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, …

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 is mostly …

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, …

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 or their ability to …

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.