tranny

• trannie

All are shortened forms of the indicated terms +‎ -y.

• (US) enPR: trăʹni IPA^(key): /ˈtɹæ.ni/
• (US, /æ/ tensing) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹeə.ni/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: -æni
• Hyphenation: tran‧ny

tranny (countable and uncountable, plural trannies)

1. (slang, chiefly derogatory, offensive) A transgender person, especially a trans woman.
   • 1976 [1974 April], Mike Brake, “I May Be A Queer, But At Least I am a Man”, in Diana Leonard Barker, Sheila Allen, editors, Sexual Divisions and Society: process and change (Explorations in Sociology)‎^[1], London: Tavistock Publications Limited, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 188:

     Newton (1972) has indicated that they are professional performers, who carefully do not try to totally pass as women. This is seen as too 'tranny' (transvestite) and possibly offending an audience.

   • 1978 September 13, Alan Daniels, “Keeping tabs on the graduates of 52 Water: Teenage runaways”, in The Vancouver Sun‎^[2], page D2:

     "This is the boys' corner – this block and the next," he says. "Everybody has their territory: males, females, queens, trannies (transvestites) [...]

   • 2018, Roddie Lee Kingsfield, M.Ed., Purple Passionflower: The Path to Becoming a Powerful Trans Peace Warrior, page 56:

     When I spoke with lesbians, most would tell me, “I don't date trannies. […]

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:tranny.
2. (colloquial, Commonwealth) A transistor radio.
   • 1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, page 135:

     He spent most of his time in his darkened storeroom with a tranny and an earplug while his kid ran riot in the classroom.

   • 2012, Dave Thompson, To Major Tom:

     We talk, and I listen to Radio Luxembourg on my tranny – I have a little earplug, so if any teachers come in they won't hear it.

3. (colloquial, automotive) A vehicle's transmission.
   • 2012, Phil Edmonston, Lemon-Aid Used Cars and Trucks 2012–2013:

     Other incidents where the tranny suddenly locks up in high gear and requires that the car be restarted to return to normal.

4. (colloquial) An electrical transformer.
5. (slang, skateboarding, countable) A transition between moves.
6. (slang, skateboarding, uncountable) A style of skateboarding based on transitioning from one move to the next.
7. (Northern England, slang) A Ford Transit (type of van).
   • 2014, Sally Wainwright, 1:49 from the start, in Happy Valley, season 1, episode 3, spoken by Kirsten McAskill (Sophie Rundle):

     Oooh! Gotta go. Jenson Button's just streaked past in a white tranny. I think he's trying to smash the land speed record, bless him. And he's got a tail-light out. I think I might give him a tug.

• The sense referring to a trans person is among the most offensive terms for a trans person in English. It is used especially in pornography, and of trans women. Trans people occasionally reclaim tranny.

• trynna