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Female

 - 6 dictionary results

fe⋅male

  [fee-meyl]
Use Female in a Sentence
–noun
1. a person bearing two X chromosomes in the cell nuclei and normally having a vagina, a uterus and ovaries, and developing at puberty a relatively rounded body and enlarged breasts, and retaining a beardless face; a girl or woman.
2. an organism of the sex or sexual phase that normally produces egg cells.
3. Botany. a pistillate plant.
–adjective
4. of, pertaining to, or being a female animal or plant.
5. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a female person; feminine: female suffrage; female charm.
6. composed of females: a female readership.
7. Botany.
a. designating or pertaining to a plant or its reproductive structure that produces or contains elements requiring fertilization.
b. (of seed plants) pistillate.
8. Machinery. being or having a recessed part into which a corresponding part fits: a female plug. Compare male (def. 5).
Origin:
1275–1325; ME, var. (by assoc. with male ) of femelle < AF, OF femel(l)e < L fēmella, dim. of fēmina woman (see -elle ); in VL developing the sense “female of an animal”

Related forms:
fe⋅male⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. See woman. 4–7. Female, feminine, effeminate are adjectives that describe women and girls or attributes and conduct culturally ascribed to them. Female, which is applied to plants and animals as well as to human beings, is a biological or physiological descriptor, classifying individuals on the basis of their potential or actual ability to produce offspring in bisexual reproduction. It contrasts with male in all uses: her oldest female relative; the female parts of the flower. Feminine refers essentially to qualities or behaviors deemed by a culture or society to be especially appropriate to or ideally associated with women and girls. In American and Western European culture, these have traditionally included features such as delicacy, gentleness, gracefulness, and patience: to dance with feminine grace; a feminine sensitivity to moods. Feminine is also, less frequently, used to refer to physical features: a lovely feminine figure; small, feminine hands. Effeminate is most often applied derogatorily to men or boys, suggesting that they have character or behavior traits culturally believed to be appropriate to women and girls rather than to men: an effeminate horror of rough play; an effeminate speaking style. See also womanly.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Female
fe·male   (fē'māl')   
adj.  

    1. Of or denoting the sex that produces ova or bears young.

    2. Characteristic of or appropriate to this sex; feminine.

    3. Consisting of members of this sex. See Usage Note at lady.

    4. Designating an organ, such as a pistil or ovary, that functions in producing seeds after fertilization.

    5. Bearing pistils but not stamens; pistillate: female flowers.

  2. Botany

    1. Designating an organ, such as a pistil or ovary, that functions in producing seeds after fertilization.

    2. Bearing pistils but not stamens; pistillate: female flowers.

  3. Having a recessed part, such as a slot or receptacle, designed to receive a complementary male part: the female section of an electrical outlet.

n.  

  1. A member of the sex that produces ova or bears young.

  2. A woman or girl.

  3. Botany A plant having only pistillate flowers.


[Middle English, alteration (influenced by male, male) of femelle, from Old French, from Latin fēmella, diminutive of fēmina, woman; see dhē(i)- in Indo-European roots.]
fe'male'ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean of or characteristic of women. Female categorizes any living thing by gender or sex: the female population; a female kitten; a female plant.
Feminine refers to what is considered characteristic of women: feminine intuition.
Womanlike applies to qualities of a woman: womanlike resolve.
Womanly describes qualities regarded as becoming to a woman: womanly sympathy.
Womanish suggests qualities associated with or suggestive of women: womanish attitudes.
Effeminate applies to men who exhibit attributes traditionally associated with women: an effeminate actor.
Ladylike applies to what is regarded as befitting refined or well-mannered women: ladylike manners.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

female  (n.)
c.1315, from O.Fr. femelle, from M.L. femella "a female," from L. femella "young female, girl," dim. of femina "woman" (see feminine). Sense extended in V.L. from humans to female of other animals. Spelling alt. late 14c. on mistaken parallel of male. Reference to sockets, etc., is from 1669.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1fe·male
Pronunciation: 'fE-"mAl
Function: noun
: an individual that bears young or produces eggs as distinguished from onethat produces sperm; especially : a woman or girl as distinguished from a man or boy

Main Entry: 2female
Function: adjective
: of, relating to, or being the sex that bears young or produces eggs
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

female fe·male (fē'māl')
adj.
Of, relating to, or denoting the sex that produces ova or bears young. n.

  1. A member of the sex that produces ova or bears young.

  2. A woman or girl.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
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