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eonism

American  
[ee-uh-niz-uhm] / ˈi əˌnɪz əm /

noun

Psychiatry.

  1. the adoption of feminine mannerisms, clothing, etc., by a male.

eonism British  
/ ˈiːəˌnɪzəm /

noun

  1. psychiatry the adoption of female dress and behaviour by a male See also transvestite

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of eonism

1925–30; after the Chevalier d' Éon (died 1810), Frenchman who posed as a woman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.