women
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wom·en
(wĭm′ĭn)n.
Plural of woman.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
women
(ˈwɪmɪn)n
the plural of woman
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
wom•an
(ˈwʊm ən)n., pl. wom•en (ˈwɪm ɪn)
adj. n.
1. an adult female person, as distinguished from a girl or a man.
2. a wife.
3. a female lover or sweetheart.
4. a female servant or attendant.
5. women collectively; womankind.
6. the nature, characteristics, or feelings often attributed to women; womanliness.
adj. 7. female: a woman plumber.
[before 900; Middle English womman, wimman, Old English wīfman=wīf female + man human being; see wife, man]
wom′an•less, adj.
syn: woman, female, lady are nouns referring to adult human beings who are biologically female, that is, capable of bearing offspring. woman is the general, neutral term: a wealthy woman. In scientific, statistical, and other objective use female is the neutral contrastive term to male: 104 females to every 100 males. female is sometimes used disparagingly: a gossipy female. lady in the sense “polite, refined woman” is a term of approval: We know you will always behave like a lady.
usage: Although formerly woman was sometimes regarded as demeaning and lady was the term of courtesy, woman is the designation preferred by most modern female adults: League of Women Voters; American Association of University Women. woman is the standard parallel to man. When modifying a plural noun, woman, like man, becomes plural: women athletes; women students. The use of lady as a term of courtesy has diminished somewhat in recent years, although it still survives in a few set phrases (ladies' room; Ladies' Day). lady is also used, but decreasingly, as a term of reference for women engaged in occupations considered by some to be menial or routine: cleaning lady; saleslady. See also girl, lady.
-woman
a combining form of woman: chairwoman; forewoman; spokeswoman.
usage: Compounds ending in -woman commonly correspond to the masculine compounds in -man: councilman, councilwoman; congressman, congresswoman. The current practice, esp. in edited written English, is to avoid the -man form in reference to a woman or the plural -men when members of both sexes are involved. Often, a sex-neutral term is used; for example, council member rather than either councilman or councilwoman; representatives or legislators rather than congressmen. See also -man, -person.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Women
1. the state of being a pedantic or literal-minded woman.
2. behavior characteristic of such a woman. — bluestocking, n., adj.
2. behavior characteristic of such a woman. — bluestocking, n., adj.
Law. the status of a married woman.
that branch of medicine that deals with menstruation and its related disorders.
1. the murder of a woman.
2. the murderer of a woman. Also called gynecide, gynaecide. — femicidal, adj.
2. the murderer of a woman. Also called gynecide, gynaecide. — femicidal, adj.
gynecocracy.
a form of government by a woman or women. Also called gynecocracy. — gynarchic, adj.
rule by women. Also called gunocracy, gyneocracy, gynaeocracy.
the worship of women. Also gyneolatry. — gynecolater, n.
the branch of medical science that studies the diseases of women, especially of the reproductive organs. — gynecologist, n. — gynecologic, gynecological, adj.
any illness that afflicts only women. — gynecopathic, gynaecopathic, adj.
an abnormal fear or hatred of women. — gynephobe, n.
the medical field dealing with women’s dieases.
ill-bred, boisterous, or tomboyish behavior in a woman. — hoyden, n. — hoydenish, adj.
behavior characteristic of a maenad or bacchante; raging or wild behavior in a woman.
1. a matriarchal form of government.
2. a family, tribe, or other social group ruled by a matriarch or matriarchs. — matriarchic, adj.
2. a family, tribe, or other social group ruled by a matriarch or matriarchs. — matriarchic, adj.
1. a community in which the mother or oldest female is the supreme authority, and descent is traced through the female line.
2. government by females, with one as supreme. — matriarchist, n. — matriarchic, matriarchical, adj.
2. government by females, with one as supreme. — matriarchist, n. — matriarchic, matriarchical, adj.
a hatred of women — misogynist, n.
the condition of being marriageable, especially in reference to a woman’s age or physical development. — nubile, adj.
the worship of virgins.
Physiology. the study of virginity.
a love of or liking for women. — philogynist, n. — philogynous, adj.
modesty, especially chastity or chastefulness.
the practice of discriminating against women in job opportunities, salary levels and increases, and in other matters now generally considered to be equally the right of women. — sexist, n., adj.
a fellowship or association of women, as for a benevolent or charitable purpose or at a college.
militant advocacy of suffrage for women. See also politics.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.