What does ejaculator mean?
An ejaculator is, in modern usage, a male who discharges semen at sexual climax, and the word appears almost exclusively in medical and clinical settings. Doctors commonly classify patients with terms such as 'premature ejaculator', referring to a man whose ejaculation occurs sooner than he or his partner wishes during intercourse, or 'retrograde ejaculator', describing a man whose semen passes backward into the bladder rather than exiting the body. The word is simply the agent form of the verb 'ejaculate', which derives from Latin roots meaning to throw or dart out. Historically the term had a broader, entirely innocent sense: because 'ejaculate' once meant to utter something suddenly, writers of earlier centuries could call someone an 'ejaculator' merely for blurting out remarks. That usage has fallen away completely, leaving the clinical anatomical meaning as the standard one today.
nounA person or thing that ejaculates, especially a male who emits semen during sexual climax; the term is used chiefly in medical and clinical contexts.
- A male who emits semen at orgasm, used especially in clinical phrases such as 'premature ejaculator'.
- Rarely, a person who utters words suddenly and briefly; an exclaimer (now archaic).
"The urologist asked whether the patient was a premature ejaculator."
"Roughly a third of men seeking sex therapy describe themselves as premature ejaculators."
"In older fiction, an eager conversationalist might be described as a constant ejaculator of exclamations."
Regular plural, formed by adding -s.
"Premature ejaculators often benefit from behavioral techniques and counseling."
Long before it acquired its modern anatomical sense, 'ejaculate' simply meant to blurt something out suddenly — so a 19th-century novel could describe a character as 'a frequent ejaculator' and mean he kept exclaiming in surprise.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ejaculator
Ejaculator comes from the Latin past participle 'eiectus' (or medieval Latin 'eiaculatus'), from the verb 'eiaculari', meaning to throw out or hurl forth, formed from 'e-' (out) plus 'iaculum', a javelin or dart, itself from 'iacere', to throw. The English verb 'ejaculate' first carried the sense of uttering suddenly before acquiring its physiological meaning, and the agent noun followed the same path. Cognate forms include 'ejaculation' and the adjective 'ejaculatory'.
How ejaculator is actually used
Almost entirely clinical or medical in register today; using it casually would sound awkward or jarring. The non-sexual sense ('one who exclaims') is obsolete outside historical literature.
Easily confused with ejaculator
An ejector is a device that expels something by force (such as an ejector seat), while an ejaculator is a person who discharges semen or, historically, one who utters words suddenly.