Onanism
Onanism is an old-fashioned term for masturbation. Today, the term is mostly historical or literary. It is rarely used in everyday sexual language, although it does come up as a euphemism or in religious contexts.
Origins of the Term Onanism
The word onanism comes from the biblical story of Onan in the Book of Genesis. Onan was ordered to have sex with his dead brother’s widow so she could have a child in his brother’s name. Instead, he withdrew before ejaculation and “spilled his seed” on the ground. His act was therefore closer to withdrawal than masturbation.
Despite that, Onan’s name became associated with masturbation. One of the biggest influences was an anonymous English pamphlet called "Onania, or the Heinous Sin of Self-Pollution." It was first published around 1716 and distributed in London. It warned that masturbation could cause serious physical and moral harm and helped turn masturbation into a major medical and social concern.
The idea became even more widespread after Swiss physician Samuel-Auguste Tissot published "L’Onanisme" in 1760. Tissot claimed masturbation could cause weakness, illness, memory problems, and other health problems. Those claims are no longer accepted, but his book was highly influential and helped spread fear of masturbation throughout Europe for generations.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, onanism became a common formal or euphemistic word for masturbation, alongside expressions such as "self-abuse," "self-pollution" and the "solitary vice."
Today, the term is mostly old-fashioned, but it still appears in historical writing, older medical and psychoanalytic texts, and some religious discussions. Religious writers may use onanism because of its connection to the story of Onan. Others use it as an indirect or even tongue-in-cheek way to refer to masturbation.
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