In the 14th century, female appeared in English with such spellings as femel, femelle, and female. The word comes from the Latin femella, meaning "young woman, girl," which in turn is based …

As an adjective, female is still used in some contexts, particularly when the sex of the person is relevant, such as female athletes or to distinguish a male nurse from a female one.

We use female and male to refer to the sex of humans and animals: … The kitten was actually a female, not a male. The study participants included 350 males and 250 females. This meaning …

fe′male•ness, n. syn: female, feminine, effeminate describe women and girls or whatever is culturally attributed to them. female classifies individuals on the basis of their genetic makeup …

It contrasts with male in all uses: her oldest female relative; the female parts of the flower. feminine refers essentially to qualities or behaviors deemed by a culture or society to be …

Female animals are those that produce ova, which are fertilized by the spermatozoa of males. The main difference between females and males is that females bear the offspring — and that …

Female, feminine, effeminate are adjectives that describe women and girls or attributes and conduct culturally ascribed to them.

There are 24 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word female, three of which are labelled obsolete, and one of which is considered derogatory. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, …

FEMALE definition: having or relating to a gender identity that corresponds to a complex, variable set of social and cultural roles, traits, and behaviors assigned to people of the sex that typically …

6 days ago · Bacteria are determined to be male or female by a small piece of DNA, called F-plasmid, or sex factor. Bacteria with this small piece of DNA are labeled as males, and …