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male

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male

[meyl]
–noun
1. 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


maleness, noun


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.


female.

Ma⋅le

[mah-ley, -lee]
–noun
a city in and the capital of the Maldives. 17,000.

male-

a combining form meaning “evil,” occurring in loanwords from Latin: malediction.
Compare mal-.


Origin:
< L; see mal-
male   (māl)   
adj.  
    1. Of, relating to, or designating the sex that has organs to produce spermatozoa for fertilizing ova.
    2. Characteristic of or appropriate to this sex; masculine.
    3. Consisting of members of this sex.
    4. Relating to or designating organs, such as anthers or antheridia, that produce gametes capable of fertilizing those produced by female organs.
    5. Bearing stamens but not pistils; staminate: male flowers.
  1. Virile; manly.
  2. Botany
    1. Relating to or designating organs, such as anthers or antheridia, that produce gametes capable of fertilizing those produced by female organs.
    2. Bearing stamens but not pistils; staminate: male flowers.
  3. Designating an object, such as an electric plug, configured for insertion into a recessed part or socket.
n.  
  1. A member of the sex that begets young by fertilizing ova.
  2. A man or boy.
  3. 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.
Ma·le   (mä'lē)   
The capital of the Maldives, on Male, the chief atoll of the island country. Population: 92,600.

Male

Male\, a. [L. malus. See Malice.] Evil; wicked; bad. [Obs.] --Marston.

Male

Male\, n. Same as Mail, a bag. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Male

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.

Male

Male\, n. 1. An animal of the male sex.

2. (Bot.) A plant bearing only staminate flowers.
Language Translation for : male
Spanish: macho, varón,
German: männlich,
Japanese: 男 (の)

male  (n.)
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.

Main Entry: 1male
Pronunciation: 'mA(&)l
Function: noun
: an individual that produces small usually motile gametes (as sperm or spermatozoa)which fertilize the eggs of a female

Main Entry: 2male
Function: adjective
1 : of, relating to, or being the sex that produces gametes which fertilize the eggs of female
2 : designed for fitting into a corresponding hollow part

male (māl)
adj.
Of, relating to, or designating the sex that has organs to produce spermatozoa for fertilizing ova. n.

  1. A member of the sex that begets young by fertilizing ova.
  2. A man or boy.

male   (māl)  Pronunciation Key 
Adjective  
  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Noun   A male organism.
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