feminine

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

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Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Adjective 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Antonyms 1.3.3 Derived terms 1.3.4 Translations 1.4 Adverb 1.5 Noun 1.5.1 Translations 2 Romanian 2.1 Adjective

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Old French feminin, from Latin femininus, from femina (“‘woman’”); probably akin to Latin fetus, or to Greek to suck, to suckle, Sanskrit dhā (“‘to suck’”); compare Old English fǣmme (“‘woman, maid’”): compare French féminin. See fetus.

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈfɛmɪnɪn/, /ˈfɛmənɪn/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Adjective

feminine (comparative more feminine, superlative most feminine)

1. Of the female sex; biologically female, not male, womanly.
2. Belonging to females; appropriated to, or used by, females.

   Mary, Elizabeth, and Edith are feminine names.

3. Having the qualities associated with a woman or the female gender; suitable to, or characteristic of, a woman; nurturing; not masculine or aggressive.

   Her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft and feminine — John Milton

   Her letters are remarkably deficient in feminine ease and grace — Thomas Babington Macaulay

   Ninus being esteemed no man of war at all, but altogether feminine, and subject to ease and delicacy — Sir Walter Raleigh

4. (grammar) Grammatical gender distinction in languages that have it such as Spanish and Hindi that describes nouns including those pertaining to females and objects that are assigned the feminine gender.

[edit] Synonyms

• (of the female sex): female, womanly
• (having qualities of female gender): caring, ladylike, nurturing

[edit] Antonyms

• (of the female sex): male, manly
• (having qualities of female gender): butch, masculine
• (grammar): masculine

[edit] Derived terms

• femininely
• feminineness
• feminine rhyme (prosody)
• femininity
• feminize

[edit] Translations

[edit] Adverb

feminine (comparative more feminine, superlative most feminine)

1. Of or pertaining to woman.
2. Having the qualities of a woman.

[edit] Noun

feminine (plural feminines)

1. The female principle
2. (Obsolete or Colloquial): A woman.

   They guide the feminines toward the palace — Richard Hakluyt

3. (grammar) Any one of those words which are the appellations of females, or which have the terminations usually found in such words; as, actress, songstress, abbess, executrix.

   There are but few true feminines in English — Latham

[edit] Translations

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[edit] Romanian

[edit] Adjective

feminine

1. feminine plural nominative form of feminin.
2. feminine plural accusative form of feminin.
3. neuter plural nominative form of feminin.
4. neuter plural accusative form of feminin.