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A female paramour; a mistress, concubine, or harlot. -- He*tæ"ric, He*tai"ric (#), a.

Having females very unlike the males in form and structure; -- as certain insects, the males of which are winged, and the females wingless.

The female of the red deer, of which the male is the stag.

of the common hive bee. Each swarm of bees consists of a large number of workers (barren females), with, ordinarily, one queen or fertile female, but in the swarming season several young queens, and a number of males or drones, are produced.

s. The larvæ bore in the wood of trees. So called from the long, stout ovipositors of the females.

The male of the genus horse, in distinction from the female or male; usually, a castrated male.

A female host; a woman who hospitably entertains guests at her house. Shak.

A female servant employed to do housework, esp. to take care of the rooms. Housemaid's knee (Med.), a swelling over the knee, due to an enlargement of the bursa in the front of the kneepan; -- so called because frequently occurring in servant girls who work upon their knees.

The wife of a householder; the mistress of a family; the female head of a household. Shak. He a good husband, a good housewife she. Dryden.

To manage with skill and economy, as a housewife or other female manager; to economize. Conferred those moneys on the nuns, which since they have well housewived. Fuller.

The business of the mistress of a family; female management of domestic concerns.

A female huckster.

ngth of the bill in the two sexes, that of the male being sharp and straight, that of the female much longer and strongly curved.

A female housekeeper; a woman who manages domestic affairs; a thirfty woman. "The bounteous huswife Nature." Shak. The huswife is she that do labor doth fall. Tusser.

The business of a housewife; female domestic economy and skill. Tusser.

A female worshiper of idols.

The fusion of a female germ cell (ovum) with a male germ cell (in animals, a spermatozoön) to form a single new cell endowed with the power of developing into a new individual; fertilization; fecundation.

A female impropriator.

A female improvvisatore. [Written also improvisatrice.]

Applied to breeding from a male and female of the same parentage. See under Breeding.