female-female
UK[ˈfiːmeɪl]US[ˈfiːmeɪl]
adj
Being a woman or a girl
adj
Belonging to or relating to women or girls
adj
(of plants or flowers) producing fruit or seeds
adj
(of electrical connectors, pipe fittings, etc.) having a hollow part designed to receive an inserted part
n
A woman or a girl
n
An animal that can produce eggs or give birth to babies
n
A plant that can produce fruit
Etymology
The word 'female' has a journey marked by mistaken identity. Its true origin is the Latin word 'femina', meaning "woman". From 'femina' came the diminutive form 'femella', meaning "young woman, girl", which passed into Old French as 'femelle'. When English adopted the term in the 14th century, its spelling was gradually altered to 'female' due to a folk etymological link with the word 'male', despite the two words having completely different roots. This false association solidified the modern spelling, embedding a coincidental phonetic and visual connection to its counterpart within a word whose core meaning has always been distinctly tied to the feminine.
Analysis
The word 'female' is a simplex form in modern English. It entered the language as a whole unit from Old French 'femelle', meaning "woman, female". The Old French term itself derived from Latin 'femella', a diminutive of 'femina' (woman). The spelling was later altered in the 14th century due to an erroneous association with the unrelated word 'male'.
Examples
The study included participants from both male and female groups.
The female lion is primarily responsible for hunting.
This connector is the female part of the assembly.