neuter
pronunciation
How to pronounce neuter in British English:
UK [ˈnju:tə(r)]
How to pronounce neuter in American English:
US [ˈnutə(r)]
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- Noun:
- a gender that refers chiefly (but not exclusively) to inanimate objects (neither masculine nor feminine)
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- Verb:
- remove the ovaries of
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- Adjective:
- of grammatical gender
- having no or imperfectly developed or nonfunctional sex organs
Word Origin
- neuter
- neuter: [14] From a formal point of view, Latin neuter is virtually identical to English neither. Both originated as compounds formed from a negative particle and an element meaning ‘which of two’. In the case of neuter these were ne and uter, which in combination denoted etymologically ‘neither one thing nor the other’. The specialized application to grammatical gender soon emerged, and it was in this sense that neuter was first adopted into English. The derivative neutral [16] goes back to Latin neutrālis.
- neuter (v.)
- 1903, from neuter (adj.). Originally in reference to pet cats. Related: Neutered; neutering.
- neuter (adj.)
- late 14c., of grammatical gender, "neither masculine nor feminine," from Latin neuter "of the neuter gender," literally "neither one nor the other," from ne- "not, no" (see un-) + uter "either (of two)" (see whether). Probably a loan-translation of Greek oudeteros "neither, neuter." In 16c., it had the sense of "taking neither side, neutral."
Example
- 1. The diminutive suffixes - chen , - lein in german make any noun neuter .
- 2. But that doesn 't mean google will neuter itself to please the government .
- 3. Despite all the " dialogues " still going on with western countries , china has managed to neuter human rights diplomacy .
- 4. I couldn 't even pay my neuter tithe to the temple of the towering gods .
- 5. Ethical breeders will often include a spay or neuter clause because they do not want their dogs bred irresponsibly .