Meanings
cross-dressing1
alternative crossdressing · alternative informal x-dressing
- uncountableThe wearing of clothing which society considers appropriate for the opposite sex rather than the wearer's sex.
- uncountableimmunologyDisplay by antigen-presenting cells of antigens obtained from the surface of infected cells.
Now, a study published in Nature shows that cross-dressing does indeed occur and is important for boosting memory CD8+ T cell responses in vivo.
2011 April 21, Olive Leavy, “Cross-dress to impress”, in Nature Reviews Immunology, volume 11, number 302, →DOI
cross-dressing2
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of cross-dress
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
cross-dressing · noun
- GermanTransvestismus
- Englishcross-dressing
From cross- + dressing, a calque of German Transvestismus.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →cross-dressing · verb
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans kruiskleding
- kruiskledingwearing clothes of the opposite gender
Catalan transformisme
- transformismewearing clothes of the opposite gender
Chinese Mandarin 變裝 /变装, 異裝 /异装
- 變裝 /变装 (biànzhuāng)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
- 異裝 /异装 (yìzhuāng)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
- 易裝 /易装 (yìzhuāng)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
- 反串 (fǎnchuàn)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
Dutch travestie, cross-dressing
- travestiewearing clothes of the opposite gender
- cross-dressingwearing clothes of the opposite gender
Finnish ristiinpukeutuminen
- ristiinpukeutuminenwearing clothes of the opposite gender
French transformisme
- transformismewearing clothes of the opposite gender
Greek παρενδυσία
- παρενδυσία (parendysía)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
Hungarian keresztöltözésnek
- keresztöltözésnekwearing clothes of the opposite gender
Indonesian berlintas-busana
- berlintas-busanawearing clothes of the opposite gender
Irish trasghléasadh
- trasghléasadhwearing clothes of the opposite gender
Japanese 男装, 女装
- 男装 (dansō)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
- 女装 (josō)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
Korean 크로스드레싱, 시디
- 크로스드레싱 (keuroseudeuresing)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
- 시디 (sidi)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
- 남장 (namjang)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
- 여장 (yeojang)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
Polish crossdressing
- crossdressingwearing clothes of the opposite gender
Portuguese transformismo
- transformismowearing clothes of the opposite gender
Russian кроссдре́ссинг
- кроссдре́ссинг (krossdréssing)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
Spanish transformismo, transvestismo
- transformismowearing clothes of the opposite gender
- transvestismowearing clothes of the opposite gender
- trasvestismowearing clothes of the opposite gender
- travestismowearing clothes of the opposite gender
Ukrainian кросдре́синг, крос-дре́синг
- кросдре́синг (krosdrésynh)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
- крос-дре́синг (kros-drésynh)wearing clothes of the opposite gender
Cite this entry
cross-dressing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross-dressing
“cross-dressing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross-dressing. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cross-dressing,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross-dressing.
Source: cross-dressing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.