unisexual
unisexual — adjective
- unisexualpositive
- more unisexualcomparative
- most unisexualsuperlative
1. belonging to, or connected with, only one of the two sexes rather than both
belonging to, or connected with, only one of the two sexes rather than both
The survey gathered data from a unisexual group of teenage boys at the local school.
describing a group made up of one sex only
Astrid argued that the old club had stayed firmly unisexual for almost ninety years.
unisexual describing an organisation tied to one sex
Many traditional sports teams were once strictly unisexual, open to male players alone.
The researchers compared mixed schools with unisexual ones across three rural towns.
- single-sex
the everyday equivalent, used of schools, clubs, and groups
- mixed-sex
made up of both sexes
用法筆記
Mostly used in technical, scientific, or formal writing about groups, organs, or organisms; in everyday speech people say 'single-sex' instead.
2. (of an animal or plant) being clearly either male or female, and never both at t
(of an animal or plant) being clearly either male or female, and never both at the same time
Most mammals are unisexual, so each calf is born clearly male or female.
unisexual contrasted with hermaphroditic organisms
Karim explained that earthworms are not unisexual, since each one carries both sexes.
unisexual contrasted with an animal having both sexes
Unlike many snails, the garden frog is a unisexual creature with one fixed sex.
The biology teacher asked whether the new fish in the tank were unisexual or not.
- gonochoric
the precise zoology term for animals with separate sexes
- hermaphroditic
having both male and female sex organs
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes a single living thing whose sex is fixed as male or female, not a group restricted to one sex.
3. (of a flower) carrying only male parts or only female parts, but not both kinds
(of a flower) carrying only male parts or only female parts, but not both kinds together
The oak tree produces unisexual flowers, with the male and female blooms growing apart.
unisexual describing flowers with one set of parts
Camila drew a unisexual flower in her notebook, sketching only its tiny pollen sacs.
Cucumber plants bear unisexual flowers, so bees must carry pollen between the blooms.
The gardener pointed out the unisexual flowers along the trailing pumpkin vine.
- bisexual
(of a flower) having both male and female parts
用法筆記
A botany term for flowers; the opposite, a flower with both male and female parts, is called 'bisexual' or 'perfect' in plant science.
4. designed or made so that it suits men and women equally well
designed or made so that it suits men and women equally well
The shop sold plain grey hoodies in a unisexual cut that fitted everyone comfortably.
unisexual describing clothing made for both sexes
Otis chose a unisexual perfume so that he and his sister could share the bottle.
The salon offered a unisexual haircut that looked good on men and women alike.
Yuna designed a unisexual backpack in simple colours for the whole travel group.
- unisex
the usual modern word for clothes or styles suiting both sexes
用法筆記
In this everyday sense the shorter word 'unisex' is far more common; 'unisexual' here sounds dated or overly formal.