make love

From make + love, calque of Old Occitan far amor, Middle French faire l'amour.

make love (third-person singular simple present makes love, present participle making love, simple past and past participle made love)

1. (now archaic) To make amorous approaches to; to woo, romance, court. [from 16th c.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.11:

     So from thenceforth, when love he to her made, / With better tearmes she did him entertaine […] .

   • 1815, Jane Austen, Emma:

     scarcely had she begun, scarcely had they passed the sweep-gate and joined the other carriage, than she found her subject cut up – her hand seized – her attention demanded, and Mr. Elton actually making violent love to her: availing himself of the precious opportunity, declaring sentiments which must already be well known […] .

   • 1910, Saki, ‘The Baker's Dozen’, Reginald in Russia:

     After all, the chief charm is in the fact of being made love to. You are making love to me, aren't you?

   • 1941, W Somerset Maugham, Up at the Villa, Vintage 2004, p. 24:

     ‘Ever since I was sixteen men have been making love to me.’

   • 1946, It's a Wonderful Life:

     He's making violent love to me, Mother.

2. (euphemistic) To engage in sexual intercourse. [from 20th c.]
   • 1974, “Can't Get Enough of Your Love”, performed by Barry White:

     There's many times that we've loved / We've shared love and made love / It doesn't seem to me like it's enough

   • 1995 March 22, "Seinfeld with Madonna? 'Cosmo' reveals sex fantasies", The Arizona Republic

     Actress Dana Delany fantasizes about making love with two men.

• See also Thesaurus:copulate

• make love to, make love with