Definition of 'male'

Learner: male Video pronunciation English: male American: Malé Specialist English: male Example sentences Word lists

male

(meɪl   )
Word forms: males
1. adjective
Someone who is male is a man or a boy.
From 1995 to 2002, the total number of male prisoners nationwide in state and federal prisons grew 27 percent.  
The company has engaged two male dancers from the Bolshoi.  
2. countable noun
Men and boys are sometimes referred to as males when they are being considered as a type.
...the remains of a Caucasian male, aged 65-70.  
3. adjective [ADJ n]
Male means relating to, belonging to, or affecting men rather than women.
Massive male unemployment has diminished the status of men in the family.  
...the rise of female comics who have appropriated male humor.  
4. countable noun
You can refer to any creature that belongs to the sex that cannot lay eggs or have babies as a male.
Males and females take turns brooding the eggs.  
More Synonyms of male
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Video: pronunciation of
male

You may also like

Malé in American English

(ˈmɑleɪ   )
chief island & capital of the Maldives: pop. 55,000
: also ˈMale (ˈmɑli   )
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

male in American English

(meɪl   )
adjective
1. 
designating or of the sex that fertilizes the ovum of the female and begets offspring
biological symbol, ♂ see also female
2. 
of, characteristic of, or suitable for members of this sex; masculine; virile
3. 
consisting of men or boys
4. 
designating or having a part shaped to fit into a corresponding hollow part ( called female)
said of pipe fittings, electric plugs, etc.
5.  Botany
a. 
having stamens or antheridia and no carpels, archegonia, or oogonia
b. 
designating or of a reproductive structure or part producing spermatozoids that can fertilize the female eggs
noun
6. 
a male person; man or boy
7. 
a male animal or plant
SYNONYMY NOTE: male is the basic term applied to members of the sex that is biologically distinguished from the female sex and is used of animals and plants as well as of human beings; , masculine is applied to qualities, such as strength and vigor, traditionally ascribed to men, or to things appropriate to men; , manly suggests the noble qualities, such as courage and independence, that a culture ideally associates with a man who has maturity of character; , mannish, used chiefly of women, is most often used derogatorily and implies the possession or adoption of the traits and manners thought to be more appropriate to a man; , virile stresses qualities such as robustness, vigor, and, specif., sexual potency, that belong to a physically mature man
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
maleness (ˈmaleness)
noun
Word origin
ME < OFr male, masle < L masculus < mas (gen. maris), a male, man

male in British English

(meɪl   )
adjective
1. 
of, relating to, or designating the sex producing gametes ( spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes ( ova)
2. 
of, relating to, or characteristic of men or male animals
male names
3. 
for or composed of men or boys
a male choir
4. 
(of gametes) capable of fertilizing an egg cell in sexual reproduction
5. 
(of reproductive organs, such as a testis or stamen) capable of producing male gametes
6. 
(of flowers) bearing stamens but lacking a functional pistil
7.  electronics, mechanical engineering
having a projecting part or parts that fit into a female counterpart
a male plug
noun
8. 
a male person, animal, or plant
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
maleness (ˈmaleness)
noun
Word origin
C14: via Old French from Latin masculus masculine

Malé in British English

(ˈmɑːleɪ   )
noun
the capital of the Republic of Maldives, on Malé Island in the centre of the island group. Pop: 90 000 (2005 est)
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

male in Mechanical Engineering

(meɪl)
adjective
(Mechanical engineering: General)
A male component has a projecting part that fits into a part on another component.
The (external) male thread on the pipe makes a connection with the mating female (internal) thread.
The coupling is threaded on the inside so only a male connection can be joined to it.
A male component has a projecting part that fits into a part on another component.
COBUILD Key Words for Mechanical Engineering. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Examples of 'male' in a sentence
male

