femelle

female (animal)

noun fuh-MEL Rare

Usage Note

Femelle is used specifically for animals, not people — applying it to a woman is offensive. The opposite is mâle. As an adjective it follows the noun: une souris femelle (a female mouse). In biology and botany it can describe female organs or plants. For humans, use une femme or the grammatical feminine form of the noun.

Examples

"La louve est la femelle du loup."

Natural Translation

The she-wolf is the female of the wolf.

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