|
(), a.[L. femininus, fr. femina woman; prob. akin to L. fetus, or to Gr. qh^sqai to suck, qh^sai to suckle, Skr. dh to suck; cf. AS. fmme woman, maid: cf. F. fminin. See Fetus.] 1. Of or pertaining to a woman, or to women; characteristic of a woman; womanish; womanly. Her letters are remarkably deficient in feminine ease and grace. Macaulay. 2. 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. 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. Feminine rhyme. (Pros.) See Female rhyme, under Female, a. Syn. -- See Female, a. Fem"inine n. 1. A woman. [Obs. or Colloq.] They guide the feminines toward the palace. Hakluyt. 2. (Gram.) 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. There are but few true feminines in English. Latham. スポンサード リンク
|