• n. 性；性别；性行为；色情
• vt. 引起…的性欲；区别…的性别

来自拉丁语 sexus,性，性别，可能来自 secare,切，劈，分开，词源同 Saxon,saw,segment.

sex

sex: [14] Sex comes via Old French sexe from Latin sexus. This has traditionally been explained as a relative of Latin secāre ‘cut’ (source of English section, sector, etc), as if it denoted etymologically that ‘section’ of the population which is male or female, but that view is no longer generally held. The use of sex for ‘sexual intercourse’ (first recorded in the works of D H Lawrence) and the derivative sexy are both 20th-century developments.

sex (n.)

late 14c., "males or females collectively," from Latin sexus "a sex, state of being either male or female, gender," of uncertain origin. "Commonly taken with seco as division or 'half' of the race" [Tucker], which would connect it to secare "to divide or cut" (see section (n.)). Meaning "quality of being male or female" first recorded 1520s. Meaning "sexual intercourse" first attested 1929 (in writings of D.H. Lawrence); meaning "genitalia" is attested from 1938. Sex appeal attested by 1904.

For the raw sex appeal of the burlesque "shows" there is no defense, either. These "shows" should be under official supervision, at the least, and boys beneath the age of eighteen forbidden, perhaps, to attend their performance, just as we forbid the sale of liquors to minors. [Walter Prichard Eaton, "At the New Theatre and Others: The American Stage, Its Problems and Performances," Boston, 1910]

Sex drive is from 1918; sex object is 1901; sex symbol is 1871 in anthropology; the first person to whom the term was applied seems to have been Marilyn Monroe (1959). Sex therapist is from 1974.

sex (v.)

1884, "to determine the sex of," from sex (n.); to sex (something) up "increase the sex appeal of" is recorded from 1942. Related: Sexed; sexing.

1. The suffix " ist " can be added to'sex " to form the word'sexist ".

后缀ist加在 sex 之后可构成sexist一词.

来自《简明英汉词典》

2. We know some sex offenders dupe the psychologists who assess them.

我们知道有些性犯罪者会愚弄给他们做测评的心理学家。

来自柯林斯例句

3. Sex education is also expected to help check the spread of AIDS.

人们还希望性教育有助于控制艾滋病的蔓延。

来自柯林斯例句

4. They sat me down and had a serious discussion about sex.

他们让我坐下，然后和我严肃地探讨了有关性的话题。

来自柯林斯例句

5. The new technique has been used to identify the sex of foetuses.

这一新技术已经被用来鉴别胎儿的性别。

来自柯林斯例句