Word
cum
/ˈkəm/
Definitions
01combined with
B2 · Upper Intermediate
prep. used to link two words that describe one person or thing that has two roles.
prep. used to join two nouns, indicating that a person or thing has the characteristics or functions of both.
“The spare room serves as a guest bedroom-cum-office.”
“He lived in a cramped studio-cum-workshop, where the smell of oil paint was as pervasive as the scent of morning coffee.”
Usage
Usually connects two nouns with hyphens, such as 'bedroom-cum-study'.
02to have an orgasm
C2 · Proficiency Slang · Vulgar
v. to reach the peak of sexual pleasure.
v. to experience an orgasm or to ejaculate.
“The video showed people having sex and trying to cum.”
“The dialogue in the adult film was limited to repetitive requests for the partner to cum.”
Teaching tip
This is a highly vulgar term; learners should avoid using it in any professional or social setting.
03sexual fluid
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Slang · Vulgar
n. the liquid that comes out of the body during or after sex.
n. semen or female ejaculatory discharge.
“He wiped the cum off his leg with a towel.”
“The presence of cum on the sheets was used as evidence in the investigation.”
Teaching tip
This noun is uncountable and considered extremely offensive in polite conversation.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Even Libby Watson’s design, which turns the modest studios into a sort of checkerboard-floored rock’n’roll diner cum fairground, has a colourful arch resembling a retro jukebox.” “Fool – also seemingly a chief of staff cum carer to Lear – is Max Revell, a dancer with a background in breaking and popping.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin cum (“with”).
Variant of come, attested (in the basic sense "come, move from further to nearer, arrive") since Old English. The sexual sense of come is attested since the 1650s. In this sense and spelling, attested from 1970s.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. cum grano salis
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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