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Origin and history of venereal

venereal(adj.)

early 15c., "of or pertaining to sexual desire or intercourse;" with -al (1) + Latin venereus, venerius "of Venus; of sexual love," from venus (genitive veneris) "sexual love, sexual desire" (from PIE root *wen- (1) "to desire, strive for").

Used of sexually transmitted diseases from 1650s. Venerous (adj.) "inclined to sexual desire, wholly given to sexual pleasure" is attested from mid-15c. The Wife of Bath describes herself as venerient in feeling, literally "subject to the influence of the planet Venus," hence "amatory, erotic." Venerean is attested from 1540s as "connected with or pertaining to Venus or sexual desire." Related: Venereally.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to venereal

V.D.(n.)

abbreviation of venereal disease (see venereal), by 1916 in medical publications. Formerly, in book catalogues, abbreviation of various dates (by 1863).

Venusian(n.)

"(hypothetical) inhabitant of the second planet from the sun," 1866, from Venus + -ian. Middle English had Venerian "one under the influence of the planet Venus; a lover" (late 14c.; compare venereal). As an adjective by 1874.

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snatch
The vulgar slang sense of "vulva" is recorded by 1903, perhaps 1864; a much older venereal sense was "sexual intercourse...
syphilis
infectious venereal disease, 1718, Modern Latin, originally from the title of a poem, "Syphilis, sive Morbus Gallicus" "Syphilis...
crud
U.S. slang; said in "Dictionary of American Slang" to be originally 1920s army and 1930s college student slang for "venereal...
dose
Slang meaning "a case of venereal disease" is by 1914....
merkin
associated with prostitutes, and was to disguise a want of pubic hair, either shaved off to exterminate body lice or a result of venereal...
convent
The venereal diſeaſe. ["Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," 1796] Related: Conventual....
virus
The meaning "agent that causes infectious disease" emerged by 1790s gradually out of the earlier use in reference to venereal...
Venus
late Old English, from Latin Venus (plural veneres), in ancient Roman mythology, the goddess of beauty and love, especially sensual love, from venus "love, sexual desire; loveliness, beauty, charm; a beloved object," from PIE root *wen- (1) "to desire, strive for." Applied by the
survey
c. 1400, surveien, "consider, contemplate," from Anglo-French surveier, Old French sorveoir "look (down) at, look upon, notice; guard, watch," from Medieval Latin supervidere "oversee, inspect," from Latin super "over" (see super-) + videre "to see" (from PIE root *weid- "to see"
stoke
1680s, "to feed and stir up" (a fire in a fireplace or furnace), a back-formation from stoker "one who maintains a fire in a furnace" (1650s); ultimately from Dutch stoken "to stoke," from Middle Dutch stoken "to poke, thrust," related to stoc "stick, stump," from Proto-Germanic

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