female
UK[ˈfiːmeɪl]US[ˈfiːmeɪl]
adj
Of or denoting the sex that can bear offspring or produce eggs, distinguished biologically by the production of gametes (ova) which can be fertilized by male gametes.
n
A female person, animal, or plant.
Etymology
The word 'female' has a fascinating history of folk etymology. It originates from the Latin word 'fēmella', a diminutive of 'fēmina', meaning 'woman'. The Old French form 'femelle' was borrowed into Middle English. Over time, its spelling was altered by association with the unrelated word 'male', creating the modern 'female'. This reshaping gives the false impression that 'fe-' is a separate prefix, but it is not; the word is a unified lexical item whose form was influenced by its conceptual counterpart. Its core meaning, relating to the sex that bears young, has remained consistent from its Latin source.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form. It entered English as a whole from Old French, with its ultimate origin in Latin.
Examples
The study included participants from both male and female populations.
The female lion does most of the hunting for the pride.
The plant produces both male and female flowers.