transvestite

Definition

A person who sometimes wears clothes traditionally worn by and associated with the opposite sex; typically a male who cross-dresses occasionally by habit or personal choice.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin trāns + vestītus, form of vestiō (“I clothe, I dress”) (as in English vestment, vest). Literally, a "cross-dresser". From transvestitism, from German Transvestitismus, coined in 1910 by Magnus Hirschfeld (the practice itself is much older).

Example Sentences

• "Even though Steven used to dress up in his sister's clothes, it still came as a surprise he ended up as a transvestite."
• ""Proper" scorpion fly behavior entails the catching of an edible insect by the male, who then offers it to the female […] If she likes the gift, she mates with the male. Thornhill, however, has observed males approaching other males, assuming the female role until they get a grip on the food. Once they have it, they try to run away with it. The "transvestite" males, according to Thornhill, have an advantage over the other males because they have others do the hunting for them, leaving the "transvestites" more time to reproduce. In additon ^([sic]), the "transvestite" scorpion flies would avoid such hazards of the hunt as spider webs."

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