male

[ meyl ]
/ meɪl /

noun

adjective

Origin of male

1300–50; Middle English < Middle French ma(s)le < Latin masculus. See masculine

SYNONYMS FOR male

1 See man1.
4–7 Male, masculine, virile are adjectives that describe men and boys or attributes and conduct culturally ascribed to them. Male, which is applied to plants and animals as well as to human beings, is a biological or physiological descriptor, classifying individuals on the basis of their potential or actual ability to inseminate in bisexual reproduction. It contrasts with female in all such uses: his oldest male relative; the male parts of the flower. Masculine refers essentially to qualities, characteristics, or behaviors deemed by a culture or society to be especially appropriate to or ideally associated with men and boys. In American and Western European culture, these have traditionally included features such as strength, forthrightness, and courage: a firm, masculine handshake; a masculine impatience at indecision. Virile implies a vigor and muscularity associated with mature manhood and often carries a suggestion of sexual or procreative potency: his virile good looks; a swaggering, virile walk. See also manly.

ANTONYMS FOR male

female.

OTHER WORDS FROM male

male·ness, noun an·ti·male, noun, adjective in·ter·male, adjective su·per·male, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH male

mail male macho male masculine. (see synonym study at the current entry)

Words nearby male

malden, maldistribution, maldives, maldivian, maldon, male, male alto, male chauvinism, male chauvinist, male chauvinist pig, male cow

British Dictionary definitions for supermale (1 of 3)

supermale
/ (ˈsuːpəˌmeɪl) /

noun

a former name for metamale

British Dictionary definitions for supermale (2 of 3)

male
/ (meɪl) /

adjective

noun

a male person, animal, or plant

Derived forms of male

maleness, noun

Word Origin for male

C14: via Old French from Latin masculus masculine

British Dictionary definitions for supermale (3 of 3)

Malé
/ (ˈmɑːleɪ) /

noun

the capital of the Republic of Maldives, on Malé Island in the centre of the island group. Pop: 90 000 (2005 est)

Medical definitions for supermale

male
[ māl ]

adj.

Of, relating to, or designating the sex that has organs to produce spermatozoa for fertilizing ova.

n.

A member of the sex that begets young by fertilizing ova.
A man or boy.

Scientific definitions for supermale

male
[ māl ]

Adjective

In organisms that reproduce sexually, being the gamete that is smaller and more motile than the other corresponding gamete of the same species (the female gamete). The sperm cells of higher animals and plants are male gametes.
Possessing or being a structure that produces only male gametes. The testicles of humans are male reproductive organs. Male flowers possess only stamens and no carpels.

Noun

A male organism.