female

¹fe·male

adj \ˈfē-ˌmāl\

Definition of FEMALE

1

a (1) : of, relating to, or being the sex that bears young or produces eggs (2) : pistillate b (1) : composed of members of the female sex <the female population> (2) : characteristic of girls or women <composed for female voices> <a female name>

2

: having some quality (as gentleness) associated with the female sex

3

: designed with a hollow or groove into which a corresponding male part fits <the female coupling of a hose>

— fe·male·ness noun

Examples of FEMALE

1. Most extension cords have a male plug on one end and a female plug on the other.
2. <female standards of housekeeping imposed by the women at the vacation cottage weren't especially popular with the men>

First Known Use of FEMALE

14th century

Related to FEMALE

Synonyms: feminine, womanish, womanlike, womanly

Antonyms: unfeminine, unwomanly

Related Words: girlie (or girly), girlish; effeminate, effete, epicene, sissified, sissy, unmanly; ladylike; distaff, petticoat; ultrafeminine

Near Antonyms: boyish, hoydenish, tomboyish; male, manlike, manly, mannish, masculine, virile; androgynous, neuter; Amazonian, butch; hairy-chested, hypermasculine, macho

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Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite, plasticity

Rhymes with FEMALE

abseil, airmail, all hail, assail, avail, bake sale, bangtail, blackmail, blacktail, bobtail, broadscale, broadtail, bucktail, bud scale, canaille, cattail, chain mail, coattail, cocktail, contrail, curtail, derail, detail, doornail, dovetail, downscale, ducktail, e-mail, entail, exhale, fan mail, fantail, fife rail, fire sale, fishtail, folktale, foresail, foxtail, fresh gale, full-scale, gapped scale, Glendale, gray scale, greenmail, guardrail, Hallel, handrail, hangnail, headsail, hightail, hobnail, horntail, horsetail, impale, inhale, junk mail, Longueuil, lugsail, mainsail, mare's tail, Mondale, moon snail, oxtail, pass-fail, percale, pigtail, pintail, pinwale, plate rail, pot ale, prevail, rattail, regale, resale, rescale, retail, right whale, ringtail, Sangreal, Scottsdale, sea kale, shavetail, shirttail, skysail, slop pail, small-scale, snail mail, soft hail, split rail, springtail, spritsail, square sail, staysail, strong gale, surveil, swordtail, taffrail, tag sale, telltale, third rail, thumbnail, timescale, toenail, topsail, travail, trysail, unnail, unveil, upscale, ventail, voice mail, wage scale, wagtail, wassail, whiptail, white sale, whitetail, white whale, whole gale, wholesale, yard sale