phallic symbol

noun

, Psychoanalysis.

1. any object, as a cigar or skyscraper, that may broadly resemble or represent the penis, especially such an object that symbolizes power, as an automobile.

phallic symbol

1. A symbol (see also symbol ) of the penis .

Word History and Origins

Origin of phallic symbol¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

In other parts of Naxos and mainland Greece, young men wearing cow bells and carrying a phallic symbol — a common feature of ancient rites celebrating spring — danced their way to village squares on Sunday.

From Seattle Times

KYIV, Ukraine — At a military position near the front line, members of a Ukrainian military unit snickered as a soldier with tattooed arms scrawled a phallic symbol on an artillery shell designed for an M777 howitzer cannon.

From Washington Post

Yes, a rocket is a phallic symbol.

From New York Times

Dark gray transports with a stylized phallic symbol pointing to the letters “PRIME” can be seen going up and down streets daily.

From Washington Post

And DjBeeTee tweeted: "Let's add it up: Red=eroticism, sports car=substitute for potency, animal print mini-skirt=sex appeal, banana=phallic symbol. But sure this is all just accidental..."

From BBC