What does fellate mean?
"Fellate" is a transitive verb meaning to perform oral sex on someone, specifically to stimulate the penis with the mouth. It belongs to the formal register of English: the word appears chiefly in medical, legal, academic, and sex-education contexts, while casual conversation favors blunter phrasal equivalents such as "go down on" or "give head." The verb was borrowed into English in the late nineteenth century from Latin fellare, "to suck," the same source that gave English the noun "fellatio," which remains far more commonly used than the verb itself. Because of its explicit subject matter, the word carries a strong taboo charge, yet its Latinate form lends it a detached, clinical tone that writers often exploit when precision or discretion is required. Understanding "fellate" is useful for navigating medical literature, legal texts, and serious journalism, where euphemism would obscure meaning and slang would be out of place.
verbTo perform oral sex on someone, especially on a man; to stimulate the penis with the mouth.
- To stimulate the penis with the mouth; to perform oral sex on (a man).
"The memoir described the encounter in frank terms, noting that the act of being fellated left him unmoved."
"The study surveyed adults about their sexual practices, including whether they had ever fellated a partner."
"In the novel, the scene was described obliquely, never once using words like 'fellate' outright."
Borrowed straight from Latin fellare, 'to suck', this is one of the most explicit words English ever took from classical literature.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fellate
"Fellate" derives from Latin fellare, meaning "to suck," a verb of classical usage that also produced the noun fellatio. English adopted both terms in the late nineteenth century, largely through scholarly writing on classical antiquity and sexuality, with the noun establishing itself first and the verb following as a back-formation-style derivative. The word's Latinate pedigree gives it the clinical character that distinguishes it from colloquial synonyms.
How fellate is actually used
"Fellate" is a formal, clinical register term, typical of medical, legal, academic, and sex-education writing rather than everyday conversation; informal speech overwhelmingly prefers phrasal alternatives such as "go down on" or "give head." It is a transitive verb. The corresponding noun, "fellatio", is considerably more frequent than the verb itself.
Easily confused with fellate
"Fell" means to cut down or knock down (or, as a noun/adjective, a hill or fierce), while "fellate" refers specifically to performing oral sex — the shared letters are coincidental.