also autoerotic, 1898, coined by Havelock Ellis from auto- + erotic. Related: Auto-eroticism (1898). The opposite is allo-erotic.

By "auto-erotism" I mean the phenomena of spontaneous sexual emotion generated in the absence of an external stimulus proceeding, directly or indirectly, from another person. [Ellis, "Auto-Erotism," in The Alienist and Neurologist, April 1898]

1853, from erotic + -ism.

1914, from erotic + -ize. Related: Eroticized; eroticizing.

1813, defined then as "Desperate love; sentimentalism producing morbid feelings," from combining form of erotic + mania.

1820, noun use of neuter plural of Greek erotikos "amatory" (see erotic); originally a booksellers' catalogue heading.

Force Flame

And with a Blonde push

Over your impotence

Flits Steam

[Emily Dickinson, #854, c. 1864]

1905, from tantra + -ic; used loosely in the West to denote erotic spiritualism.

1835, "to reach the highest point, culminate," from climax (n.). For erotic sense, see the noun. Related: Climaxed; climaxing.

1713, "in a state of primordial chaos," irregularly formed in English from chaos + -ic, probably on model of eros/erotic, demos/demotic, hypnos/hypnotic, etc. The transferred or figurative meaning "confused, disordered" is from 1747. Related: Chaotically.