I. ˈfemənə̇n adjective
Etymology: Middle English feminin, feminine, from Middle French feminin, from Latin femininus, from Latin femina woman, female + -inus -ine; akin to Old English delu nipple, Old High German tila female breast, Old Norse dilkr sucking lamb, Gothic daddjan suckle, Latin felare to suck, suckle, filius son, felix, fetus, & fecundus fruitful, Greek thēlys female, thēlē nipple, Sanskrit dhayati he sucks; basic meaning: to suck, suckle
1. : female 1a
the feminine members of society
the feminine lead in the play
2. : characteristic of or appropriate or peculiar to women
the gentler virtues which are especially feminine
: marked by or having features, attitudes, or qualities associated with women
frilly feminine fashions
specifically : receiving or enduring action : passive
each individual showing a mixture of masculine aggression and feminine tendencies
3. : belonging to, connected with, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to females
the feminine gender
a feminine noun
a feminine form of an adjective
a feminine ending
— compare masculine , neuter
4. of a sign of the zodiac : having a feminine influence
beginning with Taurus alternate signs are feminine
5.
a. : having an unstressed and usually hypermetric final syllable
a line of iambic verse with a feminine ending
b. : having the final chord occurring on a weak beat
music typified by feminine cadences
Synonyms: see female
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English feminin, feminine, from feminin, feminine, adjective
1. : woman
sat serene, the eternal feminine of all the ages — Winston Churchill
an anthology of fiction, articles, and cartoons all dealing with the feminine — Ward Moore
specifically : a markedly feminine woman or girl
charming feminines and sloppy females
2.
a. : a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the feminine gender
b. : the feminine gender