porn
UK[pɔːn]US[pɔːrn]
n
Sexually explicit material intended to cause sexual excitement.
Etymology
The term 'porn' is a mid-20th century abbreviation of 'pornography'. 'Pornography' itself derives from the Greek 'pornographos', meaning 'writing about prostitutes', a compound of 'pornē' (prostitute) and '-graphos' (writing, describing). The Greek 'pornē' is believed to originate from 'pernēmi' (to sell), indicating a person sold for sexual services. The modern clipped form 'porn' has lost its direct compositional link to these original morphemes, evolving into a standalone term for explicit sexual material in any media, not just writing.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword, a clipping of the longer term 'pornography'. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern, shortened form.
Examples
The website strictly prohibits the uploading of porn.
He argued that the easy availability of online porn has societal consequences.
The film was criticized for its gratuitous scenes, which some labeled as softcore porn.