Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, relating to, or having a sexual orientation to persons of the same sex.
  • noun A homosexual person; a gay man or a lesbian.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to the same sex or to individuals of the same sex.
  • Relating to homosexuality.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective of a person or animal Sexually attracted primarily to other members of the same sex. Either a male androphile or a female gynephile. Sometimes used in the sense of sole/exclusive attraction.
  • adjective Pertaining to homosexuality, as a relationship, an attraction, a desire, etc.
  • adjective Intended for or used by homosexuals, as a nightclub, a bar, etc.
  • noun A person who is attracted solely or primarily to others of the same sex.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun someone who practices homosexuality; having a sexual attraction to persons of the same sex
  • adjective sexually attracted to members of your own sex

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From homo- + sexual, English from 1892.

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Examples

Comments

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  • Term coined in 1869 by the Hungarian physician Karoly Maria Benkert.

    May 7, 2008