Cuckold historically referred to a man with an adulterous woman, but has largely fallen out of use. The term generally refers to a sexual fetish in which sexual gratification is gained from maintenance or observation of sexual relations by a woman with a man or a number of men besides her husband.
A cuckold fetishist is aware of his spouse's activity, most likely actively encouraging it,[citation needed] and derives sexual pleasure from it. Among fetishists, the pose of reluctance—the victimization of the cuckold—is a major element of the paraphilia. The cuckold is almost always a man; a female cuckold is sometimes referred to as a cuckquean, but is not as prevalent in popular culture as the male cuckold.
In the fetish cuckolding subculture, the female takes on the role of being sexually dominant, while the man takes on a submissive role. The man usually only becomes involved with the woman or her lover when she permits it, sometimes remaining altogether celibate.
This fetish can be completely heterosexual, in which the husband does not participate or only participates with his wife, as well as bisexual, in which the husband participates with everyone and/or makes contact with the other man's semen.