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fe·male (f m l )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.
[Middle English, alteration (influenced by male, male) of femelle, from Old French, from Latin f mella, diminutive of f mina, woman; see dh (i)- in Indo-European roots.]
fe male ness 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. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | femaleness - the properties characteristic of the female sexsexuality, gender, sex - the properties that distinguish organisms on the basis of their reproductive roles; "she didn't want to know the sex of the foetus" |
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