Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Neuter?

\Neu"ter\, a. [L., fr. ne not + uter whether; akin to E. whether. See {No}, and {Whether}, and cf. {Neither}.] 1. Neither the one thing nor the other; on neither side; impartial; neutral. [Archaic] In all our undertakings God will be either our friend or our enemy; for Providence never stands neuter. --South. 2. (Gram.) (a) 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; as, a neuter noun; a neuter termination; the neuter gender. (b) Intransitive; as, a neuter verb. 3. (Biol.) Having no generative organs, or imperfectly developed ones; sexless. See {Neuter}, n., 3.
\Neu"ter\, n. 1. A person who takes no part in a contest; one who is either indifferent to a cause or forbears to interfere; a neutral. The world's no neuter; it will wound or save. --Young. 2. (Gram.) (a) A noun of the neuter gender; any one of those words which have the terminations usually found in neuter words. (b) An intransitive verb. 3. (Biol.) 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; esp., 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.