Definition of "hermaphroditism" [her•maph•ro•dit•ism]

• An anomalous condition in humans and animals in which both male and female reproductive organs and secondary sexual characteristics are present in the same individual. (noun)
• The presence of both male and female reproductive organs in a plant or animal, as in an earthworm or a monoecious plant. (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.

• "In many species, hermaphroditism is a normal part of the life-cycle."
• "National Institutes of Health, intersex, once referred to as hermaphroditism, is a group of conditions where there is a discrepancy between the external genitals and the internal genitals (the testes and ovaries)."
• "− 92-95% of heifer calves born to twin to a bull − Female organs develop, but are male-like − Commonly seen with enlarged vulva, and long vulva hairs; but some born with no external clues − Virtually always sterile Genetic Upsets − Most common is "hermaphroditism" −"