female vs woman :

female or woman

When referring to an adult female of the human species it sounds weird and may even be considered insulting to use the noun “female” instead of “woman.” “The female pointed the gun at the cop” should be “the woman pointed the gun at the cop.”In the case of the related adjectives some people argue that since we say—for instance—“male doctor” we should always say “female doctor” rather than “woman doctor.” It may be inconsistent, but the pattern of referring to females as women performers, professionals, etc. is very traditional, dating back at least to the 14th century. People who do this cannot be accused of committing an error.Technical adjectival uses defining gender like “female genes” are fine (but don’t confuse them with “women’s jeans”).

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Definitions
  female
  • n  an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes (spermatozoa)
  • n  a person who belongs to the sex that can have babies
  • a  being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop
    a female heir
    female holly trees bear the berries
  • s  characteristic of or peculiar to a woman
    female sensitiveness
    female suffrage
  • s  for or pertaining to or composed of women or girls
    the female lead in the play
    a female chorus
  woman
  • n  an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
    the woman kept house while the man hunted
  • n  a female person who plays a significant role (wife or mistress or girlfriend) in the life of a particular man
    he was faithful to his woman
  • n  a human female employed to do housework
    I have a woman who comes in four hours a day while I write
  • n  women as a class
    it's an insult to American womanhood
    woman is the glory of creation
News & Articles
  female
  • Female Crash Victim Dies After Cars Collide Near Brentwood
    A female in a two-car head-on collision near Brentwood Saturday morning has died, a California Highway Patrol officer said.
    June 15, 2013 - CBS San Francisco
  • Female Brea teacher arrested for sex with male student
    A female Brea high school teacher was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of having sex with a male student.
    June 14, 2013 - KABC-TV Los Angeles
  • Female official Sarah Thomas getting closer to the NFL
    Longtime college football official Sarah Thomas is working toward becoming the first female to serve on an NFL officiating crew. Thomas, who has officiated Conference-USA games for the last eight seasons, worked at the Colts’ minicamp this week in the NFL’s officiating development program, and she’ll be back in Indianapolis next month to work the…
    June 14, 2013 - NBC Sports: ProFootballTalk
  woman
  • Woman Attacked By Moose In Kincaid Park
    A woman was attacked by a cow moose in Kincaid Park in Anchorage Monday. Parks and Rec says the incident occurred when the woman and her husband were taking an evening walk on the Mize Loop Trail and inadvertently came between the moose and her calf.
    June 13, 2013 - Alaska Public Radio Network
  • Woman injured riding Citi Bike in lower Manhattan
    A woman riding a Citi Bike suffered minor injuries after a vehicle sideswiped the cyclist in lower Manhattan Wednesday, police sources said.
    June 13, 2013 - New York Daily News
  • Woman missing 11 years sentenced to 364 days in jail
    The Pennsylvania woman who resurfaced last month after being missing for 11 years has been sentenced to nearly a year in a Florida county jail, a court clerk said Wednesday.
    June 12, 2013 - CNN