functional necrophilia

noun

A reproductive strategy in some amphibians wherein the male will inseminate a fresh newly-dead female corpse, fertilizing the still viable eggs, and then squeezing the corpse to eject the newly fertilized eggs into the water.

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Meanings

nounfunctional necrophilia (uncountable)
  1. uncountablebiologyA reproductive strategy in some amphibians wherein the male will inseminate a fresh newly-dead female corpse, fertilizing the still viable eggs, and then squeezing the corpse to eject the newly fertilized eggs into the water.

Origin

From sexual mating with a corpse (ie. necrophilia), resulting in viable offspring (ie. functional).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

functional necrophilia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/functional%20necrophilia

MLA

“functional necrophilia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/functional%20necrophilia. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “functional necrophilia,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/functional%20necrophilia.

Source: functional necrophilia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.