adjective / noun
female
FEE-mayl/ˈfiːmeɪl/
Of the reproductive sex that typically produces eggs.
The female chicken is beside the eggs and chicks.
Etymology
Latin femella was a diminutive of femina, “woman,” and referred to a girl or young female. Its meaning broadened from young humans to other animals and then to females generally.
In context
We’ve actually only seen this happen in female mules: there are a handful of documented cases in which mules have made babies from eggs containing only their mother’s DNA;
More examples
- The veterinarian checks whether the kitten is male or female.
- Only female mosquitoes bite humans.
- The researchers track two females and one male.
Forms
female · females