foreskin
Meaning of foreskin: The foreskin is a fold of skin that covers and protects the glans, or head, of the penis.
Definition of foreskin
The foreskin is a retractable fold of skin that covers the glans, the head of the penis, in an uncircumcised individual. It consists of an inner and outer layer of tissue that can be drawn back to expose the glans and returned to its original covering position.
The foreskin is present at birth and may not fully retract in young children, a normal developmental stage that typically resolves over time without intervention. Surgical removal of the foreskin is called circumcision, a procedure performed for cultural, religious, or medical reasons, and its presence or absence does not affect the underlying structure of the penis itself.
Conditions affecting the foreskin include inflammation, difficulty retracting fully, and difficulty returning to its normal position once retracted, each of which is described by a distinct medical term.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The examination noted normal appearance of the foreskin without evidence of inflammation.
Good to know
A foreskin that does not fully retract in a young child is a common and typically normal developmental finding, distinct from a foreskin that becomes unable to retract later after having previously done so.