fanny

[ fan-ee ]
See synonyms for fanny on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural fan·nies.Informal.
  1. the buttocks.

Origin of fanny

1
1925–30; of obscure origin; relation, if any, to British fanny “vulva” (vulgar) is unclear

Words Nearby fanny

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fanny in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fanny

fanny

/ (ˈfænɪ) /


nounplural -nies slang
  1. taboo, British the female genitals

  2. mainly US and Canadian the buttocks

Origin of fanny

1
C20: perhaps from Fanny, pet name from Frances

usage For fanny

Despite the theory that this word derives from the name `Fanny', its use in British English is still considered taboo by many people, and is likely to cause offence. In the US the word refers to the buttocks. Serious misunderstanding may therefore arise when what people in Britain know as a `bumbag' is referred to in the US as a `fanny pack'

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012