adj. & n.
adj. 1 of or characteristic of men. 2 manly, vigorous. 3 (of a woman) having qualities considered appropriate to a man. 4 Gram. of or denoting the gender proper to men's names.
n. Gram. the masculine gender; a masculine word. masculinely adv. masculineness n. masculinity n.
[ ME f. OF masculin -ine f. L masculinus (as MALE) ]