ying-yang

noun

variants or less commonly ying yang
US slang
: anus, wazoo
Phrases
up the ying-yang or less commonly out the ying-yang US slang
: in very large amounts : in excess
When you have money up the ying-yang, you have go-fers, and you send them.Neil Steinberg, The Chicago Sun-Times, 27 Jan. 2015
“There are transitional fossils out the ying-yang,” says Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education.Josh Tyrangiel, Time, 10 June 2000

Word History

Etymology

earlier also “penis, coitus,” reduplicative expressive compound (with similar phonetic components as in earlier ding-dong, dong “penis,” wang, whang “penis”)

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ying-yang was in 1968

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near ying-yang

Cite this Entry

“Ying-yang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ying-yang. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!