a person bearing an X and Y chromosome pair in the cell nuclei and normally having a penis, scrotum, and testicles, and developing hair on the face at adolescence; a boy or man.
2.
an organism of the sex or sexual phase that normally produces a sperm cell or male gamete.
3.
Botany. a staminate plant.
–adjective
4.
of, pertaining to, or being a male animal or plant.
5.
pertaining to or characteristic of a male person; masculine: a male voice.
6.
composed of males: a male choir.
7.
Botany.
a.
designating or pertaining to a plant or its reproductive structure producing or containing microspores.
b.
(of seed plants) staminate.
8.
Machinery. made to fit into a corresponding open or recessed part: a male plug. Compare female(def. 8).
[Origin: 1300–50; ME < MF ma(s)le < L masculus.See masculine]
—Related forms
maleness, noun
—Synonyms 1.See man.4–7.Male,masculine,virile are adjectives that describe men and boys or attributes and conduct culturally ascribed to them. Male, 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 inseminate in bisexual reproduction. It contrasts with female in all such uses: his oldest male relative; the male parts of the flower. Masculine refers essentially to qualities, characteristics, or behaviors deemed by a culture or society to be especially appropriate to or ideally associated with men and boys. In American and Western European culture, these have traditionally included features such as strength, forthrightness, and courage: a firm, masculine handshake; a masculine impatience at indecision. Virile implies a vigor and muscularity associated with mature manhood and often carries a suggestion of sexual or procreative potency: his virile good looks; a swaggering, virile walk. See also manly.
Of, relating to, or designating the sex that has organs to produce spermatozoa for fertilizing ova.
Characteristic of or appropriate to this sex; masculine.
Consisting of members of this sex.
Relating to or designating organs, such as anthers or antheridia, that produce gametes capable of fertilizing those produced by female organs.
Bearing stamens but not pistils; staminate: male flowers.
Virile; manly.
Botany
Relating to or designating organs, such as anthers or antheridia, that produce gametes capable of fertilizing those produced by female organs.
Bearing stamens but not pistils; staminate: male flowers.
Designating an object, such as an electric plug, configured for insertion into a recessed part or socket.
n.
A member of the sex that begets young by fertilizing ova.
A man or boy.
Botany A plant having only staminate flowers.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin masculus, diminutive of mās, male.]
male'ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean of, relating to, or characteristic of men. Male categorizes any living thing by gender or sex: the male population; a male puppy; a male plant. Masculine refers to what is considered characteristic of men: a masculine voice. Manlike applies to qualities of a man (manlike fortitude) or resemblance to a human (manlike apes). Manly describes qualities regarded as becoming to a man: manly strength. Manful suggests bravery and resoluteness: a manful display of chivalry. Virile stresses the vigor, power, or sexual potency of an adult male: "The virile figure of Theodore Roosevelt swung down the national highway" (Edward Bok).
Mannish usually applies to women or their traits, clothing, or actions when they seem masculine: a mannish suit.
1373, from O.Fr. masle (Fr. mâle), from L. masculus "masculine, male" (cf. Prov. mascle, Sp. macho, It. maschio), dim. of mas (gen. maris) "male person or animal, male." Mechanical sense of "part of an instrument that penetrates another part" is from 1856.
being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that perform the fertilizing function in generation; "a male infant"; "a male holly tree" [ant: female, androgynous]
2.
characteristic of a man; "a deep male voice"; "manly sports"
3.
for or pertaining to or composed of men or boys; "the male lead"; "the male population"
noun
1.
an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova) [ant: female]
2.
a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies [ant: female]
3.
the capital of Maldives in the center of the islands
(a person, animal etc) of the sex having testes or an organ or organs performing a similar function; not (of) the sex which carries the young until birth etc Example: the male of the species; the male rabbit
Arabic:
ذَكَر
Chinese (Simplified):
男性
Chinese (Traditional):
男性
Czech:
samec; muž; samčí
Danish:
han; han-; -han
Dutch:
mannetje
Estonian:
isane, isas-
Finnish:
uros, miespuolinen
French:
mâle
German:
männlich
Greek:
αρσενικό(ς)
Hungarian:
hím
Icelandic:
karl(dÿr)
Indonesian:
jantan
Italian:
maschio
Japanese:
男 (の)
Korean:
남성(의), 수컷(의)
Latvian:
vīrietis; tēviņš
Lithuanian:
vyras, patinas
Norwegian:
mannlig, hann-
Polish:
mężczyzna, samiec płci męskiej
Portuguese (Brazil):
macho
Portuguese (Portugal):
macho
Romanian:
mascul; bărbat
Russian:
мужчина;самец
Slovak:
samec; muž; samčí; mužský
Slovenian:
samec
Spanish:
macho, varón
Swedish:
mansperson, hane, hanne; manlig, han-, -hanne
Turkish:
erkek (insan, *hayvan, *bitki)
male2[meil]noun, adjective
(a plant) having flowers with stamens which can fertilize female flowers
In organisms that reproduce sexually, being the gamete that is smaller and more motile than the other corresponding gamete of the same species (the female gamete). The sperm cells of higher animals and plants are male gametes.
Possessing or being a structure that produces only male gametes. The testicles of humans are male reproductive organs. Male flowers possess only stamens and no carpels.
E*mas"cu*late\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Emasculated; p. pr. & vb. n. Emasculating.] [L. emasculare; e + masculus male, masculine. See Male masculine.]1. To deprive of virile or procreative power; to castrate power; to castrate; to geld. 2. To deprive of masculine vigor or spirit; to weaken; to render effeminate; to vitiate by unmanly softness. Luxury had not emasculated their minds. --V. Knox.
Male\, a. [F. m[^a]le, OF. masle, mascle, fr. L. masculus male, masculine, dim. of mas a male; possibly akin to E. man. Cf. Masculine, Marry, v. t.]1. Of or pertaining to the sex that begets or procreates young, or (in a wider sense) to the sex that produces spermatozoa, by which the ova are fertilized; not female; as, male organs. 2. (Bot.) Capable of producing fertilization, but not of bearing fruit; -- said of stamens and antheridia, and of the plants, or parts of plants, which bear them. 3. Suitable to the male sex; characteristic or suggestive of a male; masculine; as, male courage. 4. Consisting of males; as, a male choir. 5. (Mech.) Adapted for entering another corresponding piece (the female piece) which is hollow and which it fits; as, a male gauge, for gauging the size or shape of a hole; a male screw, etc. Male berry (Bot.), a kind of coffee. See Pea berry. Male fern (Bot.), a fern of the genus Aspidium (A. Filixmas), used in medicine as an anthelmintic, esp. against the tapeworm. Aspidium marginale in America, and A. athamanticum in South Africa, are used as good substitutes for the male fern in medical practice. See Female fern, under Female. Male rhyme, a rhyme in which only the last syllables agree, as laid, afraid, dismayed. See Female rhyme, under Female. Male screw (Mech.), a screw having threads upon its exterior which enter the grooves upon the inside of a corresponding nut or female screw. Male thread, the thread of a male screw.
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [meyl] Pronunciation Key 
