transvestite
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Latin trans- + vestite, form of vestiō (“I clothe, I dress”) (as in English vestment, vest). Literally, a "cross-dresser".
Noun[edit]
transvestite (plural transvestites)
- A person who sometimes wears clothes traditionally worn by and associated with the opposite sex; typically a male who cross-dresses occasionally by habit or compulsion.
Usage notes[edit]
This term is relatively formal (Latinate); cross-dresser is more casual, but whereas the verb cross-dress is common, the verb transvest is quite rare.
Transvestite should not be confused with transgender or transsexual (“person who lives as a member of a sex different from their birth sex”). Transvestites generally have less or no desire to change their sex; they simply enjoy being able to cross-dress from time to time.
The term should also not be confused with drag queen (“male who wears women’s clothing for public performance”); that term is specifically for performers.
Synonyms[edit]
- cross-dresser
- (pejorative) tranny
- TV
- see also Wikisaurus:transvestite
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
cross-dresser — See also translations at : cross-dresser
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