secondary sex characteristic

secondary sex characteristic
any of a number of manifestations, as development of breasts or beard, muscularity, distribution of fat tissue, and change of pitch in voice, specific to each sex and incipient at puberty but not essential to reproduction. Also called secondary sex character.
[1925-30]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • secondary sex characteristic — n a physical characteristic (as the breasts of a female mammal or the nuptial plumage of a male bird) that appears in members of one sex at puberty or in seasonal breeders at the breeding season and is not directly concerned with reproduction… …   Medical dictionary

  • secondary sex characteristic — n. any of the physical characteristics that differentiate male and female individuals, as distribution of hair or fat on the body, breast and muscle development, deepening of the voice, etc., that are not directly related to reproduction and… …   English World dictionary

  • secondary sex characteristic — noun the genetically determined sex characteristics that are not functionally necessary for reproduction (pitch of the voice and body hair and musculature) • Syn: ↑secondary sexual characteristic, ↑secondary sex character • Hypernyms: ↑sex… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Secondary sex characteristic — Secondary sex characteristics are traits that distinguish the two sexes of a species, but that are not directly part of the reproductive system. They are believed to be the product of sexual selection for traits which give an individual an… …   Wikipedia

  • secondary sex characteristic — noun Date: 1927 a physical characteristic (as the breasts of a female mammal or the breeding plumage of a male bird) that appears in members of one sex at puberty or in seasonal breeders at the breeding season and is not directly concerned with… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • secondary sex characteristic — sec′ondary sex′ characteris tic n. med any of a number of manifestations, as breasts or a beard, specific to each sex and incipient at puberty but not essential to reproduction • Etymology: 1925–30 …   From formal English to slang

  • secondary sex characteristic — any characters that identify or separate the sexes other than ovaries and testes (the primary sex characteristics). These characters may be be colour or some anatomical feature …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • secondary sexual characteristic — noun the genetically determined sex characteristics that are not functionally necessary for reproduction (pitch of the voice and body hair and musculature) • Syn: ↑secondary sex characteristic, ↑secondary sex character • Hypernyms: ↑sex… …   Useful english dictionary

  • secondary sexual characteristic — noun see secondary sex characteristic …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • secondary sex characteristic — noun A feature that distinguishes the two sexes of a species, but is not directly part of the reproductive system …   Wiktionary

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