female
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Old French femele, from Medieval Latin femella (“a female”), from Latin femella (“a young female, a girl”), diminutive of femina (“a woman”). The English spelling was remodelled under the influence of male, which is not etymologically related. Compare man and woman.
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Adjective
female (not comparable)
- Belonging or referring to the sex which is generally characterized as the one associated with the larger gametes (for species which have two sexes and for which this distinction can be made).
- (figuratively, electronics) Having an internal socket, as in a connector or pipe fitting.
[edit] Synonyms
[edit] Coordinate terms
[edit] Translations
belonging to the sex with larger, fertilizable gametes
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having an internal socket
[edit] Noun
female (plural females)
- Someone or something of feminine sex or gender.
[edit] Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:girl
- See also Wikisaurus:woman
[edit] Translations
an individual belonging to the sex that can give birth
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- "Female" in Michael Quinion, Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds, 2004.
