autosexing
|au-to-sex-ing|
/ˈɔːtəˌsɛksɪŋ/
(autosex)
self-sexing at hatch
Etymology
'autosexing' originates from the combining form 'auto-' (from Greek 'autos', meaning 'self') and the noun 'sex' (from Latin 'sexus'), with the English verbal/participial suffix '-ing'.
'autosexing' developed in modern English by combining 'auto-' + 'sex' + '-ing' (early uses appear in 20th-century poultry literature referring to 'autosexing breeds'), rather than evolving from an older single-word ancestor.
Initially a coinage meaning roughly 'self-sexing', it has come to refer specifically to breeds or breeding methods (especially in poultry) that permit sexing at hatch.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the system or practice of using breeds in which sex can be determined at hatch; an autosexing breed or the trait itself.
The farm adopted autosexing to simplify chick management during the busy season.
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Verb 1
present participle form of 'autosex' (to enable the identification of sex at hatch); used descriptively (e.g., 'autosexing a strain').
They are autosexing the new line to produce chicks that can be sexed at hatch.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
describing a breed or strain (especially of poultry) in which males and females can be distinguished at hatching by plumage, markings, or colour — i.e., self-sexing at hatch.
Autosexing breeds make it easy for smallholders to separate males and females immediately after hatching.
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Last updated: 2025/11/28 16:02