Epicene

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Epicene \Ep"i*cene\, a. & n. [L. epicoenus, Gr. ?; fr. 'epi` + ?
     common; cf. F. ['e]pic[`e]ne.]
     1. Common to both sexes; -- a term applied, in grammar, to
        such nouns as have but one form of gender, either the
        masculine or feminine, to indicate animals of both sexes;
        as boy^s, bos, for the ox and cow; sometimes applied to


        eunuchs and hermaphrodites.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Fig.: Sexless; neither one thing nor the other.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The literary prigs epicene.           --Prof.
                                                    Wilson.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He represented an epicene species, neither churchman
              nor layman.                           --J. A.
                                                    Symonds.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  epicene
       adj 1: having an ambiguous sexual identity [syn: {bisexual}]
       2: having unsuitable feminine qualities [syn: {effeminate}, {emasculate},
           {cissy}, {sissified}, {sissyish}, {sissy}]