sodomy

1. anal intercourse between human beings or sexual intercourse of any kind between a human being and a nonhuman animal (see bestiality). This word is derived from the name of the corrupt town of Sodom described in Genesis 18–19.

2. in legal contexts, any sexual assault that does not involve penile–vaginal penetration.

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Psychology term of the day

January 21st 2025

reciprocal relationship

1. a correlation between two variables such that the value of one variable is the reciprocal of the value of the other. For example, if a researcher is studying the average time taken to complete a task, then tasks completed per unit time (e.g., 2 per hour) have a reciprocal relationship with unit time taken per task (0.5 hours).

2. the situation in which two variables can mutually influence one another; that is, each can be both a cause and an effect.