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sexual dimorphism

American  

noun

  1. the condition in which the males and females in a species are morphologically different, as with many birds.


sexual dimorphism British  

noun

  1. biology differences in appearance between the males and females of a species

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of sexual dimorphism

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Differences in cancer incidence and progression between men and women have been known for decades, but a detailed understanding of sexual dimorphism in relation to cancer biology is still limited.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

The main groups in which the phenomenon has been recorded include animal species which feature strong sexual dimorphism; most often insects, especially butterflies, crustaceans, spiders, even lizards and rodents.

From Science Daily • Dec. 11, 2023

Many stick insects display extreme sexual dimorphism, with females unrecognizable from their male companions.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2020

The study showed that extinction rates in ostracods with the most pronounced sexual dimorphism of this type were 10 times higher than those with the least pronounced dimorphism.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2018

He also discusses the case of Abraxas grossulariata and its variety lacticolor, and other cases of sex-linked heredity, apparently with the idea that all such cases are similar to those of sexual dimorphism.

From Hormones and Heredity by Cunningham, J. T.

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