epicene

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Alternative forms 1.2 Etymology 1.3 Pronunciation 1.4 Adjective 1.4.1 Synonyms 1.4.2 Derived terms 1.4.3 Translations 1.5 Noun 1.5.1 Translations 1.6 See also 2 Italian 2.1 Adjective

[edit] English

[edit] Alternative forms

• epicœne (archaic)

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English < Latin epicoenus < Ancient Greek επίκοινος (“‘common’”).

[edit] Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /ˈɛp.ɪˌsin/

[edit] Adjective

epicene (not comparable)

1. lacking gender distinction, often specifically due to lack of either the masculine or the feminine
2. effeminate — male with unusually strong female characteristics;
3. (biology) androgynous, hermaphrodite — having both male and female characteristics;
4. (biology) asexual — having neither male nor female characteristics;
5. (linguistics) having only one form of the word, which serves as both masculine and feminine, even for either male or female referents.

[edit] Synonyms

• unisex

[edit] Derived terms

• epicenism

[edit] Translations

[edit] Noun

epicene (plural epicenes)

1. A hermaphrodite person or other creature
2. An effeminate person
3. An epicene word, without separate grammatical gender forms.
4. An epicene object

[edit] Translations

[edit] See also

• common

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[edit] Italian

[edit] Adjective

epicene f.

1. Feminine plural form of epiceno