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.

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 …

mainly formal used to refer to a woman or girl, or used to refer to any person whose sex is female:

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 …

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 …

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

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

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 …

Jan 15, 2026 · The biological differences between male and female humans are collectively known as sexual dimorphism, describing the typical physical distinctions between the sexes of …

Jan 20, 2026 · 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 …