noun

sodomy

SO-duh-mee

noun

A legal and historical term for anal or oral sex, sometimes also used for bestiality; historically used to criminalize homosexual acts.

"Sodomy laws in many countries were used to persecute gay men for decades."

How to Use Sodomy

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn old legal term for certain sex acts, historically used in discriminatory laws.

When to use it

Largely a legal/historical term now; considered outdated and loaded when applied to consensual adult relationships.

sodomies plural

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Derived from the biblical city of Sodom, described in Genesis as destroyed for its inhabitants' wickedness.

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