Etymology Latin femininus, from femina woman; probably akin to Latin fetus, or to Greek to suck, to suckle, Sanskrit dhā to suck; compare Anglo Saxon fǣmme woman, maid: compare French féminin. See fetus Adjective Of or pertaining to a woman, or to women; characteristic of a woman; womanish; womanly. Quotations Her letters are remarkably deficient in feminine ease and grace - Macaulay Having the qualities of a woman; becoming or appropriate to the female sex; as, in a good sense, modest, graceful, affectionate, confiding; or, in a bad sense, weak, nerveless, timid, pleasure-loving, effeminate. Quotations Her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft and feminine - Milton Ninus being esteemed no man of war at all, but altogether feminine, and subject to ease and delicacy - Sir W. Raleigh Derived expression Feminine rhyme. (Prosody): See Female rhyme, under Female Noun (Obsolete or Colloquial): A woman Quotations They guide the feminines toward the palace - Hakluyt (Grammar): Any one of those words which are the appellations of females, or which have the terminations usually found in such words; as, actress, songstress, abbess, executrix. Quotations There are but few true feminines in English - Latham Translations Catalan: femení m, femenina f Danish: kvinde c (1); hunkøn n (2); Dutch: vrouwelijk Frisian: froulik Greek: θηλυκό Portuguese: feminino m, feminina f Spanish: femenino m, femenina f
