# contrectation

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The initial stage of the sexual act involving manual contact and tumescence; sexual foreplay.
2. A touching or handling; manipulation.

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin contrectātio, from contrectō (“to touch”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/contrectation