What does masturbator mean?
A masturbator is a device intended for masturbation, especially one designed for use during solo sexual activity. The word is most common in product descriptions, sex-education materials, and discussions of personal sexual products. It refers to a specific kind of sex toy, rather than the broader category represented by “vibrator,” because the intended function is more narrowly defined. A more recent use of “male masturbator” usually refers to a hands-free device intended for penile stimulation, though the unqualified term can cover other designs. Although some dictionaries also record an older sense meaning a person who masturbates, that usage is uncommon and can sound clinical or derogatory. The term has a formal, matter-of-fact quality in its modern product-related sense, while remaining a fairly explicit word rather than euphemistic slang.
nounA device used for masturbation. In older or literary usage, it can also refer to a person who masturbates.
- A device used for masturbation.
- A person who masturbates, now uncommon and potentially derogatory.
"The online shop sells discreet, battery-powered masturbators."
"The shop advertises a waterproof masturbator with several vibration settings."
"In an older medical text, the term was used to refer to a person who masturbates."
"The product description lists the masturbator as discreet and easy to clean."
The plural is used when referring to more than one device or to multiple devices of the same kind.
"The retailer offers several masturbators designed for different forms of stimulation."
The word is surprisingly old and largely technical: its modern meaning as a device is rooted in the long history of naming acts of self-pleasure in formal English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does masturbator come from?
The word comes from the English verb “masturbate,” which derives from Latin masturbari. The precise origin of the Latin verb is uncertain, and proposed explanations are debated. English later formed the noun “masturbator” in the sense of a person who masturbates; its modern sense for a device developed more recently alongside the terminology of sex toys and personal sexual products.
Related word forms
How masturbator is actually used
In contemporary English, the word is most often used for a product designed for masturbation. The sense meaning “a person who masturbates” is dated, clinical, or derogatory and is much less common.
Easily confused with masturbator
A masturbator is designed specifically for masturbation, whereas a vibrator is a broader term for a device that provides vibration and may be used on the body or during partnered sexual activity.