female
Meanings
- 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.
- Feminine; of the feminine grammatical gender.
- 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.
- One of the female (feminine) sex or gender.
- 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.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)-der. Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-m̥h₁n-éh₂ Proto-Italic *θēmanā Proto-Italic *fēmanā Latin fēmina Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -lus Latin fēmella Old French femelebor. Middle English femele Middle English female English female 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, which is etymologically built on man (as in, “person”).