chick sexer

9.9

A person who looks at baby chicks to tell if they are male or female

noun
/tʃɪk ˈsɛksər/

Specialized

: sexador de pollitos

The chick sexer carefully examined each hatchling to determine whether it was male or female.

Examples

Many hatcheries employ a chick sexer to sort large numbers of chicks efficiently.
Becoming a skilled chick sexer requires intensive training and a sharp eye for detail.
The chick sexer worked diligently at the hatchery.
Many chick sexers are trained to identify the gender quickly.
Many hatcheries employ a chick sexer to sort large numbers of chicks efficiently.
Becoming a skilled chick sexer requires intensive training and a sharp eye for detail.
The chick sexer carefully examined each hatchling to determine whether it was male or female.

Synonyms

chicken sexer

vschick sexer

Specialized

9.3

A person who tells if chicks are male or female

is used more for those working specifically at commercial hatcheries

Surface Forms

chick sexer singular

chick sexers plural

Morphology

chick + sexer

The compound combines 'chick' with an agentive form 'sexer' (one who 'sexes'), so if a learner recognizes the -er agentive pattern and the verb sense 'to sex' (determine the biological sex of animals) they can infer 'person who determines the sex of chicks'. However, the verb sense 'to sex' and the noun 'sexer' are specialised and fairly rare, so a typical B1 learner who only knows the basic words may not reliably derive the meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

The name chick sexer comes from a simple image: a person looking at baby chickens, the chick, to decide their sex, which is why the person is called the sexer. They check each bird quickly and sort them into 'male' and 'female', so today the term means 'a trained person who tells the sex of chicks'.