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Definition of "epicene" [ep•i•cene]

  • Belonging to or having the characteristics of both the male and the female: an epicene statue. (adjective)
  • Effeminate; unmanly. (adjective)
  • Sexless; neuter. (adjective)
  • Linguistics Having only one form of the noun for both the male and the female. (adjective)
  • One that is epicene. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "epicene" in a sentence
  • "His face was as much feminine as masculine, of that kind called epicene, and Carmine doubted that the double-sexed look would vanish as he grew older."
  • "The kind of looks called epicene, a beauty as much feminine as masculine, and such amazing coloring!"
  • "In a more recent movement, "hir" and "ze" (pronounced "here" and "zee") are sometimes used to describe transgender people - a contemporary challenge that confronts the idea of epicene English like never before."