HERMAPHRODITISM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does hermaphroditism mean? 

• HERMAPHRODITISM (noun)
  The noun HERMAPHRODITISM has 2 senses:

1. congenital condition in which external genitalia and internal sex organs have both male and female characteristics

2. showing characteristics of both sexes

  Familiarity information: HERMAPHRODITISM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HERMAPHRODITISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Congenital condition in which external genitalia and internal sex organs have both male and female characteristics

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

hermaphrodism; hermaphroditism

Hypernyms ("hermaphroditism" is a kind of...):

birth defect; congenital abnormality; congenital anomaly; congenital defect; congenital disorder (a defect that is present at birth)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Showing characteristics of both sexes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

androgyny; bisexuality; hermaphroditism

Hypernyms ("hermaphroditism" is a kind of...):

gender; sex; sexuality (the properties that distinguish organisms on the basis of their reproductive roles)

 Context examples 

The C57BL/6 strain exhibits good reproductive performance and hermaphroditism in this substrain has been shown to occur.

(C57BL/6 Mouse, NCI Thesaurus)