sex

Multiple Entries:
  sex    sex-    sexi-  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
sex/seks/

▶noun

• 1 either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most other living things are divided on the basis of their reproductive functions.

  ■ the fact of belonging to one of these categories.

  ■ the group of all members of either sex.

• 2 sexual activity, specifically sexual intercourse.

  ■ euphemistic a person's genitals.

▶verb

• 1 determine the sex of.

• 2 (sex something up) informal present something in a more interesting or lively way.

• 3 (sex someone up) informal arouse or attempt to arouse someone sexually.

– derivatives
sexer noun.

– origin ME: from OFr. sexe or L. sexus.

usage: On the difference between the words sex (in sense 1 above) and gender, see usage at gender.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
sex-/sɛks/

▶combining form variant spelling of sexi-, shortened before a vowel (as in sexennial) or a consonant (as in sexfoil).

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
sexi- /ˈsɛksi/ (also sex- before a vowel)

▶combining form six; having six: sexivalent.

– origin from L. sex ‘six’.