supermale

adjective

su·​per·​male ˌsü-pər-ˈmāl How to pronounce supermale (audio)
1
: extremely male or masculine : supermasculine
a supermale face
… the enduring image of the gyms of the 1960s and '70s is of … supermale bodybuilder patrons.Eric Chaline
2
: having more than one Y chromosome
supermale asparagus plants
a supermale catfish
3
of hermaphroditic fish : relating to or being a large, dominant, colorful male that has morphed from a female
supermale parrotfish
supermale noun
plural supermales
… some [salmon] offspring may get a Y from both mother and father and become so-called supermales. J. Raloff

Examples of supermale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Pyraclostrobin causes tilapia to engage in water jacking, tummy turning, and cartwheeling, and early jacking among supermale Atlantic salmon is attributable more to the dam than to the sire. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 26 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'supermale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of supermale was in 1894

Dictionary Entries Near supermale

Cite this Entry

“Supermale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supermale. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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