mixoscopy

English

Etymology

Borrowed from German Mixoscopie, from Ancient Greek μίξις (míxis, “intercourse”) + German -skopie (“-scopy”). Reportedly coined by Albert Moll (1862–1939).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɪkˈsɒskəpi/

Noun

mixoscopy (uncountable)

1. (psychology) The attainment of sexual pleasure from watching other people have sex.
   • 1927, Havelock Ellis, Studies in the Psychology of Sex‎, volume 4, page 299:

     Founded on the sense of vision also we find a phenomenon, bordering on the abnormal, which is by Moll termed mixoscopy. This means the sexual pleasure derived from the spectacle of other persons engaged in natural or perverse sexual actions.

   • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 157:

     Among the ancient Tyrrhenians also mixoscopy was prevalent.

References

• “mixoscopy”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.