feminine

• f., f (abbreviation, grammar)

From Old French feminin, from Latin fēminīnus, from fēmina (“woman”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂ (“(the one) nursing, breastfeeding”). Related to fetus, feminism, filial, fellatio.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɛmɪnɪn/, /ˈfɛmənɪn/

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feminine (comparative more feminine, superlative most feminine)

1. Of or pertaining to the female gender; womanly.
2. Of or pertaining to the female sex; biologically female, not male.
3. Belonging to females; typically used by females.

   Mary, Elizabeth, and Edith are feminine names.

4. Having the qualities stereotypically associated with women: nurturing, not aggressive.
   • John Milton:

     Her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft and feminine.

   • Thomas Babington Macaulay:

     Her letters are remarkably deficient in feminine ease and grace.

   • Sir Walter Raleigh:

     Ninus being esteemed no man of war at all, but altogether feminine, and subject to ease and delicacy.

5. (grammar) Of, pertaining or belonging to the female grammatical gender, in languages that have gender distinctions.

• (of the female sex): female, womanly
• (having qualities stereotypical of the female gender): caring, ladylike, nurturing

• (of the female sex): male, manly
• (having qualities stereotypical of the female gender): butch, masculine
• (grammar): masculine, neuter

• femininely
• feminineness
• feminine rhyme (prosody)
• femininity
• feminize

feminine (plural feminines)

1. That which is feminine.
2. (rare, possibly obsolete) A woman.
   • Richard Hakluyt:

     They guide the feminines toward the palace.

3. (grammar) The feminine gender.
4. (grammar) A word of the feminine gender.
   • Latham:

     There are but few true feminines in English.

feminine

1. strong feminine singular nominative form of feminin.
2. strong feminine singular accusative form of feminin.
3. strong plural nominative form of feminin.
4. strong plural accusative form of feminin.
5. weak masculine singular nominative form of feminin.
6. weak feminine singular nominative form of feminin.
7. weak feminine singular accusative form of feminin.
8. weak neuter singular nominative form of feminin.
9. weak neuter singular accusative form of feminin.
10. mixed feminine singular nominative form of feminin.
11. mixed feminine singular accusative form of feminin.

From fēminīnus (“feminine”) +‎ -ē.

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /feː.miˈniː.neː/, [feː.mɪˈniː.neː]

fēminīnē (comparative fēminīnius, superlative fēminīnissimē)

1. femininely, womanly

Inflected form of fēminīnus (“feminine”).

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /feː.miˈniː.ne/, [feː.mɪˈniː.nɛ]

fēminīne

1. vocative masculine singular of fēminīnus

• feminine in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• feminine in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

feminine

1. definite singular of feminin
2. plural of feminin

feminine

1. definite singular of feminin
2. plural of feminin

• IPA^(key): /femiˈnine/

feminine

1. feminine plural nominative of feminin
2. feminine plural accusative of feminin
3. neuter plural nominative of feminin
4. neuter plural accusative of feminin

feminine

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of feminin.