Main Entry: ¹fem·i·nine

Pronunciation: \ˈfe-mə-nən\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French feminin, from Latin femininus, from femina woman; akin to Old English delu nipple, Latin filius son, felix, fetus, & fecundus fruitful, felare to suck, Greek thēlē nipple

Date: 14th century

1 : female 1a(1)
2 : characteristic of or appropriate or unique to women <feminine beauty> <a feminine perspective>
3 : of, relating to, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to females <a feminine noun>
4 a : being an unstressed and usually hypermetric final syllable <a feminine ending> b of rhyme : having an unstressed final syllable c : having the final chord occurring on a weak beat <music in feminine cadences>

— fem·i·nine·ly adverb

— fem·i·nine·ness \-nə(n)-nəs\ noun