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Glite Dictionary
erectile tissue

erectile tissue

1 5.3
Tissue in the body that becomes firm and larger when filled with blood, for example in the penis or clitoris
  • noun
  • /ɪˈrɛktaɪl ˈtɪʃu/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tejido eréctil
  • Then, the labia minora are the asymmetrical delicate folds of soft, spongy erectile tissue within the labia majora.

Examples

  • In male proboscis monkeys, the large nose is made up of erectile tissue that swells when they are excited.

  • A woman can sense when she is in the presence of erectile tissue.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • So this erectile tissue in the penis all the way in and out, half of it sticks out, half of it thinning down.

  • Priapism can cause permanent damage to erectile tissue in the penis.

  • The clitoris contains erectile tissue that enhances sexual pleasure when engorged with blood.

Surface Forms

erectile tissue singular
erectile tissues plural

Morphology

erectile + tissue

The meaning is directly compositional: 'erectile' (able to become rigid/distended with blood) modifies 'tissue', yielding tissue that becomes rigid when filled with blood. This adjective+noun formation is literal and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words can infer the MWE's meaning (noting that the term is medical/register-specific but still transparent).

Etymology

Erectile tissue comes from the word erect meaning 'to stand up' and tissue meaning body material. It gives the picture of body material that 'stands up' when it fills with blood, so it now means the tissue that becomes firm and larger during sexual arousal.