eonism

American

[ee-uh-niz-uhm] / ˈi əˌnɪz əm /

noun

Psychiatry.

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

eonism British

/ ˈiːəˌnɪzəm /

noun

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A seventh volume, on eonism, was added in 1928.

From Time Magazine Archive

This condition I term sexo-esthetic inversion, or Eonism.

From Project Gutenberg

In order to avoid undue increase in the size of this volume, already much larger than in the previous editions, a new Study of Eonism, or sexo-esthetic inversion, will be inserted in vol. v, where it will perhaps be at least as much in place as here.

From Project Gutenberg

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