Female

Female
Female Fe"male, a. 1. Belonging to the sex which conceives and gives birth to young, or (in a wider sense) which produces ova; not male. [1913 Webster]

As patient as the female dove When that her golden couplets are disclosed. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. Belonging to an individual of the female sex; characteristic of woman; feminine; as, female tenderness. ``Female usurpation.'b8 --Milton. [1913 Webster]

To the generous decision of a female mind, we owe the discovery of America. --Belknap. [1913 Webster]

3. (Bot.) Having pistils and no stamens; pistillate; or, in cryptogamous plants, capable of receiving fertilization. [1913 Webster]

{Female rhymes} (Pros.), double rhymes, or rhymes (called in French feminine rhymes because they end in e weak, or feminine) in which two syllables, an accented and an unaccented one, correspond at the end of each line. [1913 Webster]

Note: A rhyme, in which the final syllables only agree (strain, complain) is called a male rhyme; one in which the two final syllables of each verse agree, the last being short (motion, ocean), is called female. --Brande & C.

{Female screw}, the spiral-threaded cavity into which another, or male, screw turns. --Nicholson.

{Female fern} (Bot.), a common species of fern with large decompound fronds ({Asplenium Filixf[ae]mina}), growing in many countries; lady fern. [1913 Webster]

Note: The names male fern and female fern were anciently given to two common ferns; but it is now understood that neither has any sexual character.

Syn: {Female}, {Feminine}.

Usage: We apply female to the sex or individual, as opposed to male; also, to the distinctive belongings of women; as, female dress, female form, female character, etc.; feminine, to things appropriate to, or affected by, women; as, feminine studies, employments, accomplishments, etc. ``Female applies to sex rather than gender, and is a physiological rather than a grammatical term. Feminine applies to gender rather than sex, and is grammatical rather than physiological.'' --Latham. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Female — (♀) is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces ova (egg cells). The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by… …   Wikipedia

  • female — n Female, woman, lady are comparable when meaning a person and especially an adult who belongs to the sex that is the counterpart of the male sex. Female (the correlative of male) emphasizes the idea of sex; it applies not only to human beings… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • female — female, feminine 1. general. Female is used as an adjective, contrasting with the etymologically unrelated word male, to designate the sex of humans and animals that can bear offspring and to designate plants that are fruit bearing. Feminine is… …   Modern English usage

  • female — Ⅰ. female UK US /ˈfiːmeɪl/ adjective ► belonging or relating to women: »The percentage of female managers in industry has doubled in five years. ► used to describe a piece of equipment that has a hole or space into which another part can be… …   Financial and business terms

  • female — (n.) early 14c., from O.Fr. femelle (12c.) woman, female, from M.L. femella a female, from L. femella young female, girl, dim. of femina woman (see FEMININE (Cf. feminine)). Sense extended in V.L. from humans to female of other animals. Spelling… …   Etymology dictionary

  • female — [fē′māl΄] adj. [ME, altered after MALE < femelle < OFr < L femella, dim. of femina, a woman < IE base * dhē , to suck, suckle > L felare, to suck, filius, son, fetus, progeny, Gr thēlazein, to suckle, thele, nipple] 1. designating… …   English World dictionary

  • female — ► ADJECTIVE 1) referring to the sex that can bear offspring or produce eggs. 2) relating to or characteristic of women or female animals. 3) (of a plant or flower) having a pistil but no stamens. 4) (of a fitting) manufactured hollow so that a… …   English terms dictionary

  • Female — Fe male, n. [OE. femel, femal, F. femelle, fr. L. femella, dim. of femina woman. See {Feminine}.] 1. An individual of the sex which conceives and brings forth young, or (in a wider sense) which has an ovary and produces ova. [1913 Webster] The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • female — [adj] having the qualities or characteristics of a woman effeminate, fecund, feminine, fertile, maternal, muliebrous, womanish, womanly; concepts 371,408 Ant. male, masculine female [n] woman daughter, femme, gal, gentlewoman, girl, grandmother,… …   New thesaurus

  • female — female. См. самка. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

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