Condom

[kon-duh m, kuhn-] /ˈkɒn dəm, ˈkʌn-/

noun
1.
a thin sheath, usually of very thin rubber, worn over the penis during sexual intercourse to prevent conception or sexually transmitted disease.
/ˈkɒndɒm; ˈkɒndəm/
noun
1.
a sheathlike covering of thin rubber worn on the penis or in the vagina during sexual intercourse to prevent conception or infection
n.

1706, traditionally named for a British physician during reign of Charles II (a story traceable to 1709), but there is no evidence for that. Also spelled condam, quondam, which suggests it may be from Italian guantone, from guanto “a glove.” A word omitted in the original OED (c.1890) and not used openly in the U.S. and not advertised in mass media until November 1986 speech by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop on AIDS prevention. Cf. prophylactic.

condom con·dom (kŏn’dəm)
n.

1. The protective plastic bag that accompanies 3.5-inch microfloppy diskettes. Rarely, also used of (paper) disk envelopes. Unlike the write protect tab, the condom (when left on) not only impedes the practice of SEX but has also been shown to have a high failure rate as drive mechanisms attempt to access the disk – and can even fatally frustrate insertion.
2. The protective cladding on a light pipe.
3. “keyboard condom”: A flexible, transparent plastic cover for a keyboard, designed to provide some protection against dust and programming fluid without impeding typing.
4. “elephant condom”: the plastic shipping bags used inside cardboard boxes to protect hardware in transit.
[Jargon File]
(1995-03-14)