venereal

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: ve=ne=re=al

CIDE DICTIONARY

venereal, a. [L. venereus, venerius, fr. Venus, Veneris, Venus, the goddess of love. See Venerate.].

•  Of or pertaining to venery, or sexual love; relating to sexual intercourse.  [1913 Webster]

  "Into the snare I fell
  Of fair, fallacious looks, venereal trains,
  Softened with pleasure and voluptuous life."  [1913 Webster]
•  Arising from sexual intercourse; as, a venereal disease; venereal virus or poison.  [1913 Webster]
•  Adapted to excite venereal desire; aphrodisiac.  [1913 Webster]
•  Consisting of, or pertaining to, copper, formerly called by chemists Venus.  Boyle.  [1913 Webster]

venereal, n. 

 The venereal disease; syphilis.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

venereal, adj.
1 of or relating to sexual desire or intercourse.
2 relating to venereal disease.

Idiom

venereal disease any of various diseases contracted chiefly by sexual intercourse with a person already infected.

Derivative

venereally adv.

Etymology

ME f. L venereus f. venus veneris sexual love

THESAURUS

venereal

amorous, aphrodisiac, aphroditous, arousing, carnal, erogenic, erogenous, erotic, eroticizing, erotogenic, fleshly, gamic, genital, heterosexual, libidinal, nuptial, oversexed, potent, procreative, sensual, sex, sexed, sexlike, sexual, sexy, social, stimulating, straight, syphilitic, undersexed, voluptuous