Adjacent Words

Hermaphrodite definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HERMAPH'RODITE, n. [Gr. Mercury, and Venus.]
1. A human being, having the parts of generation both of male and female. The term is applied also to other animals characterized by a similar formation.
2. In botany, a flower that contains both the anther and the stigma, or the supposed male and female organs of generation, within the same calyx or on the same receptacle.
3. A plant that has only hermaphrodite flowers.
HERMAPH'RODITE, a. Designating both sexes in the same animal, flower or plant.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of animal or plant; having both male female reproductive organs [syn: hermaphroditic, hermaphrodite] n
1: one having both male and female sexual characteristics and organs; at birth an unambiguous assignment of male or female cannot be made [syn: hermaphrodite, intersex, gynandromorph, androgyne, epicene, epicene person]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English hermofrodite, from Latin hermaphroditus, from Greek hermaphroditos, from Hermaphroditos Date: 14th century 1. an animal or plant having both male and female reproductive organs 2. something that is a combination of diverse elements • hermaphrodite adjective • hermaphroditic adjective • hermaphroditism noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. --n. 1 a Zool. an animal having both male and female sexual organs. b Bot. a plant having stamens and pistils in the same flower. 2 a human being in which both male and female sex organs are present, or in which the sex organs contain both ovarian and testicular tissue. 3 a person or thing combining opposite qualities or characteristics. --adj. 1 combining both sexes. 2 combining opposite qualities or characteristics. Phrases and idioms: hermaphrodite brig hist. a two-masted sailing ship rigged on the foremast as a brig and on the mainmast as a schooner. Derivatives: hermaphroditic adj. hermaphroditical adj. hermaphroditism n. Etymology: L hermaphroditus f. Gk hermaphroditos, orig. the name of a son of Hermes and Aphrodite in Greek mythology, who became joined in one body with the nymph Salmacis

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hermaphrodite Her*maph"ro*dite, n. [L. hermaphroditus, Gr. ?, so called from the mythical story that Hermaphroditus, son of Hermes and Aphrodite, when bathing, became joined in one body with Salmacis, the nymph of a fountain in Caria: cf. F. hermaphrodite.] (Biol.) An individual which has the attributes of both male and female, or which unites in itself the two sexes; an animal or plant having the parts of generation of both sexes, as when a flower contains both the stamens and pistil within the same calyx, or on the same receptacle. In some cases reproduction may take place without the union of the distinct individuals. In the animal kingdom true hermaphrodites are found only among the invertebrates. See Illust. in Appendix, under Helminths.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hermaphrodite Her*maph"ro*dite, a. Including, or being of, both sexes; as, an hermaphrodite animal or flower. Hermaphrodite brig. (Naut.) See under Brig. --Totten.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(hermaphrodites) A hermaphrodite is a person, animal, or flower that has both male and female reproductive organs. N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Androgyne, double-sexed being. II. a.; (also hermaphroditic, hermaphroditical) 1. Androgynous, partaking of both sexes. 2. Hybrid, mongrel.