Added 9 October 2026
hermaphrodite
/hɝˈmæfɹədaɪt/ noun
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hermaphrodite at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A person possessing ambiguous sexual organs or characteristics. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
-
Cosexual: an organism possessing both types of gonads; a flower possessing both stamens and pistils.
An earthworm is a hermaphrodite.
-
Dichogamous: an organism which begins its life as one sex and changes its sex over its life cycle.
Comb jellies are sequential hermaphrodites.
adjective
Origin
From Hermaphroditus, the mythical son of Hermes and Aphrodite, who merged bodies with a naiad, thereafter having both male and female qualities.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)