sex characteristic
Definition
Noun A physical or psychological feature that is strongly associated with one biological sex (male or female) compared to the other. These are traits that typically differ between males and females of a species.
Usage
The term "sex characteristic" is used in biological, psychological, and anthropological contexts to discuss innate traits linked to sex. It is a formal, scientific term.
Examples: * The development of facial hair is a common sex characteristic in human males. * Researchers studied the psychological sex characteristics related to spatial reasoning. * Many bird species have plumage color as a primary sex characteristic.
Advanced Usage
- Primary vs. Secondary Sex Characteristics: This is a key distinction in biology.
- Primary sex characteristics are the reproductive organs themselves (e.g., ovaries, testes).
- Secondary sex characteristics are other physical traits that emerge during puberty but are not directly part of the reproductive system (e.g., breast development, voice deepening, body hair patterns).
- Example: While ovaries are a primary sex characteristic, wider hips are considered a secondary sex characteristic.
Variants and Related Words
- Sexual characteristic: A direct synonym, often used interchangeably.
- Sexual dimorphism: (Noun) The condition where the two sexes of the same species exhibit different characteristics beyond the differences in their sexual organs.
Synonyms
- Sexual characteristic
- Sex-linked trait
- Dimorphic trait (when referring to a characteristic that differs between the sexes)
Related Phrases
- To exhibit a sex characteristic: To display or have a trait associated with a particular sex.
- Example: The species exhibits strong sex characteristics, making males and females easy to distinguish.
Noun
-
those characteristics (both anatomical and psychological) that are strongly associated with one sex relative to the other
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