Etymology

dildo

dil·do
D2I1L1D2O1

Today it means: A device used for sexual penetration or another sexual activity. Full definition →

Middle English dildoun
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dildo · noun, verb1

Unclear; possibly an alteration of English diddle. Compare the use as an expressive nonsense syllable in often sexual songs and the spelling dil doul, found in e.g. The Maids Complaint for want of a Dil Doul, a song in the library of Samuel Pepys. Unlikely to be related to Italian diletto (“delight”) or Latin dīlātō (“to open up, spread”), often cited etymologies.

dildo · interjection2

  1. Middle English · derived fromdildoun“darling, pet”
  2. English todaydildo

Related to other nonsense syllables like dido and diddle(-diddle), which similarly developed sexual senses. Found since at least the 1500s, often in contexts where allusion is being made to the sexual sense (above). Possibly influenced by Middle English dildoun (“darling, pet”), early modern English dildin (“sweetheart”); compare Old Norse dilla (“to lull”), dillindo (“lullaby”).

Dildo · proper noun3

Uncertain; see the Wikipedia article for some possible origins.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.