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she

(shē)

pron.

1. Used to refer to the female person or animal previously mentioned or implied. See Usage Notes at he¹, I¹, they.

2. Used to refer to a person whose gender is unspecified or unknown.

3. Used in place of it to refer to certain inanimate things, such as ships and nations, traditionally perceived as female: "Went out and hopped in my old Ford / Hit the engine but she ain't turnin'" (Bruce Springsteen).

A female animal or person. Sometimes used in combination: Is the cat a she? Is that a she-bear?

[Middle English, probably alteration of Old English sēo, feminine demonstrative pron.; see so- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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