\Fem"i*nine\, a. [L. femininus, fr. femina woman; prob.
akin to L. fetus, or to Gr. qh^sqai to suck, qh^sai to
suckle, Skr. dh[=a] to suck; cf. AS. f[=ae]mme woman, maid:
cf. F. f['e]minin. See {Fetus}.]
1. Of or pertaining to a woman, or to women; characteristic
   of a woman; womanish; womanly.
         Her letters are remarkably deficient in feminine
         ease and grace.                       --Macaulay.
2. Having the qualities of a woman; becoming or appropriate
   to the female sex; as, in a good sense, modest, graceful,
   affectionate, confiding; or, in a bad sense, weak,
   nerveless, timid, pleasure-loving, effeminate.
         Her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft and
         feminine.                             --Milton.
         Ninus being esteemed no man of war at all, but
         altogether feminine, and subject to ease and
         delicacy.                             --Sir W.
                                               Raleigh.

\Fem"i*nine\, n.
1. A woman. [Obs. or Colloq.]
         They guide the feminines toward the palace.
                                               --Hakluyt.
2. (Gram.) Any one of those words which are the appellations
   of females, or which have the terminations usually found
   in such words; as, actress, songstress, abbess, executrix.
         There are but few true feminines in English.
                                               --Latham.