Meanings
-
1
noun
Whether a person or animal is male or female, based on their body and reproductive role.
It doesn't matter what sex you are.
-
2
noun
Physical activity between people for pleasure or reproduction.
They had decided that they both wanted to have sex.
-
3
verb
To find out whether an animal is male or female.
The farmer sexed the chicks soon after they hatched.
Thesaurus
Common collocations
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sek-der. Proto-Indo-European *séksusder. Proto-Italic *seksus Latin sexusder. Old French sexeder. Middle English sexe English sex From Middle English sexe (“sex [distinction between male and female] and gender”), from Old French sexe (“genitals; gender”), from Latin sexus (“gender; gender traits; males or females; genitals”), from Proto-Italic *seksus, from Proto-Indo-European *séksus, from *sek- (“to cut, cut off, sever”), thus meaning "section, division" (into male and female). Usage for women influenced by Middle French le sexe (“women”) (attested in 1580…