Having characteristics of both male and female; combining masculine and feminine qualities in appearance or behavior.
From Latin androgynus, borrowed from Greek androgynos, combining andros (man) and gyne (woman). The term originally described mythological beings that possessed both sexes, and later came to describe humans with ambiguous sexual characteristics.
In ancient Greek mythology, the original androgynous being was created by Zeus as punishment—humans were literally split in half, which is why we supposedly spend our lives searching for our other half! This poetic origin story reveals how cultures have always been fascinated by people who don't fit neatly into male or female categories.
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