That's the dictionaries definition according to websters and it's just one of the many reasons why vibrators are still often sold as massages because basically that's what they do. Which part of the body they massage is definitely left to the owner though.

Vibrators A Brief History.
Vibrators haven't been around for quite so long as dildos have but they have certainly had a checkered history and it's only recently that they have gained the recognition they deserve as sexual aids for couples and singles alike. Back in the days before we really began to explore medicine and understand it, many women were diagnosed with a condition known as hysteria and the only known relief was a visit to the doctor who would manually stimulate the female to orgasm or as it was known back then, hysterical paroxysm. Although this didn't cure patients the release of tension was seen to relieve the so called symptoms which we're thought to be many and varied. Actually doctors blamed just about everything on hysteria back then, but the problem with this treatment was it was hard work on the fingers of the poor medics or nurses who administered it. With the advent of electricity in the late 1800's the electric vibrator was born in order to give these professionals digits a rest.

In 1907, a water actuated vibrator was invented. 1912 saw the introduction of vibratory dilator, an electric device that plugged into the wall and was used to treat frigidity and dilate the vaginas of women who were "too tight". There were a number of battery operated vibrators introduced, inspired no doubt by the introduction in the early part of the century of cylindrically shaped flashlights.

Of course we live in a consumer society and it wasn't long before these vibrating devices were found not only in medical catalogs but in women's magazines where the makers proclaimed they would rejuvenate failing women's vigor and help them stay youthful. With the advent of psycho therapy in the early 20th century many doctors abandoned the use of vibrators as a treatment for hysteria, but their popularity surged as makers continued to promote them as cure alls for all known illnesses. You name it and your good old massager would probably cure it, according to the advertising hype.

Even though the vibrators usefulness as a massager was never recognized within any adverts it was common place knowledge. By the 1920's however the sexual climate was changing as more and more of the devices appeared in stag movies, it became increasingly difficult to ignore their 'other' use. As the medical profession made in roads into human sexuality during this time, the massager ads that once were common place no longer graced the pages of the more respectable magazines.

The modern vibrator, though, can be traced to the invention of Jon Tavel, who in 1966 patented a cordless, battery operated, torpedo shaped vibrating plastic dildo with variable speed that was also moisture proof. I'm sure for many of us, myself included this was my first memory of an actual vibrator. It took a while for me to realize what it's was actually used for but...

Vibrators Today
Vibrators have certainly come a long way from those early days, but it's worth noting that this is still very much an area often shrouded in mystery and technically vibrators are more often sold as novelty items which mean there is no real regulation's governing them. While there are some extremely good vibrators available today, there are also a fair percentage of shoddily made ones and these are generally the ones in the cheaper price range. This is one area where the buyer really should be aware as you often have very little redress if something goes wrong with these toys. A good general rule of thumb is to buy the best you can afford and from a reputable company.