sex

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See also sex-, Sex, and Sex.

Contents

English

The two sexes (male and female) of the vermilion flycatcher.

Etymology

1382, from Middle French sexe, from Latin sexus (“gender”). Thought to be connected with Latin seco, secare (“divide, cut”) by the concept of division, or 'half' of the race. Akin to section. Meaning "sexual intercourse" first attested 1929 (in writings of D.H. Lawrence).

Pronunciation

Noun

sex (countable and uncountable; plural sexes)

  1. (countable) Either of two main divisions (either female or male) into which many organisms can be placed, according to reproductive function or organs.
    What sex is that hamster?
    The abnormality is found in both sexes.
  2. (uncountable) The distinguishing property, quality, or assemblage of properties by which organisms are classified as female or male on the basis of their reproductive organs and functions; the set of properties by which male is distinguished from female.
    The effect of the medication is dependent upon age, sex, and other factors.
    The researchers divided the subjects by sex.
  3. (uncountable) Sexual intercourse; the act of sexual intercourse.
    All you ever think about is sex.
    We had sex in the back seat.
  4. (euphemistic) Genitalia; a penis or vagina.
  5. (obsolete, with the definite article) Women; womankind.
    • 1740, Samuel Richardson, Pamela:
      ‘With all my heart,’ replied my master; ‘I have so much honour for all the sex, that I would not have the meanest person of it stand, while I sit, had I been to have made the custom.’
    • 1759, Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, chapter 1, page 52:
    • […] unless it was with his sister-in-law, my father's wife and my mother,—my uncle Toby scarce exchanged three words with the sex in as many years […]
    • 1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England:
      Thus female honor, which is dearer to the sex than their lives, is left by the common law to be the sport of an abandoned calumniator.
    • 1807, John Hoole, trans. Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, XXVII ll. 1003-4:
      But how can each the boasted treasure own, / When through the sex no two chaste wives are known?
    • 1862, Wilkie Collins, No Name
      Even the reptile temperament of Noel Vanstone warmed under the influence of the sex: he had an undeniably appreciative eye for a handsome woman, and Magdalen's grace and beauty were not thrown away on him.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Terms derived from the sex (noun)

Related terms

terms related to sex (noun)

Descendants

Translations

act of sexual intercourse
gender (female or male)
women
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

sex (third-person singular simple present sexes, present participle sexing, simple past and past participle sexed)

  1. (zoology) To determine the biological sex of an animal.
    It is not easy to sex lizards.
  2. (colloquial) To have sex with.
    The passionate lovers sexed each other every night.
    OK, so I'm sexin' her, right, and all I can think of is this other girl.

Translations

to determine the sex of
informal: to have sex with

See also

Danish

Etymology

From English sex.

Noun

sex c.

  1. (uncountable) sexual intercourse

Derived terms

Related terms

Dutch

Noun

sex ? (??? please provide the plural and diminutive!)

  1. sex

Usage notes

Regarding connotations in writing, seks is regarded more neutral and sex more exciting.

See also

Icelandic

Etymology

From Old Norse sex.

Pronunciation

Number

sex (cardinal, indeclinable)

  1. six; the cardinal number after fimm (“five”) and before sjö (“seven”).

Related terms

Derived terms

Interlingua

Cardinal number

sex

  1. six

Latin

Latin cardinal numbers
 <  V VI VII   > 
    Cardinal : sex
    Ordinal : sextus
    Adverbial : sexiēs
    Distributive : sēnī
Latin Wikipedia article on sex

Alternative forms

  • Symbol: VI

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs. Cognates include Sanskrit षष् (ṣaṣ), Old Armenian վեց (vecʿ), Ancient Greek ἕξ (heks), and Old English siex (English six).

Pronunciation

Numeral

sex (indeclinable)

  1. (cardinal) six; 6
    • p. 52 BCE, Gaius Iulius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico, Book II:v
      Ibi praesidium ponit et in altera parte fluminis Q.Titurium Sabinum legatum cum sex cohortibus relinquit;
      "Over that river was a bridge: there he places a guard; and on the other side of the river he leaves Quintus Titurius Sabinus, his legate, with six cohorts."
    • ca. 8 CE, Ovid, Metamorphoseon, Book II, lines 17-18
      haec super inposita est caeli fulgentis imago, signaque sex foribus dextris totidemque sinistris
      "Above these was placed an image of the shining sky, and six signs [of the zodiac] on the doorways to the right and the same number on the left."
    • 405, Jerome and others, Vulgate, Exodus 16:26
      sex diebus colligite in die autem septimo sabbatum est Domino idcirco non invenietur
      "Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none."

Descendants

See also

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *sehs, whence also Old English siex (English six), Old Frisian sex, Old Saxon seks, Middle Dutch sesse (Dutch zes), Old High German sehs (German sechs), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍃 (saihs). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs, cognate with Sanskrit षष् (ṣaṣ), Old Armenian վեց (vecʿ), Ancient Greek ἕξ (heks).

Cardinal number

sex

  1. six

Descendants

Romanian

Etymology

Latin sexus

Noun

sex n. (plural sexe or sexuri)

  1. gender, sex

Declension

declension of sex
singular plural
gender n. indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative un sex sexul niște sexe sexele
genitive/dative unui sex sexului unor sexe sexelor

Derived terms

Noun

sex n.

  1. sex, sexual relations

Slovak

Noun

sex m. (declension pattern dub)

  1. sex (intercourse, sexual activity)

Swedish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Old Norse sex.

Cardinal number

sex

  1. (cardinal) six
Derived terms

See also

Etymology 2

From English sex.

Noun

sex n.

  1. sex (intercourse, sexual activity)
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