Lewis & Short

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fēmĭna, ae, f. [from fe-, fev-, = Gr. φύ-ω, to produce; whence: fetus, fecundus, faenus, felix; cf. Sanscr. bhuas, bhavas, to become; Lat. fi-o, fu-turus], a female.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Of human beings, a female, woman (cf.: uxor, mulier, matrona; conjux, marita): ut a prima congressione maris et feminae … ordiar, Cic. Rep. 1, 24: et mares deos et feminas esse dicitis, id. N. D. 1, 34, 95: ambiguus fuerit modo vir, modo femina Sithon, Ov. M. 4, 280; cf. Lucr. 4, 819: in claris viris et feminis, Cic. Tusc. 1, 12, 27: pulchritudine eximiā femina, id. Div. 1, 25, 52: feminae notitiam habere, Caes. B. G. 6, 21 fin.: naturam feminarum omnem castitatem pati, Cic. Leg. 2, 12, 29; cf. id. Rep. 3, 10 fin.: bona, id. Phil. 3, 6, 16; cf.: praestantissima omnium feminarum, id. Fam. 5, 8, 2: sanctissima atque optima, id. Phil. 3, 6, 16: probatissima, id. Caecin. 4, 10: primaria, id. Fam. 5, 11, 2: decreta super jugandis feminis, Hor. C. S. 19: varium et mutabile semper femina, Verg. A. 4, 570: tunc femina simplex, the female character undisguised, Juv. 6, 327.
      Adj.: inter quas Danai femina turba senis, Prop. 2, 31 (3, 29), 4.
      Applied as a term of reproach to effeminate men, Ov. M. 12, 470; Sil. 2, 361; Suet. Caes. 22; Just. 1, 3; Curt. 3, 10 fin. al.
    2. B. Of beasts, a female, she: (bestiarum) aliae mares, aliae feminae sunt, Cic. N. D. 2, 51, 128: lupus femina feta repente, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 2, 355, and ap. Non. 378, 18 (Ann. v. 70 and 73 ed. Vahl.); cf.: habendas triduum ferias et porco femina piaculum pati (shortly before, porca), Cic. Leg. 2, 22, 57: sus, Col. 7, 9, 3: anas, Plin. 29, 5, 33, § 104: anguis, Cic. Div. 1, 18, 36; 2, 29, 62: piscis, Ov. A. A. 2, 482; Plin. 9, 50, 74, § 157; Ov. M. 2, 701.
  2. II. Transf., in the lang. of nat. hist., of plants and minerals: mas in palmite floret, femina citra florem germinat tantum spicae modo, Plin. 13, 4, 7, § 31; ib. § 34; so of other plants, id. 16, 33, 60, § 139; 16, 34, 62, § 145: 21, 10, 32, § 58 et saep.: in omni genere (carbunculorum) masculi appellantur acriores, et feminae languidius refulgentes, Plin. 37, 7, 25, § 92; of the loadstone, id. 36, 16, 25, § 128.
    In mechanics, cardo femina, different from cardo masculus (v. cardo, 2), Vitr. 9, 9 med.
  3. III. In gram., the feminine gender, Quint. 1, 6, 12; 1, 4, 24.