venereal

adj

Etymology: From Middle English venereal, venerealle (“of or relating to sexual intercourse”), from Latin venereus, venerius (“of or relating to sexual love”), from Venus (“Roman goddess of love”) (from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to love”)) + -eus, -ius (suffix forming adjectives from nouns).

1. Of or relating to the genitals or sexual intercourse.

   “Wouldſt thou not haue ſome Bulchin from the herd / To phyſicke thee of this venereall itch?”

   “[B]ecauſe ſuch hot temperaments are prone to Venerie, hence the Poets feigned, that Mars lay with Venus; and withall to ſhew, how much ſouldiers are given to Venereall luſts; [...]”

2. Of a disease: sexually transmitted; of or relating to, or adapted to the cure of, a venereal disease.

   “a venereal medicine”

   “[...] I like not his countenance; I am afraid he labours of the venereall murre.”

3. Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Venus; lascivious, lustful.

   “The Venereall, are the delitious, laſcivious, mild, kinde, pleaſant, and tame; as the Calfe, cony, dog, goat, and ſcinck.”

4. Of or relating to copper (formerly called Venus by alchemists).

   “When after their beaſtly ſport and pleaſure Mounſieur Libid[inoſo] heat of luſt was ſomewhat aſſwaged, and ready to goe, féeling his pocket for a venereall remuneration [i.e., a copper coin] finds nothing but a Teſter, or at leaſt ſo little, that it was not ſufficient to pleaſe dame Pleaſure for her hire. [...] My Ladie would not beléeue Monſ. Libid. a great while, but ſearched and féeled for more coine, [...]”