Gender

Gender
Gender Gen"der (j[e^]n"d[~e]r), n. [OF. genre, gendre (with excrescent d.), F.genre, fr. L. genus, generis, birth, descent, race, kind, gender, fr. the root of genere, gignere, to beget, in pass., to be born, akin to E. kin. See {Kin}, and cf. {Generate}, {Genre}, {Gentle}, {Genus}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Kind; sort. [Obs.] ``One gender of herbs.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. Sex, male or female. [1913 Webster]

Note: The use of the term gender to refer to the sex of an animal, especially a person, was once common, then fell into disuse as the term became used primarily for the distinction of grammatical declension forms in inflected words. In the late 1900's, the term again became used to refer to the sex of people, as a euphemism for the term {sex}, especially in discussions of laws and policies on equal treatment of sexes. Objections by prescriptivists that the term should be used only in a grammatical context ignored the earlier uses. [PJC]

3. (Gram.) A classification of nouns, primarily according to sex; and secondarily according to some fancied or imputed quality associated with sex. [1913 Webster]

Gender is a grammatical distinction and applies to words only. Sex is natural distinction and applies to living objects. --R. Morris. [1913 Webster]

Note: Adjectives and pronouns are said to vary in gender when the form is varied according to the gender of the words to which they refer. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР
Synonyms:
/ ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • gender earning differentiation — gender earnings gap гендерная дифференциация оплаты труда …   Термины гендерных исследований

  • gender indicators — gender sensitive indicators гендерные индикаторы …   Термины гендерных исследований

  • gender — гендер …   Термины гендерных исследований

  • gender — 1. Since the 14c the word has been primarily a grammatical term denoting groups of nouns in terms of their being masculine, feminine, or neuter. In the earliest form of English (Old English or Anglo Saxon, c. 740 to 1066), nouns fell into three… …   Modern English usage

  • gender — gender1 [jen′dər] n. [ME < OFr gendre, with unhistoric d < L genus (gen. generis), descent, origin, transl. Gr genos, race, class, sex: see GENUS] 1. Gram. a) the formal classification by which nouns are grouped and inflected, or changed in …   English World dictionary

  • gender — gen‧der [ˈdʒendə ǁ ər] noun [countable, uncountable] HUMAN RESOURCES the fact of being male or female: • Discrimination on the grounds of sex, race or gender is illegal. * * * gender UK US /ˈdʒendər/ noun [U] ► the condition of being either male… …   Financial and business terms

  • gender — ► NOUN 1) Grammar a class (usually masculine, feminine, common, or neuter) into which nouns and pronouns are placed in some languages. 2) the state of being male or female (with reference to social or cultural differences). 3) the members of one… …   English terms dictionary

  • Gender — Gen der, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Gendered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Gendering}.] [OF. gendrer, fr. L. generare. See {Gender}, n.] To beget; to engender. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gender — [n] grammatical rules applying to nouns that connote sex or animateness common, feminine, gender specific, masculine, neuter; concept 408 …   New thesaurus

  • Gender — Gen der, v. i. To copulate; to breed. [R.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”