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
This is despite the fact they perform better in these subjects than their male counterparts.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What was the typical ratio of male to female captives?
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
There is no doubt that our male counterparts also suffer.
The Sun (2017)
These include male couples and female couples with their arms linked to form a heart.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They also show though that we are considerably fatter: the average male is almost a stone heavier.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You lose your legs and you lose part of your identity, especially being a fit young male in a military environment.
The Sun (2016)
He has become England's alpha male.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Most males now have a white neck ring, which shows that they come from introduced Chinese pheasant stock.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Women on boards are just like their male counterparts.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
One sniff a day arouses the libido of the average male.
The Sun (2006)
 Ninety per cent of young male offenders have been excluded from school.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They just will give respect to their opponents when due whether they are male or female.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He suddenly has this glamorous alpha male guy who wants to be his friend.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The injured males have now been nursed back to full health.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The team also found male dogs looked to owners for information less than female dogs.
The Sun (2016)
 Doctors have found a match but are still looking for a younger male.
The Sun (2015)
Here he directed a small but skilful male choir whose resources he came to use with much imagination and skill.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Yet female politicians are routinely assessed in terms of their appearance in a manner that their male counterparts are not.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Now he is a trim, fit male model after shedding six stone.
The Sun (2007)
Not so long ago it was fashionable for extravagant whiskers to adorn all red-blooded males.
The Sun (2013)
Now the average male wears a size 10 shoe and the average woman a size six.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
 Particularly and precisely imagined are a diverse range of choral works, none finer than his extensive output for male voice choirs.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He has had girlfriends and he's certainly a red-blooded male.
The Sun (2009)

Word lists with
male

capital

In other languages

British English: male   /meɪl/ ADJECTIVE
Someone who is male is a man or a boy.
...her male colleagues.
  • American English: male   /ˈmeɪl/
  • Arabic: ذِكْرِيّ  
  • Brazilian Portuguese: macho  
  • Chinese: 男的  
  • Croatian: muški  
  • Czech: mužský  
  • Danish: mandlig  
  • Dutch: mannelijk  
  • European Spanish: macho  
  • Finnish: miespuolinen  
  • French: masculin  
  • German: männlich  
  • Greek: αρσενικός  
  • Italian: maschio  
  • Japanese: 男性の  
  • Korean: 남자  
  • Norwegian: mannlig  
  • Polish: męski  
  • European Portuguese: macho  
  • Romanian: masculin
  • Russian: мужской  
  • Spanish: macho  
  • Swedish: manlig  
  • Thai: ซึ่งเกี่ยวกับเพศชาย
  • Turkish: erkek  
  • Ukrainian: чоловічої статі
  • Vietnamese: thuộc phái nam  
British English: male   /meɪl/ NOUN
Men and boys are sometimes referred to as males when they are being considered as a type.
  • American English: male   /ˈmeɪl/
  • Arabic: ذَكَر  
  • Brazilian Portuguese: homem  
  • Chinese: 男性  
  • Croatian: muško  
  • Czech: muž  
  • Danish: mand / dreng  
  • Dutch: mannelijk persoon  
  • European Spanish: varón  
  • Finnish: uros  
  • French: homme  
  • German: Mann  
  • Greek: άνδρας  
  • Italian: uomo  
  • Japanese: 男性  
  • Korean: 남성  
  • Norwegian: mann  
  • Polish: mężczyzna  
  • European Portuguese: macho  
  • Romanian: bărbați
  • Russian: лицо мужского пола  
  • Spanish: varón  
  • Swedish: man  
  • Thai: ผู้ชาย  
  • Turkish: erkek  
  • Ukrainian: чоловік
  • Vietnamese: đàn ông/con trai  

Translate your text for free

Browse alphabetically
male

Related terms of
male

Source

Definition of male from the Collins English Dictionary
Word of the day
plenilunar
relating to a full moon
Scrabble score
for 'male':
6
Latest Word Submissions
pingdemic Jul 17, 2021
Kármán line Jul 16, 2021
asynchronous Jul 16, 2021
JEDI Jul 16, 2021
View More Submit