| neuter | 1. Neither the one thing nor the other; on neither side; impartial; neutral. "In all our undertakings God will be either our friend or our enemy; for Providence never stands neuter." (South) 2. 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. Intransitive; as, a neuter verb. 3. <biology> Having no generative organs, or imperfectly developed ones; sexless. See Neuter. Origin: L, fr. Ne not + uter whether; akin to E. Whether. See No, and Whether, and cf. Neither. 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. A noun of the neuter gender; any one of those words which have the terminations usually found in neuter words. An intransitive verb. 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. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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