雌雄(しゆう)

しゆう
noun
male and female; the sexes; victory or defeat
formalanimal-generalscience
1. male and female (of animals and plants)
The two sexes of an animal or plant, taken together. A written, scientific word; for people, 男女(だんじょ) is used.
雌雄(しゆう)の区別(くべつ)
telling male from female
この魚(さかな)は雌雄(しゆう)で色(いろ)が違(ちが)う。
In this fish, the male and the female differ in color.
イチョウは雌雄(しゆう)異株(いしゅ)で、実(み)がなるのは雌(め)の木(き)だけだ。
The ginkgo has separate male and female trees, and only the female trees bear fruit.
2. victory or defeat
Figuratively, which side wins, chiefly in the idiom 雌雄(しゆう)を決(けっ)する, to fight a decisive battle.
雌雄(しゆう)を決(けっ)する。
To fight it out.
両軍(りょうぐん)はついに雌雄(しゆう)を決(けっ)することになった。
The two armies were at last to fight a decisive battle.
決勝(けっしょう)では長年(ながねん)のライバル同士(どうし)が雌雄(しゆう)を決(けっ)する。
In the final, longtime rivals will settle who is the better team.

雌(し) is female and 雄(ゆう) male; the same kanji read め and お appear in 雌(めす) and 雄(おす).

Common collocations

  • 雌雄(しゆう)を決(けっ)する: to fight a decisive battle; to settle who wins
  • 雌雄(しゆう)同体(どうたい): hermaphroditic (snails, earthworms)
  • 雌雄(しゆう)異株(いしゅ): dioecious, with separate male and female plants
  • 雌雄(しゆう)の区別(くべつ)がつく: one can tell male from female
general
Added 2026.10.16 9:21 · Revised 2026.10.16 9:26
32000/32032_shiyuu