From Late Middle English epicene, epicen, epicin, epcyn, episcen, epycen, epycene, epycyn, ypsen (“(grammar) having only one form for masculine and feminine gender, common”),^[1] from Late Latin epicoenos, epicoenus (“of a noun: applicable to either males or females”), Latin epicoenon (“noun applicable to either males or females; grammatical gender of such nouns”), from Ancient Greek ἐπίκοινος (epíkoinos, “common to many people, things, etc.; promiscuous, sluttish”) (compare γένος ἐπίκοινον (génos epíkoinon, “common gender”)), from ἐπι-(epi-, prefix meaning ‘on, upon; on top of; all over’) + κοινός (koinós, “common; general, public”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm (“beside, by, near, with”) + *-yós (suffix forming adjectives from noun stems)).^[2]

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɛpɪsiːn/
• Audio (RP)(file)
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛ.pəˌsin/
• Hyphenation: epi‧cene

Adjective

epicene (not comparable)

Examples (linguistics)

Ancient Greek ἀλώπηξ (alṓpēx, “fox”)This word is epicene in sense 1: it is always grammatically feminine, even when referring to male foxes.French enfant (“child”)This word is epicene in sense 2: it is gendered (either grammatically masculine or feminine) but invariant – its form does not change regardless of the child’s sex.English violinistThis word is also epicene in sense 2: it is genderless and is used to refer to both males and females.

1. (linguistics) Of or relating to a class of Greek and Latin nouns that may refer to males or females but have a fixedgrammatical gender (feminine, masculine, neuter, etc.). quotations ▼
2. (linguistics) Of or relating to nouns or pronouns in any language that have a single form for male and female referents.quotations ▼Synonym: common
3. (by extension) Suitable for use regardlessof sex; unisex. quotations ▼
4. (biology and figurative) Of indeterminatesex, whether asexual, androgynous, hermaphrodite, or intersex; of a human face, intermediate in form between a man’s face and a woman’s face.quotations ▼Synonyms: gynandromorphic, gynandrous
5. (by extension) Indeterminate; mixed.
6. (by extension, usually derogatory) Of a man: effeminate. quotations ▼Alternative formsEdit
   • epicœne (obsolete)
   • epicoene (obsolete)
   Derived termsEdit
   • epicene pronoun
   • epicenism
   • epicenity
   TranslationsEditshow ▼of or relating to a class of Greek and Latin nouns that may refer to males or females but have a fixed grammatical gendershow ▼of or relating to nouns or pronouns in any language that have a single form for male and female referentssuitable for use regardless of sex — seeunisexasexual — see asexualandrogynous, hermaphrodite — seeandrogynous,‎ hermaphroditeindeterminate, mixed — see indeterminateeffeminate — see effeminateNounEditepicene (plural epicenes)
   1. (linguistics) An epicene word; preceded by the: the epicene words of a languageas a class. quotations ▼
   2. (biology and figurative) An epicene person, whether biologically asexual, androgynous, hermaphrodite, or intersex; an androgyne, a hermaphrodite. [from 17th c.] quotations ▼
   3. (by extension) A transsexual; also, a transvestite. quotations ▼
   4. (by extension, usually derogatory) An effeminate man. quotations ▼TranslationsEditshow ▼epicene wordepicene person — see androgyne,‎ hermaphroditetranssexual — see transsexualtransvestite — see transvestiteshow ▼effeminate manNotesEdit
      1. ^ From the collection of the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany.
      ReferencesEdit
      1. ^ “epicēn(e” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
      2. ^ “epicene, adj. and n.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2016; “epicene, adj. and n.” in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press.
      Further reading

(Contributed by Hanz Bolen, H.W., M.)