The word comes from the latin femella, meaning “young woman, girl,” which in turn is based on femina, meaning “woman.” Female and woman are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings As an adjective, female is still used in some contexts, particularly when the sex of the person is relevant, such as female athletes or to distinguish a male nurse from a female one.
bears mating masculine and feminine brown bears sex in spring Stock
We use female and male to refer to the sex of humans and animals
… the kitten was actually a female, not a male
The study participants included 350 males and 250 females This meaning is mostly used in formal or scientific writing when referring to groups of people. Female, feminine, effeminate describe women and girls or whatever is culturally attributed to them Female classifies individuals on the basis of their genetic makeup or their ability to produce offspring in sexual reproduction.
Female animals are those that produce ova, which are fertilized by the spermatozoa of males The main difference between females and males is that females bear the offspring — and that goes for dogs, chickens, catfish, and anything in between.
