cunnilingus
5 synonyms for cunnilingus, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Oral stimulation of a woman's vulva, clitoris or vagina with the mouth and tongue.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
oral sex
going down on
eating out
muff diving
cunnilinctus
How to use cunnilingus
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
perform cunnilingus
during cunnilingus
cunnilingus and fellatio
Clinical and formal. It is the term used in medical, legal and sex-education writing; everyday speech uses informal phrases instead.
Etymology
From Latin cunnilingus, literally 'one who licks the vulva', formed from cunnus 'vulva' and lingere 'to lick'. In Latin the word named the person; in English it names the act.
Full origin of cunnilingus →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cunnilingus and fellatio?
Cunnilingus is oral stimulation of the vulva and clitoris, while fellatio is oral stimulation of the penis. Both are forms of oral sex, and the terms differ only in which genitals are involved.
How do you pronounce cunnilingus?
It is said kun-ih-LING-guhs, with four syllables and the stress on the third. The final part rhymes with 'us', not with 'goose'.
Is cunnilingus safe?
It cannot cause pregnancy, but it can transmit infections including herpes, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HPV in either direction. A dental dam or a cut-open condom used as a barrier substantially reduces that risk.
