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orgasm

n. the climax of sexual stimulation or activity, when the peak of pleasure is achieved, marked by the release of tension and rhythmic contractions of the perineal muscles, anal sphincter, and pelvic reproductive organs. In men, orgasm is also accompanied by the emission of semen (ejaculation); in women, it is accompanied by contractions of the wall of the outer third of the vagina. See also sexual-response cycle. —orgasmic or orgastic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

January 19th 2025

short-wavelength pigment

short-wavelength pigment

the photopigment present in one of the three populations of retinal cones that has maximum sensitivity to a wavelength of 419 nm. The absence of the gene for the short-wavelength pigment causes tritanopia, a form of color blindness in which blue and green are confused with one another. See also long-wavelength pigment; medium-wavelength pigment.