NEUTER


Meaning of NEUTER in English

I. ˈnü-tər, ˈnyü- adjective

Etymology: Middle English neutre, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French neutre, from Latin neuter, literally, neither, from ne- not + uter which of two — more at no , whether

Date: 14th century

1.

a. : of, relating to, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to things classed as neither masculine nor feminine

b. : neither active nor passive : intransitive

2. : taking no side : neutral

3. : lacking or having imperfectly developed or nonfunctional generative organs

the worker bee is neuter

II. noun

Date: 15th century

1.

a. : a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the neuter gender

b. : the neuter gender

2. : one that is neutral

3.

a. : worker 2

b. : a spayed or castrated animal

III. transitive verb

Date: 1903

1. : castrate , alter

2. : to remove the force or effectiveness of

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.