virilescent
Definition
- Adjective (Zoology): "virilescent" describes an organism, especially an animal, that becomes male or develops male characteristics as it ages.
Usage Examples
- (The animal changes sex from female to male when older.)
- (Male features appeared as the fish grew older.)
Advanced Usage
- "virilescent phase": a stage in an organism's life cycle when it acquires male characteristics.
- The turtle entered its virilescent phase at around ten years of age. (It began to develop male traits at that time.)
Variants and Related Words
- Virilescence (noun): the process or condition of becoming male with age.
- Virilescence is common in certain fish and invertebrates. (The transformation to male is a known biological phenomenon.)
Synonyms
- Masculinizing: becoming more male in appearance or function.
- Androgenic: relating to the development of male characteristics.
Related Idioms