♂

Text style	Emoji style
♂︎	♂️
Text style is forced with ⟨︎⟩ and emoji style with ⟨️⟩.
♂ U+2642, ♂ MALE SIGN ← ♁ [U+2641] Miscellaneous Symbols ♃ → [U+2643]

Translingual

Etymology

The circle and arrow represent the shield and spear, respectively, of the Ancient Greek god of war Ares (and his Ancient Roman equivalent Mars). In the Medieval era the spear had crossed in front of the shield, and the ancient form lacked the shield altogether.

Symbol

Use of ♂ for Tuesday, nearly underneath the moon hand on the right side of the calendar dial of this 16th-century clock-calendar.

♂︎

1. (biology) male.

   Antonym: ♀

   • 1961 August 17, New Scientist, volume 11, number 248 (in English), Reed Business Information, →ISSN, page 413:

     In his Mantissa Plantarum (1767) and Mantissa Plantarum altera (1771), [Linnaeus] regularly used ♂, ♀ and ☿ for male, female and hermaphrodite flowers respectively.

   • 1990, Charles S. Churcher, “Cranial Appendages of Giraffoidea”, George A. Bubenik, Anthony B. Bubenik, Horns, Pronghorns, and Antlers: Evolution, Morphology, Physiology, and Social Significance, New York: Springer-Verlag, →ISBN, chapter 1.5, page 183:

     Figure 2. Ossicones, secondary ossification, and sinuses of Giraffa: A Lateral aspect of skull showing courses of veins, areas of dense ossification (heavily stippled) and lesser secondary ossification (lightly stippled), and outlines of skull roofs of male (♂) and female (♀) adults. (After Spinage 1968b.)

   • 2015 July 6, Andy Burns, “Re: C4 last leg”, in uk.tech.broadcast‎^[2] (Usenet; in English):

     I was quite surprised that a few of my friends found the male ♂ (mars) and female ♀ (venus) symbols on toilets in pubs/bars confusing ...

2. (botany, of a flower) staminate.
3. (astronomy, astrology) Mars.
4. (alchemy, archaic) iron.

   Synonym: ⇞

5. (botany, obsolete) biennial.

   (the orbital period of Mars is 2 years)

   Synonym: ⚇

6. (rare) Tuesday.

   Refers to the Latin phrase dies Martis, which literally means "Mars's day".

Derived terms

• (alchemy): 🜜, 🜝 – iron ore.

🜡 – copper–iron ore.

• (gender): ⚣ – gay.

⚤ – heterosexual.

• (botany): ♀-♂ – monoecious.

♀:♂ – dioecious.

Gallery

• 
  Late Classical and Medieval forms of the astronomical symbol
• 
  Medieval form of the symbol, with the spear crossing the shield
• 
  A decorative variant in the Netherlands
• 
  As a symbol for iron
• 
  An abstract variant
• 
  Symbol on a blood-red / iron-rust background
• 
  Transit of Mars
• 
  Men's health
• 
  Pregnant male (e.g. seahorse)

Related terms

Gender and sexuality symbols
· · · · · · · · · · ·

Chinese

Etymology

From Japanese memes in the Gachimuchi fandom where the sign is placed between or after words to indicate erotic or homosexual things, usually for humorous effect.

Symbol

♂

1. (biology) male
2. (Internet slang, humorous) Added between two characters of a word or after a word to indicate its relation to homosexuality. It is also added to indicate a word's relation to sex.

   哲あきら♂學がく／哲あきら♂学がく  ―  zhé♂xué  ―  homosexual (without the symbol: philosophy)

   交♂易えき  ―  jiāo♂yì  ―  sexual intercourse (without the symbol: exchange)

Japanese

Etymology

For sense 2, associated with the Yaranaika and Gachimuchi memes at Nico Nico Douga, as it was originally added after sexual moaning.

Symbol

♂

1. (biology) male
2. (Internet slang, humorous) Added between two characters of a word or after a word to indicate its relation to homosexuality. It is also added to indicate a word's relation to sex.

   哲あきら♂学がく (tetsugaku; "philosophy", a humorous and misleading tag in Nico Nico Douga to trick viewers into watching Gachimuchi wrestling videos)

   アーッ！♂ ("aaa!", sexual moaning turned into an Internet meme)

Descendants

• Chinese: ♂ (online slang)

See also

• ♀ (♀) (female)