clit
UK[klɪt]US[klɪt]
n
A short form for clitoris.
Etymology
The word "clit" is a 20th-century English slang term, formed by clipping the first syllable of the anatomical term "clitoris". The source word, "clitoris", entered English in the early 17th century from New Latin, which itself borrowed from the Ancient Greek "κλειτορίς" (kleitorís). The Greek term's origin is uncertain but is traditionally thought to derive from the verb "κλείειν" (kleíein), meaning "to shut" or "to close," possibly in reference to its anatomical location. The clipped form "clit" represents a common linguistic process of creating informal, concise vocabulary from longer technical terms.
Analysis
This is a modern English abbreviation (clipping) of the noun "clitoris". It is not composed of productive morphemes in its current form.
Examples
The diagram clearly labeled the clit.
Some cultures have historically misunderstood the function of the clit.
The slang term is widely recognized, though the full anatomical term is preferred in medical contexts.