Anaphrodisiacs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Substances that reduce sexual desire or libido in individuals
2. Agents thought to lower sexual arousal or interest in both men and women
3. Compounds believed to suppress sexual attraction or response in the body

Etymology: "Anaphrodisiacs" is the plural of "anaphrodisiac," a word built by attaching the prefix "an-" to "aphrodisiac." That prefix comes from ancient Greek "an-," meaning "not" or "without," the same negating element found in words like "anarchy" and "anonymous." The word it is built on, "aphrodisiac," derives from "Aphrodite," the Greek goddess of love, and describes something that arouses desire. Adding the negating prefix produces the opposite: a substance or agent that suppresses sexual appetite. The coinage belongs to modern English rather than to the ancient Greeks, who had no such term. Its components are classical, but the combination was made in English, so the word reflects a deliberate, learned formation rather than an inherited expression. Its plural simply follows the regular English pattern of adding "-s" to the singular noun.

Synonyms: substances, remedies