Epicene

 "She struck him as spinsterish - even epicene." (from Unnatural Death, by Dorothy L. Sayers)

I must admit that "epicene" is not a word that I have used often, or ever. I figure my vocabulary is at least average, but that simply is not a term that I have used. When my wife entered the room just now, I did not say, "My, you look simply epicene this morning, my dear," on the outside chance that it is a word that she knows but I do not. At least it is not something that she has ever told me that she tried to look. Stunning, perhaps - maybe ravishing - but never epicene, at least not until I look it up.

Before I look it up, I am going to assume that it has some kinship to "epicurean," and I have used that before, but not often to remember at this late date what it does mean.

[Pause for internet search]

Well, I missed it. It has nothing to do with the Greek philosopher Epicurus. What it means is "of indeterminate sex," which I ought to have reasoned from the context, but did not. Oh well, the way you learn words is to miss words (and I am very glad that I did not apply it to my wife).