hermaphroditic
rəˌdaɪt noun
1.
an individual in which reproductive organs of both sexes are present. Compare pseudohermaphrodite.
2.
Biology. an organism, as an earthworm or plant, having normally both the male and female organs of generation.
3.
a person or thing in which two opposite qualities are combined.
adjective
4.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a hermaphrodite.
5.
combining two opposite qualities.
6.
Botany, monoclinous.
00:10
Hermaphroditic
is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English hermofrodite < Latin hermaphrodītus < Greek hermaphródītos hemaphrodite, name of the son of Hermes and Aphrodite
1350–1400; Middle English hermofrodite < Latin hermaphrodītus < Greek hermaphródītos hemaphrodite, name of the son of Hermes and Aphrodite
Related forms
her·maph·ro·dit·ic 
[hur-maf-ruh-dit-ik] , her·maph·ro·dit·i·cal, her·maph·ro·dit·ish [hur-maf-ruh-dahy-tish] , adjective
[hur-maf-ruh-dit-ik] , her·maph·ro·dit·i·cal, her·maph·ro·dit·ish [hur-maf-ruh-dahy-tish] , adjective her·maph·ro·dit·i·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To hermaphroditic
Collins
World English Dictionary
hermaphrodite (hɜːˈmæfrəˌdaɪt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | biology an individual animal or flower that has both male and female reproductive organs |
| 2. | a person having both male and female sexual characteristics and genital tissues |
| 3. | a person or thing in which two opposite forces or qualities are combined |
| —adj | |
| 4. | having the characteristics of a hermaphrodite |
| [C15: from Latin hermaphrodītus, from Greek, after | |
| hermaphro'ditic | |
| —adj | |
| hermaphro'ditical | |
| —adj | |
| hermaphro'ditically | |
| —adv | |
| her'maphroditism | |
| —n | |
| hermaphrodite (hɜːˈmæfrəˌdaɪt) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | biology an individual animal or flower that has both male and female reproductive organs |
| 2. | a person having both male and female sexual characteristics and genital tissues |
| 3. | a person or thing in which two opposite forces or qualities are combined |
| —adj | |
| 4. | having the characteristics of a hermaphrodite |
| [C15: from Latin hermaphrodītus, from Greek, after | |
| hermaphro'ditic | |
| —adj | |
| hermaphro'ditical | |
| —adj | |
| hermaphro'ditically | |
| —adv | |
| her'maphroditism | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
hermaphrodite
late 14c. (harmofroditus), from L. hermaphroditus, from Gk. Hermaphroditos (L. Hermaphroditus), son of Hermes and Aphrodite, who, in Ovid, was loved by the nymph Salmacis so ardently that she prayed for complete union with him and as a result they were united bodily, combining male and female characteristics.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
hermaphrodite her·maph·ro·dite (hər-māf'rə-dīt')
n.
An individual having the reproductive organs and many of the secondary sex characteristics of both sexes.
her·maph'ro·dit'ic (-dĭt'ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| hermaphrodite (hər-māf'rə-dīt') Pronunciation Key
An organism, such as an earthworm or flowering plant, having both male and female reproductive organs in a single individual. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Nearby Words
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