MALE

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Male mean? 

• MALE (noun)
  The noun MALE has 3 senses:

1. an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova)

2. a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies

3. the capital of Maldives in the center of the islands

  Familiarity information: MALE used as a noun is uncommon.

• MALE (adjective)
  The adjective MALE has 3 senses:

1. being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that perform the fertilizing function in generation

2. characteristic of a man

3. for or pertaining to or composed of men or boys

  Familiarity information: MALE used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MALE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("male" is a kind of...):

animal; animate being; beast; brute; creature; fauna (a living organism characterized by voluntary movement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "male"):

sire (male parent of an animal especially a domestic animal such as a horse)

colt (a young male horse under the age of four)

male horse (the male of species Equus caballus)

bullock; steer (castrated bull)

Antonym:

female (an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes (spermatozoa))

Sense 2

Meaning:

A person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

male; male person

Hypernyms ("male" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Meronyms (parts of "male"):

male body (the body of a male human being)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "male"):

boy wonder (an extremely talented young male person)

blighter; bloke; chap; cuss; fella; feller; fellow; gent; lad (a boy or man)

foster-brother; foster brother (your foster brother is a male who is not a son of your parents but who is raised by your parents)

macho (a male exhibiting or characterized by machismo)

boy; male child (a youthful male person)

male offspring; man-child (a child who is male)

adult male; man (an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman))

man (a male person who plays a significant role (husband or lover or boyfriend) in the life of a particular woman)

man (an adult male person who has a manly character (virile and courageous competent))

mother's son (a male person)

sirrah (formerly a contemptuous term of address to an inferior man or boy; often used in anger)

Antonym:

female (a person who belongs to the sex that can have babies)

Derivation:

male (for or pertaining to or composed of men or boys)

male (characteristic of a man)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The capital of Maldives in the center of the islands

Classified under:

Nouns denoting spatial position

Instance hypernyms:

national capital (the capital city of a nation)

Holonyms ("Male" is a part of...):

Maldives; Republic of Maldives (a republic on the Maldive Islands; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1965)

• MALE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that perform the fertilizing function in generation

Context example:

a male holly tree

Similar:

male (for or pertaining to or composed of men or boys)

antheral; staminate (capable of fertilizing female organs)

phallic; priapic (resembling or being a phallus)

priapic (overly concerned with masculinity and male sexuality)

young-begetting (capable of fathering offspring)

Also:

masculine (associated with men and not with women)

Attribute:

gender; sex; sexuality (the properties that distinguish organisms on the basis of their reproductive roles)

Domain category:

biological science; biology (the science that studies living organisms)

Antonym:

androgynous (having both male and female characteristics)

female (being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop)

Derivation:

maleness (the properties characteristic of the male sex)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Characteristic of a man

Synonyms:

male; manful; manlike; manly; virile

Context example:

manly sports

Similar:

masculine (associated with men and not with women)

Derivation:

male (a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies)

maleness (the properties characteristic of the male sex)

Sense 3

Meaning:

For or pertaining to or composed of men or boys

Context example:

the male population

Similar:

male (being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that perform the fertilizing function in generation)

Derivation:

male (a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies)

maleness (the properties characteristic of the male sex)

 Context examples 

When these males mate with uninfected wild females, the resulting eggs are sterile.

(Mosquitos rendered infertile by biological engineering, SciDev.Net)

Male trees usually outnumbered female trees by more than three to one.

(Striped maple trees often change mating types, with females more likely to die, National Science Foundation)

When a hybrid between the two species was introduced, the male would most commonly show a preference for a mate with similar markings to itself.

(Butterflies are genetically wired to choose a mate that looks just like them, University of Cambridge)

Females obtained from the screening were used to breed future generations by crossing them to unselected males.

(AB Zebrafish, NCI Thesaurus)

In males, the inhibition of LH secretion prevents the release of testosterone.

(Abarelix, NCI Thesaurus)

This new research was conducted to understand why, and whether this sex difference may be due to how the male and female fetuses are supported within the womb in an aged mother.

(Placenta changes could mean male offspring of older mums more likely to develop heart problems in later life, University of Cambridge)

But then, if the male does not create a display, females would lay only two eggs — the females become dependent on multiple aspects of the male's display.

(For species that mate for life, bonding behaviors provide advantages, National Science Foundation)

Abiraterone acetate lowers the amount of androgens (male hormones), such as testosterone, made by the body.

(Abiraterone acetate, NCI Dictionary)

Median survival 113 weeks in males, 108 weeks in females.

(ACI, Rat Strain, NCI Thesaurus)

Anyone can get oral cancer, but the risk is higher if you are male, over age 40, use tobacco or alcohol or have a history of head or neck cancer.

(Oral Cancer, NIH: National Cancer Institute)