I. ˈmaskyələ̇n, ˈmaas-, chiefly Brit ˈmȧs- adjective
Etymology: Middle English masculin, from Middle French, from Latin masculinus, from masculus, adjective & noun, male (diminutive of mas, adjective & noun, male) + -inus -ine
1. : male
accompanied by a masculine member of her family — Joseph Hergesheimer
the woman's masculine partner — C.S.Ford & F.A.Beach
2.
a. : belonging to, conforming to or constituting the class of words or grammatical forms characteristically referring to males
masculine nouns
a masculine suffix
masculine gender
— compare feminine
b.
(1) of a syllable : stressed, strong
(2) of rhyme : occurring in stressed final syllables
3.
a. : suggestive of or being in some way like a man
the brazier … is essentially a masculine thing — Edmund Vale
the worn leather armchair … was as masculine and durable as the benches in a railway waiting room — Walter de la Mare
the mountain stands … ruggedly masculine in outline — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
b. of a sign of the zodiac : having a masculine influence
c.
(1) : belonging or peculiar to or used by males
the poem is almost exclusively a masculine method of expression — C.W.Cunnington
a sea of languishing masculine glances — Elinor Wylie
had this skill as well as the masculine ones of riding and shooting — Jean Stafford
(2) : consisting of, dominated by, or made by males
the invasion was a purely masculine one — Seamus MacCall
have created a masculine country — H.S.Commager
the industry is wholly masculine — R.H.Lowie
(3) : having the qualities distinctive of or appropriate to a male : virile , robust , manly
a big, active, masculine creature — Margaret Deland
she cannot manage masculine men — Edward Sackville-West
a contagious masculine book — Encyc. Americana
(4) : having a mannish appearance, bearing, or quality : unwomanly
gaunt and masculine with … mousey hair plastered back above her ears — Leslie Charteris
(5) obsolete : powerful , strong
Synonyms: see male
II. noun
( -s )
: something that is masculine: as
a. : a male person
b.
(1) : a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the masculine gender
(2) : the masculine gender