Neu"ter (?), a. [L., fr. ne not
+ uter whether; akin to E. whether. See No, and
Whether, and cf. Neither.] 1.
Neither the one thing nor the other; on neither side; impartial;
neutral. [Archaic]
In all our undertakings God will be either our friend
or our enemy; for Providence never stands neuter.
South.
2. (Gram.) (a) Having
a form belonging more especially to words which are not appellations
of males or females; expressing or designating that which is of
neither sex; as, a neuter noun; a neuter termination;
the neuter gender. (b)
Intransitive; as, a neuter verb.
3. (Biol.) Having no generative
organs, or imperfectly developed ones; sexless. See Neuter,
n., 3.
Neu"ter, n. 1. A
person who takes no part in a contest; one who is either indifferent
to a cause or forbears to interfere; a neutral.
The world's no neuter; it will wound or
save.
Young.
2. (Gram.) (a) A noun
of the neuter gender; any one of those words which have the
terminations usually found in neuter words. (b)
An intransitive verb.
3. (Biol.) An organism, either
vegetable or animal, which at its maturity has no generative organs,
or but imperfectly developed ones, as a plant without stamens or
pistils, as the garden Hydrangea; esp., one of the imperfectly
developed females of certain social insects, as of the ant and the
common honeybee, which perform the labors of the community, and are
called workers.
