monandrous
- adjective
- /ˌmɒnˈændrəs/
- Specialized
- Scientists noted that the queen ant appeared to be monandrous, mating with only one male in her lifetime.
Examples
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In some butterfly species, the females are strictly monandrous throughout their lives.
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The monandrous species tends to form strong pair bonds.
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A monandrous marriage system is common in many human societies.
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A female bird is monandrous.
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In some butterfly species, the females are strictly monandrous throughout their lives.
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Scientists noted that the queen ant appeared to be monandrous, mating with only one male in her lifetime.
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A monandrous marriage system is common in many human societies.
Synonyms
Having only one partner for marriage or sex at a time
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
monandrous = monandry (semi-transparent) = mon + andr + ous
Formed from the technical noun 'monandry' plus the adjective-forming suffix '-ous'; components ('mon-' = one, 'andr-' = male) are Greek combining forms that are meaningful but relatively specialized.
Etymology
Monandrous comes from two parts: mon- meaning 'one' and andros meaning 'man', like the 'mono-' in monologue and the 'andro-' in android. So a monandrous female or species has only one male mate or husband at a time.