masculine Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a gender that refers chiefly (but not exclusively) to males or to objects classified as male
  2. adjective of grammatical gender
  3. adjective associated with men and not with women
  4. adjective satellite (music or poetry) ending on an accented beat or syllable
    • a masculine cadence
    • the masculine rhyme of `annoy, enjoy'

WordNet

Mas"cu*line adjective
Etymology
L. masculinus, fr. masculus male, manly, dim. of mas a male: cf. F. masculin. See Male masculine.
Definitions
  1. Of the male sex; not female.
    Thy masculine children, that is to say, thy sons. Chaucer.
  2. Having the qualities of a man; suitable to, or characteristic of, a man; virile; not feminine or effeminate; strong; robust.
    That lady, after her husband's death, held the reins with a masculine energy. Hallam.
  3. Belonging to males; appropriated to, or used by, males. R. "A masculine church." Fuller.
  4. (Gram.) Having the inflections of, or construed with, words pertaining especially to male beings, as distinguished from feminine and neuter. See Gender. -- Mas"cu*line*ly, adv. -- Mas"cu*line*ness, n.

Webster 1913