sex characteristic
1
5.8
- noun
- /sɛks ˌkɛrɪkˈtɛrɪstɪk/
- Specialized
:
característica sexual
- Women usually develop various secondary sex characteristics, including breast tissue and wider hips, during adolescence.
- secondary sex characteristics
- male secondary sex characteristics
Examples
-
Horns are the essential weapons with which bovid males compete for dominance; horns are also the most basic male secondary sex characteristics.
Academic text (2006) -
But in species where natural selection favors the continued association of adults of both sexes within herds, the females mimic horns and other male secondary sex characteristics all the way to maturity.
Academic text (2006) -
Age and sex characteristics are shown in Table 1.
Academic text (1993) -
Secondary sex characteristics such as body hair, breasts, and vocal changes occur.
Academic text (2002) -
The hormones promote the development of female secondary sex characteristics.
Blog text (20) -
Physical changes resulting from the growth spurt and hormonal changes are expressed in the emergence of secondary sex characteristics and a focus on bodily functions and image.
Academic text (2002) -
According to Darwin's theory of sexual selection, reproductive competition between males, in systems that enable the fittest males to monopolize matings, should lead to the development of conspicuous male secondary sex characteristics.
Academic text (2006) -
WT zebrafish males exhibited normal secondary sex characteristics, including a slender body, darker yellow pigmentation, and the presence of breeding tubercles (Dranow et al. 2013).
Academic text (2017) -
During puberty, young boys typically develop secondary sex characteristics such as increased muscle mass and deeper voices.
-
The presence of secondary sex characteristics can help in identifying the sex of certain animal species.
Synonyms
1
6.1
A physical trait or a common behavior linked mainly to one sex
A physical or mental trait typical of one sex
How Masculine
- Specialized
1
5.8
- UK
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'sex' (male/female) + 'characteristic' (a distinguishing trait) yields 'a trait associated with biological sex.' This noun-noun combination follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Sex characteristic comes from the word sex (meaning 'male' or 'female') and characteristic (a trait or feature). It names a physical or personal trait that helps show or is closely linked to being 'male' or 'female'.