θῆλυς
Etym. *θάω "to suckle"
I. of female sex, female, θήλεια θεός a goddess, Il.; θήλειαι ἵπποι mares, Od.; σύες θήλειαι sows, id=Od.; ὄϊς θῆλυς a ewe, Il.; ἄπαις θήλεος γόνου without "female" issue, Hdt.:— ἡ θήλεα, attic -εια, "the female", id=Hdt., Aesch.; χρῆμα θηλειῶν "woman"-kind, Eur.; τὸ θῆλυ γένος or τὸ θῆλυ the "female" sex, "woman" kind, id=Eur.
2. "of or belonging to women", Hdt., Aesch.; θ. φόνος murder "by women", Eur.
3. in Gramm. "feminine."
II. applied to persons and things,
1. "fresh, refreshing", of dew, Hes.
2. "tender, delicate, gentle", θηλύτεραι γυναῖκες, θηλύτεραι θεαί (where the comp. is used much like a Positive), Hom.; θῆλυς ἀπὸ χροιᾶς "delicate" of skin, Theocr.; of character, "soft, yielding, weak", γυνὴ θῆλυς οὖσα Soph.