different between hermaphrodite vs hermaphroditus

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).