female

fe·male  (fml)

adj.

1.

a. Of or denoting the sex that produces ova or bears young.

b. Characteristic of or appropriate to this sex; feminine.

c. Consisting of members of this sex. See Usage Note at lady.

2. Botany

a. Designating an organ, such as a pistil or ovary, that functions in producing seeds after fertilization.

b. Bearing pistils but not stamens; pistillate: female flowers.

3. Having a recessed part, such as a slot or receptacle, designed to receive a complementary male part: the female section of an electrical outlet.

n.

1. A member of the sex that produces ova or bears young.

2. A woman or girl.

3. Botany A plant having only pistillate flowers.

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[Middle English, alteration (influenced by male, male) of femelle, from Old French, from Latin fmella, diminutive of fmina, woman; see dh(i)- in Indo-European roots.]

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femaleness n.

Synonyms: female, feminine, womanlike, womanly, womanish, effeminate, ladylike
These adjectives mean of or characteristic of women. Female categorizes any living thing by gender or sex: the female population; a female kitten; a female plant.
Feminine refers to what is considered characteristic of women: feminine intuition.
Womanlike applies to qualities of a woman: womanlike resolve.
Womanly describes qualities regarded as becoming to a woman: womanly sympathy.
Womanish suggests qualities associated with or suggestive of women: womanish attitudes.
Effeminate applies to men who exhibit attributes traditionally associated with women: an effeminate actor.
Ladylike applies to what is regarded as befitting refined or well-mannered women: ladylike manners.

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female [ˈfiːmeɪl]

adj

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) of, relating to, or designating the sex producing gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes (spermatozoa)

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of a woman female charm

3. for or composed of women or girls female suffrage a female choir

4. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) (of reproductive organs such as the ovary and carpel) capable of producing female gametes

5. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) (of gametes such as the ovum) capable of being fertilized by a male gamete in sexual reproduction

6. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) (of flowers) lacking, or having nonfunctional, stamens

7. (Engineering / Mechanical Engineering) having an internal cavity into which a projecting male counterpart can be fitted a female thread

n

a.  a female animal or plant

b.  Mildly offensive a woman or girl

[from earlier femelle (influenced by male), from Latin fēmella a young woman, from fēmina a woman]

femaleness  n

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female  (fml)

Adjective

1. In organisms that reproduce sexually, being the gamete that is larger and less motile than the other corresponding gamete (the male gamete) of the same species. The egg cells of higher animals and plants are female gametes.

2. Possessing or being a structure that produces only female gametes. The ovaries of humans are female reproductive organs. Female flowers possess only carpels and no stamens.

3. Having the genitalia or other structures typical of a female organism. Worker ants are female but sterile.

Noun

A female organism.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	female - an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes (spermatozoa) animal, animate being, beast, creature, fauna, brute - a living organism characterized by voluntary movement hen - female of certain aquatic animals e.g. octopus or lobster dam - female parent of an animal especially domestic livestock female mammal - animals that nourish their young with milk filly - a young female horse under the age of four male - an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova)
	2.	female - a person who belongs to the sex that can have babies female person individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" female body - the body of a female human being female offspring - a child who is female female child, little girl, girl - a youthful female person; "the baby was a girl"; "the girls were just learning to ride a tricycle" foster sister, foster-sister - your foster sister is a female who is not a daughter of your parents but who is raised by your parents girl wonder - an extremely talented young female person adult female, woman - an adult female person (as opposed to a man); "the woman kept house while the man hunted" woman - a female person who plays a significant role (wife or mistress or girlfriend) in the life of a particular man; "he was faithful to his woman" male person, male - a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies
Adj.	1.	female - being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop; "a female heir"; "female holly trees bear the berries" biological science, biology - the science that studies living organisms feminine - associated with women and not with men; "feminine intuition" androgynous - having both male and female characteristics male - being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that perform the fertilizing function in generation; "a male infant"; "a male holly tree"
	2.	female - characteristic of or peculiar to a woman; "female sensitiveness"; "female suffrage" distaff feminine - associated with women and not with men; "feminine intuition"
	3.	female - for or pertaining to or composed of women or girls; "the female lead in the play"; "a female chorus" female - being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop; "a female heir"; "female holly trees bear the berries"

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female

noun

woman, girl, lady, lass, sheila (Austral. & N.Z. slang) The average young female is stylish and confident.

adjective

womanlike, woman, woman, lady Their aim is equal numbers of male and female MPs.

