Neuter ( adjective , verb )

(As an adjective)

Neuter ( adjective )

1. Having no evident sex or sex organs.
2. Not having qualities typically associated with either sex, especially having no ability to reproduce sexually.

Origin:

From middle english neuter, from old french neutre, from latin nēuter, from nē- ("not") + uter ("either"). the sense of "not having or producing sexual organs" is from the latin sense of "not either", from the perception of sex as being binary.

Examples:

1. The flowers of this plant are neuter, meaning they do not have either male or female reproductive structures.
2. Insects with neuter social structures are more likely to maintain stable populations and increase their overall fitness.
3. The neuter pronoun 'it' is used to refer to inanimate objects and animals.
4. Neuter mice were found to have a lower susceptibility to certain types of cancers.
5. The neuter gender in grammar refers to words that do not have a gender, such as 'table' in French.

(As a verb)

Neuter ( verb )

1. To remove the reproductive organs of an animal.
2. To castrate an animal.

Origin:

From middle english neuten, from old french neutrer, from latin nēutrō, from nēuter ("neuter, neutral"). the sense of "rendering an animal unable to reproduce" is from the latin sense of "to render neutral".

Examples:

1. The cat was neutered so that it would not contribute to the already overpopulated feral cat population.
2. Many animal shelters will neuter animals before they are adopted to prevent unwanted breeding.
3. Due to the large number of stray dogs, the city council decided to initiate a program to neuter all strays.
4. The vet said that neutering the dog would prevent certain behavioral problems and improve its overall health.
5. Some pet owners choose to neuter their pets for personal reasons, such as reducing the risk of certain cancers.