Sodomy (Noun)
Meaning 1
Sexual activity between a person and an animal.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Intercourse via the anus, committed by a man with a man or woman.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- Historically, sodomy was considered a criminal offense in many societies, punishable by severe penalties, including death.
- In the United States, laws prohibiting sodomy were enacted in various states and were often used to persecute gay men.
- Some states' sodomy laws applied not only to male same-sex relations but also to male-female anal intercourse.
- A Supreme Court ruling overturned state laws banning sodomy in the landmark case of Lawrence v. Texas.
- Medical and mental health professionals today reject the characterization of consensual sodomy as a deviant or unnatural behavior.