• Neuter

    Pronunciation

    • RP IPA: /ˈnjuːtÉ™/
    • US IPA: /ˈnuːtÉš/, /ˈnjuːtÉš/
    • Rhymes: -uːtÉ™(r)

    Alternative forms

    • abbreviation, grammar: n., ntr.

    Origin

    Latin, from ne ("not") + uter ("whether"); compare English whether and neither.

    Full definition of neuter

    Adjective

    neuter

    1. (archaic) Neither the one thing nor the other; on neither side; impartial; neutral.
      • unknown date South:In all our undertakings God will be either our friend or our enemy; for Providence never stands neuter.
    2. (grammar) Having a form belonging more especially to words which are not appellations of males or females; expressing or designating that which is of neither sex.a neuter noun; the neuter definite article; a neuter termination; the neuter gender
    3. (grammar) Intransitivea neuter verb
    4. (biology) Having no generative organs, or imperfectly developed ones; sexless.

    Noun

    neuter

    (plural neuters)
    1. (grammar) The neuter gender.
    2. (grammar) A noun of the neuter gender; any one of those words which have the terminations usually found in neuter words.
    3. (biology) An organism, either vegetable or animal, which at its maturity has no generative organs, or but imperfectly developed ones, as a plant without stamens or pistils, as the garden Hydrangea; especially, one of the imperfectly developed females of certain social insects, as of the ant and the common honeybee, which perform the labors of the community, and are called workers.
    4. A person who takes no part in a contest; someone remaining neutral.
      • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, I.2.4.iv:Friends, neuters, enemies, all are as one, to make a fool a madman is their sport ....
    5. (grammar) An intransitive verb or state-of-being verb.
      • 1820, M. Santagnello, A Dictionary of the Peculiarities of the Italian Language, G. and W. B. Whittaker, page 185:Make one do
    , or act (to), fare fare, fare agire, with an accusative when the verb is a neuter, and with a dative when otherwise.
      • 1847, Brian Houghton Hodgson, Essay the First; On the Kocch, Bódo and Dhimál Tribes, in Three Parts, J. Thomas, page 119:Compound verbs other than those already spoken of whereby neuters are made active, are very rare, as I have already hinted under the head of nouns.
      • 1971, Harry Hoijer, “Athapaskan Morphology”, in Jesse O. Sawyer (editor), Studies in American Indian Languages, University of California Press (1973), ISBN 978-0-520-02525-7, page 130:In all the Apachean languages, verbs are divided into two major categories, neuters and actives, each of which may be further divided into intransitives, transitives, and passives.

    Verb

    1. To remove sex organs from an animal to prevent it from having offspring; to castrate or spay, particularly as applied to domestic animals.
    2. To rid of sexuality
      • 2012, June 26, Genevieve Koski, Music: Reviews: Justin Bieber: Believe, The neutering extends to Believe’s guest stars, with warm-and-fuzzy verses from Ludacris (“I love everything about you
        You’re imperfectly perfect”), Big Sean (“I don’t know if this makes sense, but you’re my hallelujah”), Nicki Minaj (who at least squeaks a “bitches” into her verse), and especially Drake, whose desire to hug and kiss the object of his affection on “Right Here” is reminiscent of The Red Hot Chili Peppers on Krusty’s Comeback Special.

    Synonyms

    Anagrams

    © Wiktionary
    • © 2013 - 2023 All Rights Reserved