a gender that refers chiefly (but not exclusively) to males or to objects classified as male
"The museum curator decided to classify the ancient vase as masculine because its shape and handle were traditionally associated with male deities."
The masculine gender.
"The form of the noun changes depending on whether it is treated as feminine or masculine in Spanish grammar."
of grammatical gender
"In French, the noun for "boy" is masculine because it requires a masculine article."
associated with men and not with women
"The masculine pronoun he is used to refer to male nouns in languages that distinguish gendered forms."
(music or poetry) ending on an accented beat or syllable
"a masculine cadence"
"the masculine rhyme of `annoy, enjoy'"
Of or pertaining to the male gender; manly.
"The team captain wore a masculine uniform that clearly signaled he was part of the men's squad."
The word masculine comes from the Latin masculinus, meaning "male" or "manly." It entered English via Middle English and Old French, replacing an earlier native term.