According to psychoanalysis, the first social and sexual stage of an infant's development, during which the infant focuses on satisfying hunger. Psychoanalysts believe that during this stage, the mouth is the focus of the libido; eating, sexual, and aggressive drives are satisfied by chewing, suckling, and biting. (See also anal stage, genital stage, and pleasure principle.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.