of forcing another person to perform oral or anal sex

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sodomize

play \ˈsä-də-ˌmīz\ transitive verb

Origin and Etymology of sodomy

Anglo-French sodomie sexual intercourse between men, from Old French, from Late Latin Sodoma Sodom, from the supposed homosexual practices of the men of the city in Genesis 19:1-11