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Definition of incest


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in·cest  audio  (nsst) KEY  

NOUN:
  1. Sexual relations between persons who are so closely related that their marriage is illegal or forbidden by custom.
  2. The statutory crime of sexual relations with such a near relative.

ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Latin incestum, from neuter of incestus, impure, unchaste : in-, not ; see in- 1 + castus, pure, chaste; see kes- in Indo-European roots


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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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