{
  "id": "sex.biological",
  "term": "sex",
  "sense": "biological",
  "pos": "noun",
  "status": "review",
  "level": 13,
  "arena": "sex.biological",
  "domain": "biological",
  "style": null,
  "definition": "a difference.relation in matter.substance that can join with other matter.substance",
  "folk_gloss": null,
  "emergence": {
    "components": [
      "matter.substance",
      "difference.relation"
    ],
    "interaction": "the different matter.substance join with other matter.substance",
    "novel_properties": [
      "partner compatibility",
      "reproductive role",
      "dimorphic pattern"
    ]
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "text": "A human zygote develops with either XX or XY chromosomes, determining gonadal differentiation.",
      "domain": "biology"
    },
    {
      "text": "The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has hermaphrodite and male sexes determined by X chromosome dosage.",
      "domain": "genetics"
    },
    {
      "text": "Bees in a hive develop as queens or workers based on larval diet, affecting reproductive anatomy.",
      "domain": "entomology"
    }
  ],
  "relations": [
    {
      "id": "difference.relation",
      "note": "is-a",
      "type": "is-a"
    }
  ],
  "used_by": [
    "gay.sexual",
    "male.sex"
  ],
  "forms": [
    "sex",
    "sexes"
  ],
  "closed": true,
  "provenance": {
    "author": "openrouter:openai/gpt-oss-120b",
    "date": "2026-07-29",
    "confidence": 0.6
  },
  "canonical": "https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-sex.biological"
}