I. ˈseks noun
( -es )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin sexus; probably akin to Latin secare to cut — more at saw
1. : one of the two divisions of organic especially human beings respectively designated male or female
a member of the opposite sex
2. : the sum of the morphological, physiological, and behavioral peculiarities of living beings that subserves biparental reproduction with its concomitant genetic segregation and recombination which underlie most evolutionary change, that in its typical dichotomous occurrence is usually genetically controlled and associated with special sex chromosomes, and that is typically manifested as maleness and femaleness with one or the other of these being present in most higher animals though both may occur in the same individual in many plants and some invertebrates and though no such distinctions can be made in many lower forms (as some fungi, protozoans, and possibly bacteria and viruses) either because males and females are replaced by mating types or because the participants in sexual reproduction are indistinguishable — compare heterothallic , homothallic ; fertilization , meiosis , mendel's law ; freemartin , hermaphrodite , intersex
3. : the sphere of interpersonal behavior especially between male and female most directly associated with, leading up to, substituting for, or resutling from genital union
agree that the Christian's attitude toward sex should not be considered apart from love, marriage, family — M.M.Forney
4. : the phenomena of sexual instincts and their manifestations
with his customary combination of philosophy, insight, good will toward the world, and entertaining interest in sex — Allen Drury
studying and assembling what modern scientists have discovered about sex — Time
specifically : sexual intercourse
an old law imposing death for sex outside marriage — William Empson
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
1. : to determine the sex of (an organic being)
it is difficult to sex the animals at a distance — E.A.Hooton
— compare autosexing
2.
a. : to increase the sexual appeal or attraction of — usually used with up
titles must be sexed up to attract 56 million customers — Time
b. : to arouse the sexual instincts or desires of — usually used with up
watching you sexing up that bar kitten — Oakley Hall
III. noun
: genitalia