female
Pronunciation: /ˈfiː.meɪl/
The English word “female” has 10 meanings listed here.
adjective
- Belonging to the sex which typically produces eggs (ova), or to the gender which is typically associated with it.
- Characteristic of this sex/gender. (Compare feminine, womanly.)
- Tending to lead to or regulate the development of sexual characteristics typical of this sex.
- Lacking the F factor, and able to receive DNA from another bacterium which does have this factor (a male).
- Having an internal socket, as in a connector or pipe fitting.
noun
- An animal of the sex that produces eggs.
- A human of feminine gender; a girl or woman.
- A plant which produces only that kind of reproductive organ capable of developing into fruit after impregnation or fertilization; a pistillate plant.
- A bacterium which lacks the F factor, and is able to receive DNA from another bacterium which has that factor.
- A female connector, pipe fitting, etc.
Etymology
From Middle English female, an alteration of Middle English femele, from Old French femele, femelle (“female”), from Medieval Latin fēmella (“a female”), from Latin fēmella (“a girl, a young female, a young woman”), diminutive of fēmina (“a woman”). The English spelling and pronunciation were remodelled under the influence of male, which is otherwise not etymologically related. Contrast woman,…
Keep exploring: in the interactive dictionary every word of a definition is a link. Open “female” there
More English words
- felypressin
- fem
- fem lib
- femaghastingsite
- female chauvinism
- female chauvinist
- female circumcision
- female condom
About this dictionary
The English dictionary on Glottosphere has 650,529 entries with a page. Browse the English dictionary.
Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.