pseudohermaphrodite
- adjective
- /ˌsuːdoʊhɜrˈmæfɹədaɪt/
- Slur
- Experts in the field of endocrinology often encounter cases of pseudohermaphrodite individuals during their research.
Examples
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The doctor explained that the patient was a pseudohermaphrodite because their internal reproductive organs did not match their outward appearance.
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A pseudohermaphrodite may be born with ambiguous genitalia, making diagnosis and management challenging.
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Medical literature now rarely uses the term pseudohermaphrodite due to its outdated and potentially confusing nature.
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A pseudohermaphrodite is unique.
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Is a pseudohermaphrodite considered a true hermaphrodite?
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The geneticist studied a pseudohermaphrodite to better understand the complexities of sexual development.
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In some species, a pseudohermaphrodite can exhibit traits that blur the lines between male and female characteristics.
Synonyms
3
7.4
A person born with body parts for sex that are not clearly male or female
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
pseudohermaphrodite = hermaphrodite (semi-transparent) = pseudo + hermaphrodite
The prefix pseudo- clearly signals 'false' or 'not true', but the adjectival medical sense is technical and not fully predictable for an average learner.
Etymology
Pseudohermaphrodite, used as an adjective, comes from pseudo- 'false' and hermaphrodite 'both male and female'. So it describes someone or an animal whose inner reproductive organs are one sex while their outer appearance is the other, and the word is now considered outdated and is rarely used in medical writing.