the adoption of traditionally female dress and behaviour by a man
See also transvestite
Word origin
C19: named after Charles Éon de Beaumont (died 1810), French transvestite
eonism in American English
(ˈiəˌnɪzəm)
noun
Psychiatry
the adoption of feminine mannerisms, clothing, etc., by a male
Word origin
[1925–30; after the Chevalier d'Éon (d. 1810), Frenchman who posed as a woman]This word is first recorded in the period 1925–30. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: buildup, chain reaction, decibel, dropout, reflex camera