From Middle English male, borrowed from Old French malle, masle (Modern French mâle), from Latin masculus, diminutive of mās.

• (British, America) enPR: māl, IPA: /meɪl/

male (not comparable)

1. Belonging to the sex which typically produces sperm, or to the gender which is typically associated with it. [from 14th c.]

   male writers

   the leading male and female singers

   a male bird feeding a seed to a female

   in bee colonies, all drones are male

   intersex male patients

2. Characteristic of this sex/gender. (Compare masculine, manly.)

   stereotypically male interests, an insect with typically male coloration

3. Tending to lead to or regulate the development of sexual characteristics typical of this sex.

   the male chromosome;   like testes, ovaries also produce testosterone and some other male hormones

4. (grammar, less common than 'masculine') Masculine; of the masculine grammatical gender.
   • 2012, Sinéad Leleu, Michaela Greck-Ismair, German Pen Pals Made Easy KS3:

     If you are describing a female noun, you must make the adjective feminine by adding an 'e'. If you describe a male noun, you add an 'er'. For neutral nouns you add an 'es'.

5. (of bacteria) Having the Fertility factor (bacteria); able to impart DNA into another bacterium which does not have the F factor (a female).
6. (figuratively) Of instruments, tools, or connectors: designed to fit into or penetrate a female counterpart, as in a connector, pipe fitting or laboratory glassware. [from 16th c.]
   • 1982, Popular Science, page 119:

     Male adapter connects female pipe threads to polyethylene cold-water pipe; [...] female flare coupling connects male pipe threads to flared copper or plastic;

• manly, mannish, masculine
• plug, pin

• French: mâle (animal), masculin (human)
• German: männlich
• Italian: maschile, maschio
• Portuguese: macho, masculino, másculo
• Russian: мужско́й
• Spanish: masculino, macho

• French: mâle
• Italian: maschio
• Portuguese: masculino, macho
• Russian: па́па
• Spanish: macho

male (plural males)

1. One of the male (masculine) sex or gender.
   1. A human member of the masculine sex or gender.
   2. An animal of the sex that has testes.
   3. A plant of the masculine sex.
2. A bacterium which has the Fertility factor (bacteria).
3. A male connector, pipe fitting, etc.

• female

• French: homme
• German: Mann
• Italian: maschio
• Portuguese: homem, macho
• Russian: мужчи́на
• Spanish: varón, macho, hombre

• French: mâle
• German: Männchen, Er
• Italian: maschio
• Portuguese: macho
• Russian: саме́ц
• Spanish: macho

• Portuguese: planta-pai

• As a Welsh - surname, from the personal name Mael, from wlm mael.
• As an English surname of nrf - origin, contaminated from many Old French - sources, such as mail, maille, maille, or esmal.
• Also as an English surname, from Middle English male.
• Also as an English surname of Norman origin, from the source of male.
• Also as an English surname, from Middle English mele (compare Millman) or from Old Norse melr.
• As a Slovenian - surname, from the adjective mal, from sla-pro *malъ.
• As a Norwegian - surname, from a farm in Romsdal derived from Old Norse mǫl.

  Compare Mele.

1. Surname.