priapism
Priapism (noun) means a medical condition in which an erection does not go down, even without any physical or mental stimulation. Example: “The doctor explained that priapism needs urgent treatment.”
How to use priapism
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA painful medical condition where an erection will not go away.
It is a clinical term, used mainly in medical writing and discussion.
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The doctor explained that _____ needs urgent treatment.
Etymology
The word comes from Latin priapismus, which was built on Priapus, a god of procreation, plus the suffix -ism. The Latin form in turn came from Ancient Greek priapismos.