tranny

tranny — noun

1. an insulting and deeply offensive term used to refer to a person whose gender id

1.noun
Definition

an insulting and deeply offensive term used to refer to a person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were registered with at birth, especially a trans woman

Example

The teacher explained that the word tranny is an extremely offensive slur that should never be used.

During the workshop, participants discussed why the word tranny causes harm to transgender people.

meta-discursive: talking about the word itself

Common collocations
  • offensive slur for transgender people
  • derogatory term for trans women
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

tranny (as a standalone noun)

Usage Note

This is one of the most offensive slurs for transgender people. Never use it to refer to an individual. Even quoting the word in historical contexts should be done with care. The respectful modern terms are transgender person, trans person, trans man, or trans woman.

Common Mistakes

She is a tranny.
She is a transgender woman.
Using a respectful, accurate identifier instead of a slur shows basic respect for the person's identity.

2. an insulting and deeply offensive term used to refer to someone who dresses in c

2.noun
Definition

an insulting and deeply offensive term used to refer to someone who dresses in clothing that is traditionally associated with the opposite gender

Example

The documentary explored how the word tranny has been used to mock cross-dressers and drag performers.

meta-discursive: discussing the slur's history

A support group for cross-dressers discussed the hurtful history of the word tranny and its impact on their community.

Common collocations
  • offensive term for cross-dressers
  • derogatory label for drag performers

Grammar Patterns

tranny (as a standalone noun)

Usage Note

Like sense 1, this is a deeply offensive slur. It was historically directed at cross-dressers and drag performers but is now widely recognized as hate speech. The respectful alternatives are cross-dresser or drag performer depending on context.

Common Mistakes

He is a tranny because he wears dresses at the festival.
He is a drag performer.
Drag performance and cross-dressing are personal or artistic choices, not something to label with a slur.

3. a small portable radio that uses electronic components called transistors instea

3.noun
Definition

a small portable radio that uses electronic components called transistors instead of vacuum tubes, now considered an old-fashioned device

Example

Kian found an old tranny in his grandfather's attic and was amazed it still played music.

collocation: old tranny

During the 1960s, teenagers would carry a small tranny to listen to pop songs at the park.

Common collocations
  • old tranny
  • vintage tranny
  • portable tranny
  • small tranny
Synonyms
  • transistor radio

    the full, clearer term; preferred over the shortened form

  • portable radio

    more general; tranny is a specific type of portable radio

  • pocket radio

    emphasizes the small size typical of transistor radios

Grammar Patterns

tranny (as a standalone noun)

Usage Note

This neutral, dated sense of tranny (short for transistor radio) is a completely different word from the slur senses above. It was used mainly in British English from the 1950s to the 1970s. Younger speakers are unlikely to recognize this meaning.

Common Mistakes

Referring to any modern radio or Bluetooth speaker as a 'tranny'.
Only use this word for vintage 1950s
1970s transistor radios. The term is also easily confused with the offensive slur, so avoid it in speech.

Word family

  • transgender
    adjectiveB1
  • transgender person
    noun phraseB1
  • transsexual
    adjectiveB2
  • transistor
    nounB2
  • transistor radio
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

All three terms describe battery-powered radios that people could carry around, but they differ in specificity and age. Transistor radio is the full, formal name for the device, emphasizing the electronic component that made small radios possible — it is the clearest term for modern readers. Portable radio is a much broader category that includes any radio you can carry, from 1950s transistor sets to today's digital models; it lacks the nostalgic, retro feel of transistor radio. Pocket radio was a marketing term from the 1960s that highlighted the small size of early transistor radios; it sounds very dated now and is rarely used outside historical descriptions. Example: 'The museum displayed a row of vintage transistor radios from the 1960s.' vs. 'A portable radio is a standard item in any emergency kit today.'

transistor radioportable radiopocket radio

Etymology

EnglishLatinGreek

Tranny is a shortened form of two unrelated words. The offensive slur senses come from transgender and transvestite, first appearing in English slang in the 1960s–1970s and becoming widely recognized as hate speech by the 2000s. The neutral sense meaning transistor radio dates from the 1950s–1960s, when small portable radios using transistors became popular. By the 1980s, the radio sense had faded from common use, while the slur senses became increasingly controversial. Modern English speakers encounter the word almost exclusively as a slur.