freemartin

[ free-mahr-tn ]

noun

1. a female calf that is born as a twin with a male and is sterile as a result of exposure to masculinizing hormones produced by the male.

freemartin

/ ˈfriːˌmɑːtɪn /

noun

1. the female of a pair of twin calves of unlike sex that is imperfectly developed and sterile, probably due to the influence of the male hormones of its twin during development in the uterus

Word History and Origins

Origin of freemartin¹

First recorded in 1675–85; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of freemartin¹

C17: of uncertain origin