雄(おす)

おす
noun
male (animal)
animal-general
1. male (animal)
The male sex of an animal. Also used for plugs or connectors in technical contexts.
この猫(ねこ)は雄(おす)ですか。
Is this cat male?
雄(おす)のライオンにはたてがみがある。
Male lions have manes.
この鳥(とり)は雄(おす)と雌(めす)で羽(はね)の色(いろ)が違(ちが)う。
The feather colors of this bird differ between males and females.

Usage

雄(おす) is used exclusively for animals, never for humans. For humans, 男(おとこ)／男性(だんせい) is used instead. The pair 雄(おす) and 雌(めす) (female) are the standard terms for discussing animal sex.

Writing

Also written as オス in katakana, especially in casual or scientific contexts.

Common collocations

Related Words

Antonym: 雌(めす) (female (animal))
general
Added 2026.2.10 0:58 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
10500/10732_osu