different between hermaphrodite vs hermaphroditism

English

Etymology

From Hermaphroditus, the mythical son of Hermes and Aphrodite who merged bodies with a naiad and thereafter possessed both male and female qualities.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /h??mæf??da?t/

Noun

hermaphrodite (plural hermaphrodites)

1. An individual or organism possessing ambiguous sexual organs, typically including both types of gonads. [from late 14th c.]

   An earthworm is a hermaphrodite.

2. A person or thing possessing two opposing qualities.
3. (nautical) A hermaphrodite brig.
4. A farm wagon convertible to multiple purposes.
5. (WWI military, historical) An armoured fighting vehicle having features of both male tanks and female tanks.

Usage notes

• Like many terms that start with a non-silent h but have emphasis on their second syllable, some people precede hermaphrodite with an, others with a.
• Intersex is now the preferred term for human description.
• Compare androgyne and genderqueer.

Synonyms

• maphrodite, morphodite, mophrodite (slang)
• androgyne
• gynandromorph
• intersex (noun)

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

hermaphrodite (not comparable)

1. (of an individual organism) Having gender-ambiguous sexual organs, typically including both types of gonads.
2. Combining two opposing qualities.

Synonyms

• androgynous
• hermaphroditic
• intersex

Translations

See also

• berdache, two-spirit (two-spirits were formerly often called hermaphrodites)
• genderqueer

French

Pronunciation

• ^{(mute h)} IPA^(key): /??.ma.f??.dit/

Adjective

hermaphrodite (plural hermaphrodites)

1. hermaphrodite

Noun

hermaphrodite m or f (plural hermaphrodites)

1. hermaphrodite

Further reading

• “hermaphrodite” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

hermaphrodite +? -ism

Noun

hermaphroditism (countable and uncountable, plural hermaphroditisms)

1. The state of having sexual organs of both the male and female sexes.

Usage notes

intersexism is now the preferred term for the human description.

Synonyms

• hermaphrodism
• intersex (noun)
• intersexuality

Related terms

• hermaphrodite
• hermaphroditic
• hermaphroditical
• hermaphroditically
• pseudohermaphroditism

Translations

See also

• intersex
• Wikipedia article on Hermaphrodite