Added 8 October 2026
sex
/ˈsɛks/ noun
In Latin: coitus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sex at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A category into which sexually-reproducing organisms are divided on the basis of their reproductive roles in their species; the system of such categories, which can differ by organism or by taxonomic branch.
The effect of the medication is dependent upon age, sex, and other factors.
- Another category, especially of humans and especially based on sexuality or gender roles.
- The members of such a category, taken collectively.
verb
noun
- Alternative form of sect
Origin
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). Displaced native Old English hād (“sex, gender”). Usage for women influenced by Middle French le sexe (“women”) (attested in 1580). Usage for third and additional sexes calqued from French troisième sexe, referring to masculine women in 1817 and homosexuals in 1847.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)