Androgyne (Noun)
Meaning
One having both male and female sexual characteristics and organs; at birth an unambiguous assignment of male or female cannot be made.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- The child was identified as an androgyne and required genetic testing to determine the most suitable assigned sex for rearing purposes.
- Medical professionals had difficulty identifying the baby as male or female due to its androgyne characteristics, which made an immediate sex assignment uncertain.
- In some cultures, individuals who are androgynes, having physical attributes of both males and females, are given special spiritual roles.
- Hermaphroditism refers to androgynes in whom both ovarian and testicular tissues are present, though not necessarily in a way that is functional.
- Historically, birth of an androgyne child would sometimes be shrouded in secrecy and confusion among family members and the medical staff involved in the delivery.