Glossary
Dildo
The oldest piece of gear in this list, and the only one whose oldest find is thirty thousand years old.
What is a dildo?
Dildo (Dutch: dildo, the same word) is a sex toy, often distinctly phallic in shape, meant for penetration or other sexual use, alone or with a partner. A dildo does not vibrate and is not attached to anything. That sets it apart from a vibrator and from a plug, which stays in place instead.
| Dutch term | dildo, identical; Dutch took the word over untranslated. |
| Also known as | a strap-on when it sits on a harness, in Dutch a voorbinddildo |
| Material | pure silicone counts as one of the safest choices, because many other materials are porous and do not become bacteria-free with ordinary cleaning |
| Not to be confused with | a butt plug and buttplug, which are meant to stay in place |
| Main limit | anal use only with a wide base, so it cannot disappear fully inside |
How a dildo works
Shape and material do the work. The encyclopedia calls pure silicone one of the safest materials for both anal and vaginal use, precisely because many alternatives are porous and the usual cleaning methods do not get all the bacteria out of them.
For anal use there is one hard requirement. Models for anal use usually have a large base to prevent the whole thing from accidentally disappearing fully into the rectum, which can make medical removal necessary. The vagina has a closed end, the rectum does not, and that difference is the whole reason for that base.
The object is not new, by the way. Researchers think that a twenty-centimeter siltstone phallus from the Upper Paleolithic, found in the Hohle Fels near Ulm, was used as a dildo thirty thousand years ago.
Why people use a dildo
Because it is the most obvious toy: no batteries, no settings, and it does exactly what you do yourself. Anyone who enjoys penetration but has no partner available or wants a different pace has the simplest tool for it here.
For couples the gain is usually that something is added without someone being added. On a harness it reverses the roles; loose in the hand it is mostly an extension.
A dildo does nothing on its own. Everything that happens comes from the hand that holds it, and that makes it pleasantly predictable and at the same time dull for anyone who wants to be surprised. What happens during an intimate togetherness with me comes from hands and attention, not from an object.
Sources
- Dildo. Wikipedia. Backs up the definition as a phallically shaped sex toy for penetration, the observation that pure silicone is among the safest materials because many alternatives are porous, the wide base against fully disappearing into the rectum, and the siltstone phallus from the Hohle Fels.
Related terms
- Butt plug. Meant to stay in place instead of moving.
- Buttplug. The same requirement for the base, with a different shape and a shorter model.
- Dilator. For getting used to size in increasing steps, not for movement.
- Anal sex. The act where the dildo’s wide base makes the whole difference.
- Pegging. What this dildo on a harness is used for, with the anatomy included.
- Strap-on. The same dildo on a harness, where the harness turns out to be the hardest choice.
- Voorbinddildo. The Dutch word for that same setup, with its origin in the apron.
- Vibrator. The toy next to it, which does vibrate and does not have to go inside.
Frequently asked questions
What people still ask about dildos.
Which material is safest for a dildo?
Pure silicone. It counts as one of the safest materials for both anal and vaginal use, because many other materials are porous and usual cleaning methods do not get all the bacteria out of them. So when buying, look for “100% silicone” and not “silicone-like”.
Can you use any dildo anally?
No, only a model with a wide base. That base prevents the toy from accidentally disappearing fully into the rectum, which can make medical removal necessary. The vagina has a closed end, the rectum does not, and that is where the whole difference lies.
Who can you turn to with questions about dildos?
With Victor, a gigolo with twenty-five years of experience in BDSM and a background as a psychotherapist. He’ll talk about toys, material and building up calmly without selling you anything on the side. You can ask him a question with no strings attached through the contact form or first free chat.
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