femme

or fem

[ fem ]

/ fɛm /

Slang.

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See synonyms for femme on Thesaurus.com

noun

a lesbian who embraces identity markers that are associated with traditional expressions of femininity, as clothing, hairstyle, interests, or behaviors.
a gay man who embraces identity markers that are associated with traditional expressions of femininity.
any person who adopts a feminine appearance, manner, or persona.

adjective

noting or relating to a feminine style or gender expression.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Compare butch.

Origin of femme

First recorded in 1930–35; from French: literally “woman”; see origin at feme

Words nearby femme

femininity, feminism, feminist, feminize, Fem Lib, femme, femme de chambre, femme fatale, femmy, femoral, femoral artery

How to use femme in a sentence

They are “cougars” Advertisement or ageing femme fatales, like Blanche Du Bois in Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire, who set a tone for generations as a figure of fun whose desires are twisted, ridiculed, and ultimately punished.
How To Please A Woman shifts the way we depict the sexuality of older women|LGBTQ-Editor|May 25, 2022|No Straight News
In today’s Daily Dose, we present you with the fierce new femmes of finance, the hottest money influencers on social media and the game-changing investment whizzes emerging from Malaysia to South Africa.
Meet the Millennials With Money|Kate Bartlett|August 25, 2021|Ozy
The updated version differed from the Playboy Playmates and housewives of the ’50s in that its ideal femme also, figuratively if not literally, kicked ass.
From Britney to Buffy, We're Suddenly Rethinking Postfeminist Pop Culture—and Nothing Could Be Healthier|Judy Berman|March 2, 2021|Time
Le Femme Finishing School helps transwomen find their inner beauty, no matter their age.
Inside A Finishing School for Transwomen|Sharon Adarlo|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Yet for all her cred as a femme serieux, Kennedy keeps in close touch with the naughty girl of her past.
Lisa Kennedy Montgomery on Her Path From MTV to Fox Business|Lloyd Grove|December 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The “Fallen Princesses” series is on display at Le Musée de la Femme in Québec.
‘Fallen Princesses’: The Amazing Photos of Depressed Disney Royalty|Marlow Stern|August 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There is a heist motif running through the film and an amnesia motif and a noirish femme fatale motif too.
Danny Boyle, Director of 'Trance,' On His Favorite Psychological Thrillers|Danny Boyle|April 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Marie Windsor, who is one of the great femme fatales, is in it.
Robert Osborne’s Secret Favorite Movies|Robert Osborne|April 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
En effet un soir, sa femme et enfans l'abandonnerent entierement, et s'en allerent cabaner ailleurs, pensant que c'en estoit vuid.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
She questioned Madame Vauchelet as to the probable cost of a femme de ménage.
The Daughters of Danaus|Mona Caird
Je vis M. le Baron d'Holbach environn d'une vieille femme et de deux villageois, l'un vieux comme elle et l'autre jeune.
Baron d'Holbach|Max Pearson Cushing
Cherchez la femme, said Maitland with evident gratification, counting spoonfuls of tea into the teapot.
The Romance of His Life|Mary Cholmondeley
O'Meara, child as she still was, watched what was going on from the corner of her eye and thought: "Comme il aime cette femme!"
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician|Frederick Niecks

British Dictionary definitions for femme

femme

/ (French fam, English fɛm) /

noun

a woman or wife

(fɛm) a lesbian who adopts a feminine role in a relationship

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

femme

or fem

Origin of femme

Words nearby femme

Words related to femme

How to use femme in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for femme