sex

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

See also sex-, Sex, and Sex.

English

Etymology

1382, from Middle French sexe < Latin sexus (“‘gender’”). Thought to be connected with Latin seco, secare (“‘divide, cut’”) by the concept of division, or 'half' of the race. Akin to section. Meaning "sexual intercourse" first attested 1929 (in writings of D.H. Lawrence).

Pronunciation

enPR: sĕks, IPA: /sɛks/, SAMPA: /sEks/
Audio (US)^{help, file}

Rhymes: -ɛks
Homophones: secs

Noun

Singular
sex

Plural
countable and uncountable; sexes

sex (countable and uncountable; plural sexes)

(countable) Either of two main divisions (either male or female) into which many organisms can be placed, according to reproductive function or organs; gender.

What sex is that hamster?

The abnormality is found in both sexes.
(uncountable) The distinguishing property, quality, or assemblage of properties by which organisms are classified as female or male on the basis of their reproductive organs and functions; the set of properties by which male is distinguished from female.

The effect of the medication is dependent upon age, sex, and other factors.

The researchers divided the subjects by sex.
(uncountable) Sexual intercourse; the act of sexual intercourse.

All you ever think about is sex.

We had sex in the back seat.
(euphemism) Genitalia; a penis or vagina.
(dated, with the definite article) the sex. Women; womankind. Also, the fair sex, the fairer sex, the whimsical sex.
- 1759, Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, chapter 1, Google Books
  
  ...unless it was with his sister-in-law, my father's wife and my mother,—my uncle Toby scarce exchanged three words with the sex in as many years...
- 1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Dying Detective, paragraph 2, Google Books
  
  He disliked and distrusted the sex, but he was always a chivalrous opponent.

Synonyms

(kind of an organism as determined by its reproductive organs): gender, sexuality
(sexual intercourse): coitus, sexual intercourse; see WikiSaurus:sexual intercourse

Derived terms

Terms derived from the noun "sex"

Related terms

Translations

act of sexual intercourse

Armenian: սեքս (seqs), սեռական հարաբերություն (seŕakan haraberut῾yun)
Bosnian: seks bs(bs) m.
Bulgarian: секс bg(bg) (seks) m.
Catalan: sexe m.
Chinese: 性交 (xìng jiāo)
Croatian: seks hr(hr) m.
Czech: soulož cs(cs) f., styk cs(cs) m., pohlavní styk cs(cs) m.
Danish: sex, kønsliv, seksualliv, seksuel omgang, samleje, erotik
Dutch: seks nl(nl) m., geslachtsgemeenschap nl(nl) m., vrijen nl(nl) n.
Finnish: seksi fi(fi)
French: rapports sexuels fr(fr) m. pl.
German: Sex de(de) m., Geschlechtsverkehr de(de) m.
Greek: συνουσία el(el) f., γενετήσια πράξη el(el) (genetḗsia práksi) f., ερωτική επαφή el(el) (erōtikḗ epafḗ) f., σεξ el(el) (sex) n.
Hebrew: יחסי מין ^(he) (yakhaséy mín) (literally: sexual relations) m. pl., מין ^(he) (mín) m., סקס ^(he) (séks) m.
Hungarian: szex hu(hu)
Italian: sesso it(it) m.
Japanese: 性交 ja(ja) (seikō), セックス ja(ja) (sekkusu)
Kurdish: seks, guhnelî, perîn, cotbûn, têkiliyên zayendî, (vulgar) gan

Malayalam: ലൈംഗികബന്ധം (laimgika bandham), സംഭോഗം (sambhogam), മൈഥുനം (maithhunam)
Norwegian: sex no(no) m.
Old English: hǣmed ang(ang), leġertēam ang(ang), wīfġemāna ang(ang)
Persian: همخوابگی (ham-khaabegy)
Polish: seks pl(pl) m.
Portuguese: sexo pt(pt) m., transa pt(pt) f.
Romanian: relaţii sexuale ro(ro) f. pl.
Russian: секс ru(ru) (seks) m.
Serbian:

Cyrillic: секс sr(sr) (seks) m.

