Etymology : Middle English, from Middle French masle, male, adjective and noun, from Latin masculus; more at MASCULINE
Pronunciation : mA(&)l
Function : noun
Date : 14th century
1. capital city of the Maldives. person or animal of the male gender; man. of or pertaining to the male gender, masculine; made up of men. male\male\ , a. [l. malus. see:
malice.] evil; wicked; bad. [obs.]male \male\, a. [f. mâle, of. masle, mascle, fr. l. masculus male, masculine, dim. of mas a male; possibly akin to e. man. cf. masculine, marry, v. t.].
2. of or pertaining to the sex that begets or procreates young, or (in a wider sense) to the sex that produces spermatozoa, by which the ova are fertilized; not female; as, male organs.
3. (bot.) capable of producing fertilization, but not of bearing fruit; -- said of stamens and antheridia, and of the plants, or parts of plants, which bear them.
4. suitable to the male sex; characteristic or suggestive of a male; masculine; as, male courage.
5. consisting of males; as, a male choir.
6. (mech.) adapted for entering another corresponding piece (the female piece) which is hollow and which it fits; as, a male gauge, for gauging the size or shape of a hole; a male screw, etc.male berry (bot.), a kind of coffee. see:
pea berry.male fern (bot.), a fern of the genus aspidium (a. filixmas), used in medicine as an anthelmintic, esp. against the tapeworm. aspidium marginale in america, and a. athamanticum in south africa, are used as good substitutes for the male fern in medical practice. see:
female fern, under female.male rhyme, a rhyme in which only the last syllables agree, as laid, afraid, dismayed. see:
female rhyme, under female.male screw (mech.), a screw having threads upon its exterior which enter the grooves upon the inside of a corresponding nut or female screw.male thread, the thread of a male screw.male \male\, n. same as mail, a bag. [obs.]male \male\, n.
7. an animal of the male sex.
8. (bot.) a plant bearing only staminate flowers.male adj.
9. (biology) being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that perform the fertilizing function in generation; "a male infant"; "a male holly tree" [ant: female, androgynous].
10. for or composed of men or boys; "the male lead"; "masculine attire".
11. characteristic of a man; "a deep male voice"; "manly sports" [syn: manful, manlike, manly, virile] n 1: an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova) [ant: female] 2: a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies [syn: male person] [ant: female] 3: the capital of maldives in the center of the islands [syn: male].
12. See Mal-.
13. Evil; wicked; bad.
14. Same as Mail, a bag.
15. Of or pertaining to the sex that begets or procreates young, or to the sex that produces spermatozoa, by which the ova are fertilized; not female; as, male organs.
16. Capable of producing fertilization, but not of bearing fruit; said of stamens and antheridia, and of the plants, or parts of plants, which bear them.
17. Suitable to the male sex; characteristic or suggestive of a male; masculine; as, male courage.
18. Consisting of males; as, a male choir.
19. Adapted for entering another corresponding piece which is hollow and which it fits; as, a male gauge, for gauging the size or shape of a hole; a male screw, etc.
20. An animal of the male sex.
21. A plant bearing only staminate flowers. an animal that produces gametes that can fertilize female gametes the capital of Maldives in the center of the islands a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies being the sex that produces gametes that perform the fertilizing function in generation; "a male infant"; "a male holly tree" for or composed of men or boys; "the male lead"; "masculine attire" characteristic of a man; "a deep male voice"; "manly sports".
22. 1. Someone who is male is a man or a boy. Many women achievers appear to pose a threat to their male colleagues Most of the demonstrators were white and male. ¡Ù female + maleness male·ness the solidarity among men which is part of maleness.
23. Men and boys are sometimes referred to as males when they are being considered as a type. A high proportion of crime is perpetrated by young males in their teens and twenties. = man ¡Ù female.
24. Male means relating, belonging, or affecting men rather than women. The rate of male unemployment in Britain is now the third worst in Europe. a deep male voice. ¡Ù female.
25. You can refer to any creature that belongs to the sex that cannot lay eggs or have babies as a male. Males and females take turns brooding the eggs. ¡Ù female Male is also an adjective. After mating the male wasps tunnel through the sides of their nursery. ¡Ù female. Chief atoll (pop., 2000: 74,069) and capital of the Maldives. Located in the centre of the Maldives, it comprises two groups of islets: North Male, which is 32 mi (51 km) by 23 mi (37 km); and South Male, which is 20 mi (32 km) by 12 mi (19 km). It has central courts, a government hospital, an international airport, and public and private schools. It is a trade and tourist centre.