A female eagle; the counterpart to a male eagle, though rarely used compared to simply saying 'female eagle.'
From 'eagle' + '-ess' suffix, which historically created feminine forms (like actress, countess, lioness). English has largely abandoned this suffix for most modern terms.
The '-ess' suffix used to be how English marked female animals and people (waitress, duchess, actress), but modern English prefers 'female eagle' or 'woman lawyer'—a sign of how language reflects changing attitudes about gender.
Marked female form of 'eagle'—historical language practice of suffixing -ess to denote females (actress, lioness, duchess) reflects assumption that the base masculine form is default.
Use 'eagle' neutrally for all birds. If biological sex is relevant, specify: 'female eagle' or 'male eagle'.
["female eagle","male eagle"]
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