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Webster 1913 Edition

Neuter

Neu′ter

,
Adj.
[L., fr.
ne
not +
uter
whether; akin to E.
whether
. See
No
, and
Whether
, and cf.
Neither
.]
1.
Neither the one thing nor the other; on neither side; impartial; neutral.
[Archaic]
In all our undertakings God will be either our friend or our enemy; for Providence never stands
neuter
.
South.
2.
(Gram.)
(a)
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.
(b)
Intransitive;
as, a
neuter
verb
.
3.
(Biol.)
Having no generative organs, or imperfectly developed ones; sexless. See
Neuter
,
Noun.
, 3.

Neu′ter

,
Noun.
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.
(Gram.)
(a)
A noun of the neuter gender; any one of those words which have the terminations usually found in neuter words.
(b)
An intransitive verb.
3.
(Biol.)
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; esp., 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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Neuter

NEUTER

,
Adj.
[L. not either.]
1.
Not adhering to either party; taking no part with either side, either when persons are contending, or questions are discussed. It may be synonymous with indifferent, or it may not. The United States remained neuter during the French Revolution, but very few of the people were indifferent as to the success of the parties engaged. A man may be neuter from feeling, and he is then indifferent; but he may be neuter in fact, when he is not in feeling or principle. A judge should be perfectly neuter in feeling, that he may decide with impartiality.
2.
In grammar, of neither gender; an epithet given to nouns that are neither masculine nor feminine; primarily to nouns which express neither sex.

NEUTER

,
Noun.
1.
A person that takes no part in a contest between two or more individuals or nations; a person who is either indifferent to the cause, or forbears to interfere.
2.
A animal of neither sex, or incapable of propagation. The working bees are neuters.
Neuter verb, in grammar, a verb which expresses an action or state limited to the subject, and which is not followed by an object; as, I go; I sit; I am; I run; I walk. It is better denominated intransitive.

Definition 2024

Neuter

Neuter

See also: neuter

German

Noun

Neuter n ‎(genitive Neuters, no plural)

  1. (grammar, dated, rare) the neuter gender, neuter

Coordinate terms

  • Maskulin, Masculin
  • Feminin, Föminin

References

  • Jakob Ludwig Thomas: Glossologie oder Philosophie der Sprache. Wien, 1786, p.57 (at books.google).
  • Radlof: Die Sprachen der Germanen in ihren sämmtlichen Mundarten dargestellt und erläutert durch die Gleichniss-Reden vom Säemanne und dem verlorenen Sohne, samt einer kurzen Geschichte des Namens der Teutschen Frankfurt am Main, 1817, p.312 (at books.google).
  • Wilhelm Fricke: Deutsche Grammatik. Erster Theil. Für untere Klassen. Mainz, 1860, pp.3, 7, 74 and 115 (the book at books.google).
  • Neue oberdeutsche allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung im Jahre 1810. Zweyter Jahrgang. Zweyte Jahreshälfte. Julius bis December. Fortsetzung der oberdeutschen allgemeinen Literatur-Zeitung. Drey und zwanzigster Jahrgang. München, p.397 (at books.google)
  • W. Hellenberg, R. Jacobs, P. Rühle (editors): Zeitschrift für das Gymnasialwesen, begründet im Auftrage des Berlinischen Gymnasiallehrer-Vereins. In monatlichen Heften. Siebzehnter Jahrgang. Zweiter Band. Berlin, 1863, p.565 (at google.books)

neuter

neuter

See also: Neuter

English

Alternative forms

  • (abbreviation, grammar): n., ntr.

Adjective

neuter ‎(not comparable)

  1. (archaic) Neither the one thing nor the other; on neither side; impartial; neutral.
    • (Can we date this quote?) South:
      In all our undertakings God will be either our friend or our enemy; for Providence never stands neuter.
  2. (grammar) Having a form which is not masculine nor feminine; or having a form which is not of common gender
    a neuter noun; the neuter definite article; a neuter termination; the neuter gender
  3. (grammar) Intransitive
    a neuter verb
  4. (biology) Sexless: having no or imperfectly developed sex organs.

Synonyms

Translations

Noun

neuter ‎(plural neuters)

  1. (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.
  2. A person who takes no part in a contest; someone remaining neutral.
  3. (grammar) The neuter gender.
  4. (grammar) A noun of the neuter gender; any one of those words which have the terminations usually found in neuter words.
  5. (grammar) An intransitive verb or state-of-being verb.
    • 1820, M. Santagnello, A Dictionary of the Peculiarities of the Italian Language, G. and W. B. Whittaker, page 185:
      Make one do, or act (to), fare fare, fare agire, with an accusative when the verb is a neuter, and with a dative when otherwise.
    • 1847, Brian Houghton Hodgson, Essay the First; On the Kocch, Bódo and Dhimál Tribes, in Three Parts, J. Thomas, page 119:
      Compound verbs other than those already spoken of whereby neuters are made active, are very rare, as I have already hinted under the head of nouns.
    • 1971, Harry Hoijer, “Athapaskan Morphology”, in Jesse O. Sawyer (editor), Studies in American Indian Languages, University of California Press (1973), ISBN 978-0-520-02525-7, page 130:
      In all the Apachean languages, verbs are divided into two major categories, neuters and actives, each of which may be further divided into intransitives, transitives, and passives.

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:neuter.

Translations

Verb

neuter ‎(third-person singular simple present neuters, present participle neutering, simple past and past participle neutered)

  1. To remove sex organs from an animal to prevent it from having offspring; to castrate or spay, particularly as applied to domestic animals.
  2. To rid of sexuality
    • 2012 June 26, Genevieve Koski, “Music: Reviews: Justin Bieber: Believe”, in The Onion AV Club:
      The neutering extends to Believe’s guest stars, with warm-and-fuzzy verses from Ludacris (“I love everything about you / You’re imperfectly perfect”), Big Sean (“I don’t know if this makes sense, but you’re my hallelujah”), Nicki Minaj (who at least squeaks a “bitches” into her verse), and especially Drake, whose desire to hug and kiss the object of his affection on “Right Here” is reminiscent of The Red Hot Chili Peppers on Krusty’s Comeback Special.

Synonyms

Translations

Anagrams

Latin

Etymology

From ne ‎(“not”) + uter ‎(“either”).

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈne.u.ter/, [ˈne.ʊ.tɛr]

Adjective

neuter m ‎(feminine neutra, neuter neutrum); first/second declension

  1. neuter, neither
  2. (grammar) neuter (gender)
  3. (grammar) neuter, intransitive (of a verb)

Inflection

First/second declension, nominative masculine singular in -er, with genitive singular in -īus and dative singular in -ī.

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
nominative neuter neutra neutrum neutrī neutrae neutra
genitive neutrīus neutrōrum neutrārum neutrōrum
dative neutrī neutrīs
accusative neutrum neutram neutrum neutrōs neutrās neutra
ablative neutrō neutrā neutrō neutrīs
vocative neuter neutra neutrum neutrī neutrae neutra

References

Etymology

From German Neutrum or Latin neutrum by removing the Latin ending -um and inserting an e

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