Roman: seks sr(sr) m.
Slovak: súlož sk(sk) f.
Spanish: relaciones sexuales es(es) f. pl., sexo es(es) m., (attributive) sexual es(es) m. and f.
Swedish: sex sv(sv) n.
Tagalog: pagtalik, kantot (vulgar)
Telugu: సంభోగము (saMbhOgamu), మైధునము (maidhunamu), రతి (rathi)
Turkish: cinsel ilişki tr(tr), seks tr(tr)
Ukrainian: любощі (ljúbošči) pl.

male or female division into which many organisms can be placed

Arabic: جنس (jins)
Armenian: սեռ (seŕ)
Bosnian: pol bs(bs) m.
Bulgarian: пол (pol) m.
Catalan: sexe m.
Chinese: 性別, 性别 (xìngbié)
Czech: pohlaví cs(cs) n.
Danish: køn
Dutch: geslacht nl(nl) n., sekse nl(nl) f.
Finnish: sukupuoli fi(fi)
French: sexe fr(fr) m.
German: Geschlecht de(de) n.
Greek: φύλο (filo) n., γένος (genos) n., σεξ n.
Hebrew: מין ^(he) (mín) m., מגדר ^(he) (migdár) (literally: gender)
Hungarian: nem hu(hu)
Interlingua: sexo
Irish: gnéas ga(ga)
Italian: sesso it(it) m.
Japanese: 性別 ja(ja) (seibetsu)
Korean: 성 ko(ko) (seong)
Kurdish: zayend ku(ku), cins ku(ku), cinsiyet ku(ku)

Lao: ລິງ lo(lo) (ling), ເພດ lo(lo) (pheet)
Latin: sexus la(la) m.
Malayalam: ലിംഗം (limgam)
Norwegian: kjønn n.
Novial: sexu
Persian: جنسیت (jensi-yat)
Polish: płeć pl(pl) f.
Portuguese: sexo pl(pl) m.
Romanian: sex ro(ro) n.
Russian: пол ru(ru) (pol) m.
Scottish Gaelic: gnè gd(gd) f.
Serbian:

Cyrillic: пол sr(sr) (pol) m.

Roman: pol sr(sr) m.
Slovak: pohlavie sk(sk) n.
Spanish: sexo es(es) m., género es(es) m.
Swedish: kön sv(sv) n.
Tagalog: kasarian
Telugu: లింగము (liMgamu)
Turkish: cinsiyet tr(tr)
Ukrainian: стать (stat’) f.

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Breton: reizh (1,2,3)
Indonesian: seks (2), jenis kelamin (1)

Verb

Infinitive
to sex

Third person singular
sexes

Simple past
sexed

Past participle
sexed

Present participle
sexing

to sex (third-person singular simple present sexes, present participle sexing, simple past and past participle sexed)

(zoology) To determine the sex of; often in reference to newly-hatched chicks.

It is not easy to sex a hyena.
(colloquial) To have sex with.

The passionate lovers sexed each other every night.

OK, so I'm sexin' her, right, and all I can think of is this other girl.

Translations

to determine the sex of

Danish: kønsbestemme
Dutch: geslacht bepalen
German: das Geschlecht bestimmen, sexen

Lithuanian: mylėtis
Spanish: sexar
Swedish: könsbestämma

informal: to have sex with

Danish: bolle, have samleje med
Dutch: vrijen, de liefde bedrijven
Finnish: rakastella fi(fi)
Hebrew: לקיים יחסים ^(he) (lekayém yakhasím) (literally: to have relations), לזיין ^(he) (lezayén) (vulgar)

Japanese: セックスする (sekkusu-suru)
Russian: заниматься сексом с (zanimát’s’a séksom s)
Swedish: knulla, ha samlag med, bola (archaic)

Danish

Etymology

From English sex

Noun

sex c. (singular indefinite sex, singular definite sexen)

(uncountable) sexual intercourse

Derived terms

Icelandic

Etymology

Old Norse

Number

sex (cardinal, indeclinable)

six; the cardinal number after fimm (“‘five’”) and before sjö (“‘seven’”).

Related terms

(ordinal form) sjötti m., sjötta f. and n.

Derived terms

klukkan sex

Latin

Number

sex (cardinal, indeclinable)

six

Derived terms

Icelandic: sex
Italian: sei
French: six
Neapolitan: séje
Spanish: seis

Romanian

Etymology

Latin sexus

Noun

sex n. (plural sexe or sexuri)

gender, sex

Declension

declension of sex

	singular		plural
gender n.	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
Nominative/Accusative	un sex	sexul	nişte sexe	sexele
Genitive/Dative	unui sex	sexului	unor sexe	sexelor
Vocative	—	—	—	—

Derived terms

Noun

sex n. (uncountable)

sex, sexual relations

Slovak

Noun

sex m. (declension pattern dub)

sex (intercourse, sexual activity)

Swedish

Pronunciation

audio^{help, file}

Noun

sex

sex (intercourse, sexual activity)

Number

sex (cardinal)

six

Derived terms

sex

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents

English

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

See also

Translations

Danish

Etymology

Noun

Derived terms

Icelandic

Etymology

Number

Related terms

Derived terms

See also

Latin

Number

Derived terms

Romanian

Etymology

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

Noun

Slovak

Noun

Swedish

Pronunciation

Noun

Number

Derived terms

Views

Personal tools

Search

Navigation

Toolbox

In other languages