masculine

The definition of masculine is something male or relating to or suitable for a boy or man.

(adjective)

  1. An example of masculine used as an adjective is a masculine child, a baby boy.
  2. An example of masculine used as an adjective is masculine facial hair, a mustache.

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See masculine in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

  1. male; of men or boys
  2. having qualities regarded as characteristic of men and boys, as strength, vigor, boldness, etc.; manly; virile
  3. suitable to or characteristic of a man
  4. mannish: said of women
  5. Gram. designating, of, or belonging to the gender of words denoting or referring to males, as well as many other words to which no distinction of sex is attributed
  6. Music designating or of a cadence ending on an accented note or chord
  7. Prosody
    1. ending with a stressed syllable, as a line of verse
    2. designating or of rhyme in which the rhyming elements are stressed final syllables (Ex.: hill, fill, enjoy, destroy)

Origin: ME masculyn < OFr masculin < L masculinus < masculus, male < mas, male

noun

  1. the masculine gender
  2. a word or form in this gender

Related Forms:

See masculine in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective
  1. Of or relating to men or boys; male.
  2. Suggestive or characteristic of a man; mannish. See Synonyms at male.
  3. Grammar Relating or belonging to the gender of words or forms that refer chiefly to males or to things grammatically classified as male.
  4. Music Ending on an accented beat: a masculine cadence.
noun
  1. Grammar
    a. The masculine gender.
    b. A word or word form of the masculine gender.
  2. A male person.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English masculin

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin masculīnus

Origin: , from masculus, male

Origin: , diminutive of mās

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Related Forms:

  • masˈcu·line·ly adverb
  • masˈcu·line·ness noun

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masculine

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