shemale

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See also: she-male

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

she +‎ male

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈʃi.meɪl/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -iːmeɪl

Noun[edit]

shemale (plural shemales)

  1. (offensive, proscribed, especially in pornography) A male-to-female transsexual or transgender person; a trans woman.
  2. (biology, nonstandard, see usage notes) A male animal which displays female traits or behaviors; for example, a male reptile which gives off female pheromones.
    • 2001, R. Shine, B. Phillips, H. Waye, M. LeMaster, R. T. Mason, Benefits of female mimicry in snakes, in Nature (414, 267):
      She-male garter snakes exploit the amorous attentions of other males to warm up.

Usage notes[edit]

  • The use of shemale to refer to trans women is offensive and proscribed by several authorities.[1][2] It is found especially (though not exclusively) in pornography, where it and the similarly offensive term tranny are the primary references to trans women.[3][4]
  • The use of shemale in biology has been criticized (e.g. by biologist Joan Roughgarden) as "degrading [...] borrowed from the porn industry" and unprofessional.[5]

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