hijra

Definition

A eunuch in South Asia, especially one who dresses as a woman.

Etymology

From Hindi हीजड़ा (hījṛā).

Example Sentences

• "When the Mughal court was disbanded, Muslim hijras were exposed for the first time to the other, Hindu, tradition of eunuchry."
• "The subjects of this study are hijras or the "third sex" of India, individuals who occupy a unique, liminal space between male and female, sacred and profane."
• "Even more surprisingly, there are female hijras, women who were born women, who are drawn into the gharanas by the attraction and apparent safety of the hierarchies' substitute for family life."