androgynous

[an-droj-uh-nuhs]

adjective

1. neither clearly masculine nor clearly feminine in appearance.

   Their new clothing collection is inspired by the androgynous look of many rock stars.

2. having an ambiguous gender or having both masculine and feminine gender characteristics.

3. possessing both male and female physical sex traits.

4. Botany.,  having staminate and pistillate flowers in the same inflorescence.

androgynous

/ ænˈdrɒdʒɪnəs /

adjective

1. botany having male and female flowers in the same inflorescence, as cuckoo pint

2. having male and female characteristics; hermaphrodite

androgynous

1. Having both female and male characteristics.

Other Word Forms

• androgyny noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of androgynous¹

First recorded in 1620–30; androgyne + -ous

Example Sentences

It starts with the basics, including a name as clean and uncluttered as his profile, and Dean’s timeless, almost androgynous good looks.

From Los Angeles Times

Most recently, the fashion icon released a line of clothing inspired by her lifelong punk aesthetics and androgynous style.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s an unabashed lover of hair metal, a throwback genre defined by its performers’ androgynous costumes that, in Peacemaker’s estimation, made them “real men, because they weren’t afraid to be women!”

From Salon

Curiously, the style game of Punjabi musicians - from hip-hop, R&B, bhangra pop, fusion, Punjabi rap, reggae or filmy music - has also remained rooted and androgynous, instead of being hyper masculine.

From BBC

The purposefully androgynous and symmetrical design allows for infinite styling combinations — stack your Ice Cube bracelets or rings for an extra dazzling effect.

From Los Angeles Times