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I don't get it... its neutering AND spaying

William

Wise Old Thumper
How come some people say neutering when referring to fixing a female animal? That's called spaying, not neutering. Neutering is with males, spaying with females... is it like a UK thing? :?
 
Definition of neuter :-

Grammar. a. noting or pertaining to a gender that refers to things classed as neither masculine nor feminine.
b. (of a verb) intransitive.

2. Biology. having no organs of reproduction; without sex; asexual.
3. Zoology. having imperfectly developed sexual organs, as the worker bees and ants.
4. Botany. having neither stamens nor pistils; asexual.
5. neutral; siding with no one.

We say neuter to cover both male and female. Spaying of female and castration of male. Neutering is the removing of the sexual organs and ability to reproduce. It doesn't just pertain to male animals.
 
Oh. Well here in America everyone always says "Spay and neuter your pets". I've never heard neuter pertaining to both, except here since most people here are UK members.
 
Neutering applies to both but men tend to go wobbly at the knees when you say castration so we usually use the word neutering for the boys. People rarely wobble at the word spaying despite it being a bigger operation.
 
I believe the word neuter means neutral. Which in theory you become when reproductive organs are removed.

ETA. What laura said.. :lol: :lol:.
 
I'm from the US as well, and I thought the same thing!

Now I'm learning linguistics on this site! What can't RU teach me?

What I like is when people say "spray" instead of "spay". :lol:
An innocent, but amusing confusion of terms. If only I just had to spray a girl bunny to make her uterus go away!
 
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