male fern

noun

1. a bright-green fern, Dryopteris filix-mas, of Europe and northeastern North America.

male fern

noun

1. a fern, Dryopteris filix-mas, having scaly stalks and pinnate fronds with kidney-shaped spore-producing bodies on the underside: family Polypodiaceae

Word History and Origins

Origin of male fern¹

First recorded in 1555–65

Word History and Origins

Origin of male fern¹

C16: so called because it was formerly believed to be the male of the lady fern