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 on femina, …

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 is mostly …

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.

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 or their ability to produce offspring …

Someone who is female is a woman or a girl. ...a sixteen-piece dance band with a female singer.

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 goes for dogs, …

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, usage, and quotation …

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 produces …

female meaning, definition, what is female: relating to women or girls: Learn more.