male

male · adjective, noun¹

1. Latinmās
2. Latinmasculus
3. Vulgar Latinmasclus
4. Old Frenchmasle
5. Middle Englishmale
6. English todaymale

From Middle English male, borrowed from Old French malle, masle (Modern French mâle), from Latin masculus (“masculine, a male”), diminutive of mās (“male, masculine”). Doublet of macho. Displaced native Old English wǣpned (“male”, literally “weaponed”).

Male · proper noun²

1. Old Norse · derived frommǫl“layer of pebbles”
2. Proto-Slavic · derived from*malъ
3. Old Norse · derived frommelr“sandhill”
4. Middle English · derived frommele“meal, flour”
5. Middle English · inherited frommale“bag, pouch”
6. Middle Welsh · derived frommael“prince”
7. English todayMale

* As a Welsh surname, from the personal name Mael, from Middle Welsh mael (“prince”). * As an English surname of Norman origin, contaminated from many Old French sources, such as mail (“hammer”), maille (“chainmail”), maille (“denier”), or esmal (“enamel”). Compare Mailer. * Also as an English surname, from Middle English male (“bag, pouch”). * Also as an English surname of Norman origin, from the source of male (“male, male adult”). * Also as an English surname, from Middle English mele (“meal, flour”) (compare Millman) or from Old Norse melr (“sandhill”). Compare Meil. * As a Slovene surname, from the adjective mal (“small, little”), from Proto-Slavic *malъ. Compare Mal, Mahle. * As a Norwegian surname, from a farm in Romsdal derived from Old Norse mǫl (“layer of pebbles”). Also Americanized from Mæle, Mæhle, itself related to the Norse word melr. Compare Mele.

MALE · adjective³

Abbreviation

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 14th c. Belonging to the sex which typically produces sperm, or to the gender which is typically associated with it.
• from 16th c. Of instruments, tools, or connectors: designed to fit into or penetrate a female counterpart, as in a connector, pipe fitting or laboratory glassware.