epicene
[ ep-i-seen ]
/ ˈɛp ɪˌsin /
adjective
belonging to, or partaking of the characteristics of, both sexes: Fashions in clothing are becoming increasingly epicene.
flaccid; feeble; weak: an epicene style of writing.
effeminate; unmasculine.
(of Greek and Latin nouns) of the same gender class regardless of the sex of the being referred to, as Latin vulpēs “fox or vixen” is always grammatically feminine.
Grammar.
(of a noun or pronoun) capable of referring to either sex, as attendant, chairperson, Kim, one, or they; having common gender.
noun
a person or thing that is epicene.
Origin of epicene
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin
epicoenus of both genders < Greek
epíkoinos common to many, equivalent to
epi-
epi- +
koinós common
OTHER WORDS FROM epicene
ep·i·cen·ism, nounWords nearby epicene
epicardia,
epicardium,
epicarp,
epicaste,
epicedium,
epicene,
epicenter,
epicentre,
epicentrum,
epichlorohydrin,
epicist
Example sentences from the Web for epicene
British Dictionary definitions for epicene
epicene
/ (ˈɛpɪˌsiːn) /
adjective
having the characteristics of both sexes; hermaphroditic
of neither sex; sexless
effeminate
grammar
- denoting a noun that may refer to a male or a female, such as teacher as opposed to businessman or shepherd
- (in Latin, Greek, etc) denoting a noun that retains the same grammatical gender regardless of the sex of the referent
noun
an epicene person or creature
an epicene noun
Derived forms of epicene
epicenism, nounWord Origin for epicene
C15: from Latin
epicoenus of both genders, from Greek
epikoinos common to many, from
koinos common