secondary sex characteristic

noun

, Medicine/Medical.

1. any of a number of manifestations, as development of breasts or beard, muscularity, distribution of fat tissue, and change of pitch in voice, specific to each sex and incipient at puberty but not essential to reproduction.

secondary sex characteristic

1. Any of the physical traits in a sexually mature animal that are specific to one sex but are not directly involved in the act of reproducing. Secondary sex characteristics are thought to have evolved to give an individual an advantage in mating by making the individual more attractive to mates or by allowing the individual to defeat rivals in competition for mates. Some secondary sex characteristics include the facial hair of the human male, the relatively prominent breasts of the human female, the antlers found only in the male of most species of deer, and the colorful plumage of the males of many species of birds. The appearance of secondary sex characteristics is determined by the sex hormones.
2. See more at sexual selection

secondary sex characteristic

1. A characteristic, such as breast development, voice pitch, or facial hair, that distinguishes the sexes from each other but is not directly concerned with reproduction. The appearance of these characteristics is influenced by hormones .

Word History and Origins

Origin of secondary sex characteristic¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Such care can include puberty blockers, which are medications that suppress the body's production of sex hormones, and cross-sex hormones like testosterone or estrogen that alter secondary sex characteristics.

From Salon

Treatment would include hormone therapy, hormone and puberty blockers, hair alteration for the purposes of altering secondary sex characteristics and surgical site preparation, as well as alterations to voice, voice therapy and voice lessons.

From Seattle Times

Each participating member association must, "prior to the nomination to the national team, ensure the correct gender of all the players to be considered ... by actively investigating any perceived deviation in secondary sex characteristics."

From Reuters

In addition to outlawing gender reassignment surgery it would also ban "any medical interventions aimed at shaping a person's primary and secondary sex characteristics," according to a document posted in the Duma's database.

From Reuters

Gender stereotypes concerning the presence or absence of secondary sex characteristics – too tall, too short, too much body hair – have all led parents and doctors to perform gender-affirming care on cisgender children.

From Salon