Quotations
"The female of the species is more deadly than the male" [Rudyard Kipling The Female of the Species]

Translations

female [ˈfiːmeɪl]

A. ADJ

1. [animal, plant] → hembra
the female hippopotamus → el hipopótamo hembra

2. [population] → femenino; [vote] → de las mujeres; [slave, subject] → del sexo femenino
a female friend → una amiga
female labour → trabajo m femenino or de mujeres
the female sex → el sexo femenino
a female student → una estudiante
female suffrage → derecho m de las mujeres a votar
a female voice → una voz de mujer

B. N

1. (= animal) → hembra f

2. (pej) (= woman) → chica f

C. CPD female condom N → condón m femenino
female impersonator N (Theat) actor que representa a una mujer

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female [ˈfiːmeɪl]

n

(= animal) → femelle f

(= woman) → femme f

adj

[animal] → femelle
a female animal → un animal femelle

[sex, character] → féminin(e)
the female sex → le sexe féminin

[person, child] → du sexe féminin
to be female → être du sexe féminin
female friend → amie f
female employee → employée f
male and female students → étudiants et étudiantes
female member → femme membre

(= women's) [vote] → des femmes; [wages, values] → féminin(e)

(= for women) [toilet] → pour femmes; [underwear] → féminin(e)

(= in women) → féminin(e)
female impersonator n → travesti m

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female

adj

→ weiblich; labour, rights → Frauen-; a female doctor/student/dog → eine Ärztin/Studentin/Hündin; female bear → Bärenweibchen nt; a female companion → eine Gesellschafterin; a female football team → eine Damenfußballmannschaft; a typical female attitude → typisch Frau

(Tech) connector, plug → weiblich, Innen-; female screw → (Schrauben)mutter f, → Mutterschraube f; female thread → Mutter- or Innengewinde nt

n

(= animal) → Weibchen nt

(inf: = woman) → Frau f; (pej) → Weib nt (pej), → Weibsbild nt (pej inf); a typical female → eine typische Frau; to eye up all the females → die Frauen or Miezen (inf) → beäugen

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female:

female condom

n → Femidom® nt, → Kondom nt → für die Frau

female impersonator

n → Damen-Imitator m

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female [ˈfiːmeɪl]

1. adj (animal, plant) (Elec) → femmina inv; (subject, member, worker) → di sesso femminile; (company, vote) → di donne; (sex, quality, character) → femminile
female labour → manodopera femminile
female student/worker → studentessa/operaia
male and female students → studenti e studentesse

2. n (animal, woman) (pej) → femmina

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female

n / adj female [ˈfiːmeil]

1 (a person, animal etc) of the sex that gives birth to children, produces eggs etc a female blackbird; the female of the species. vrou, vroulik, wyfie أُنْثى от женски пол žena; ženský; samice; samičí kvindelig; af hunkøn; hun- weiblich θηλυκό(ς) hembra emas-, emane جنس مونث؛ ماده naaras femelle נְקֵבָה स्त्री जाति, स्त्री सबंधी, मादा žena, ženka nő(stény) betina kvendÿr; kona femmina 女 (の) 여성, 암컷 moteris, patelė sieviete; mātīte; sieviešu- perempuan vrouwtje kvinne, hunn; kvinne-, hun- kobieta, samica, żeński fêmea femelă женщина; самка samica; samičí samica; samičji ženski kvinna, hona; av honkön เพศหญิง; เพศเมีย dişi (insan, hayvan, Vb.) 女子，雌性動物；女性的，雌的 жінка; жіночої статі مادہ đàn bà; con vật giống cái 女子，雌性动物；女性的，雌的

2 (a plant) that produces seeds. vroulike plant مُنْتِج للحُبوب бот. женски samičí rostlina hunplante weiblich θηλυκό φυτό hembra ema- مادینه؛ بی پرچم emikasvi femelle נְקֵבִי स्त्री ženska biljka bibés (növény) betina kvenkynsblóm femmina めしべのある 암 식물 moteriškasis augalas (par augu) sievišķais bunga betina vrouwtjes- hunnplante osobnik żeński fêmea femelă женская особь samičia rastlina ženska rastlina tučak honblomma เพศเมีย; ตัวเมีย dişi 雌株 самиця پھلدار پودا cây giống cái 雌株

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female → أنثى, مُؤنث žena, ženský kvinde, kvindelig Frau, weiblich γυναίκα, θηλυκός femenino, hembra nainen, naispuolinen femelle ženka, ženski femmina, femminile 女性, 女性の 여성, 여성의 vrouw, vrouwelijk kvinne, kvinnelig kobieta, żeński fêmea, feminino женский, особа женского пола kvinna, kvinnlig เกี่ยวกับสตรี, เพศหญิง kadın giống cái 女性, 女性的