male
Noun pluralmales
Pluralmales
- 1Belonging or relating to boys, men, or the sex that makes sperm, as in 'male hormones'.
The male lion guards the pride while the females hunt.
The male cardinal is bright red, while the female is mostly brown.
UsageSay a male lion. The opposite is female.
Oppositefemale
Note
- 2A human being who is a boy or a man.
Each male in the study answered the same questions.
The survey compared answers from females and males.
UsageIn everyday talk, say men or boys instead.
Oppositefemale
- 3An animal or plant that is male, not female.
The zookeeper moved the male to a separate enclosure.
Among lions, the males defend the pride's territory.
Oppositefemale
- 4
Less common meanings
- 5Used about a plug, pipe or part made to fit into a matching female part.
Like the plug on a cord that pushes into the socket on the wall.
Push the male end of the cable into the socket.
This adapter has a male plug on one side.
UsageSay a male plug or the male end of a cable.
Oppositefemale
Note
- 6A plug or part shaped to fit into a matching female piece.
Screw the male into the open end of the pipe.
The connector kit includes three males and three matching females.
Oppositefemale
Note
- 7In grammar, of the masculine grammatical gender. Used to label words counted as masculine, like 'he'.
- 8Used about a bacterium that can pass its DNA to another one that cannot.
- 9A bacterium that has the F factor and can give its DNA away.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From Latin masculus, meaning 'male,' which came from mās ('male'). It reached English through Old French.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- Male ultimately derives from Latin masculus. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin masculus means male. en.wiktionary.org
- Masculus derives from mās, meaning male. en.wiktionary.org
- The word reached English through Old French. en.wiktionary.org