unmated

Examples

• All

• The researcher noted that many unmated female butterflies were attracted to the new flowers.

• Both sexes, but particularly males, fiercely defend their territories against interlopers—usually unmated males looking to oust the resident patriarch.

  Academic text (2010)

• So they were probably unmated.

  Fiction book (1994)

• Unmated, she was a sexual threat to or a sexual reject by both sexes.

  Fiction book (1998)

• In any case, unmated females that fly near the group appear to have some way of advertising their virgin status, and the waiting males pursue them.

  Academic text (2003)

• First, it revealed that the number of mated and unmated birds fluctuated over the breeding season, depending on the time each bird starts and finishes breeding.

  Academic text (2006)

• In some species, unmated males will often display more vibrant colors to attract a mate.

Synonyms

U

unattached

vsunmated

11 3.9

Not in a romantic or sexual relationship with someone

is used for lacking a breeding partner rather than relationship status

M

mateless

vsunmated

1 7.8

Not having a partner for love or marriage

is about lacking a sexual partner for breeding rather than general romantic absence

P

partnerless

vsunmated

1 4.2

Alone because there is no one to be with

refers specifically to not having a breeding partner instead of companionship

U

unpartnered

vsunmated

4.1

Not in a romantic relationship or living with someone

focuses on absence of a breeding partner rather than domestic relationship

U

unpaired

vsunmated

5.6

The one item left from a pair when its partner is missing

means lacking a breeding partner rather than describing missing object pairs

Antonyms

M

mated

4.1

Having a partner for life or to have young

P

paired

2.5

Two things that match and go together

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology