Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act of rubbing against the body of another person, as in a crowd, to attain sexual gratification.
  • noun A method of making a design by placing a piece of paper on top of an object and then rubbing over it, as with a pencil or charcoal.
  • noun A design so made.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To rub, especially to rub onto one surface placed upon another surface that is textured, in order to create a mottled or patterned area on the first surface.
  • noun uncountable, art A method of making an image by placing a piece of paper against an object and then rubbing over it, usually with a pencil or charcoal.
  • noun countable, art An image so made.
  • noun uncountable, sexology The practice of rubbing parts of the body against those of a consenting partner for sexual stimulation.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun masturbation by rubbing against another person (as in a crowd)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from frotter, to rub, from Old French froter.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French frotter (to rub).

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Examples

  • Wolseley calls this aleatory way of working frottage, from the French verb to rub.

    Wildwood Roger Deakin 2009

  • Wolseley calls this aleatory way of working frottage, from the French verb to rub.

    Wildwood Roger Deakin 2009

  • Curiously speaking Is it wrong or right not to help the mischievous old person? as per the details furnished by you, he is not deserved. don't lend your hand. it is called frottage in psychology. some people get ****** gratification by touching women, girls. we can see this type of nasty behavior in buses and trains and in crowds.

    Yahoo! Answers: Latest Questions 2009

  • She uses a technique called frottage, using pencils to make a rubbing on thin paper of textures, birds and other shapes, combining them into a cohesive image.

    billingsgazette.com 2009

  • That would depend, of course, on how a particular statute defines “sodomy,” but since Article 125 makes very specific reference to “penetration,” it would appear that non-penetrative sexual activities, such as frottage and mutual masturbation, are technically excluded.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » “Four Days That Shook DADT” 2010

  • Throbert McGee says: it would appear that non-penetrative sexual activities, such as frottage and mutual masturbation, are technically excluded.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » “Four Days That Shook DADT” 2010

  • That would depend, of course, on how a particular statute defines “sodomy,” but since Article 125 makes very specific reference to “penetration,” it would appear that non-penetrative sexual activities, such as frottage and mutual masturbation, are technically excluded.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » “Four Days That Shook DADT” 2010

  • "Lady Bump", which sounds like a new kind of frottage elevator perversion website?

    Archive 2009-08-01 phantom of the radio 2009

  • Having started with the Dada art of collage, Ernst moved on in the mid 1920s to "frottage," which created an image on paper by placing it over a rough surface and then rubbing until random patterns appeared.

    Playing With Perception 2008

  • I make a key drawing and then with glues and resin build it up into relief, like a collotype, but instead of printing it, I take a rubbing of it to transfer the outline (the technique is called "frottage"), which I then work up in various media and usually combine four to a frame.

    Introduction 2003

Comments

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  • It's Not Easy Being A Frotteur.

    October 25, 2007

  • Wow, just wow.

    October 25, 2007

  • This word is beginning to rub me up the wrong way.

    July 7, 2008

  • I'm amazed that there's a word for this.

    June 11, 2009

  • Oh, come on, it's a word about sex! Only Italian doesn't have sensual terminology. Which is really sad.

    June 12, 2009

  • It doesn't?

    June 12, 2009

  • Italian is among the languages with the poorest sensual vocabulary. Words about sex are either obscene, or medical jargon.

    June 12, 2009

  • Well, that's a damn shame for such a lovely language. I say we work on some madeupical ones.

    June 12, 2009

  • But it sure has some great words for foodstuffs. :)

    I have to say, at first glance I thought this word was something derived from French describing some kind of freak cheese.

    June 12, 2009