A cuckold is,appparently, "one of the few masculine specific words in the English language without a feminine counterpart".
Are there any others?
(Perhaps it is interesting to be reminded of those feminine specific words in the English language without the masculine counterpart as well).
Hmmm interesting. The closest I could think of would be the word 'slut'.
My dictionary refers to a slut as a slovenly woman although dictionary.com gives that and the alternate (possible more current?) definition of an immoral or dissolute woman. I didn't want to go into too many listings on google for slut without my work internet usage being banned so just chose the first listing but I imagine it's a similar set of listings on other pages.
I am struggling to think of a male equivalent and I am not sure there is one - in popular usage anyway - which conveys the same degree of judgement or near venom. I would suggest that even if there was a masculine equivalent to the current usage of slut that it probably isn't particularly common. At least not by those who would use a word like slut.
There are synonyms which include words such as prostitute, harlot, whore, floozy, tramp and slattern. These probably do have masculine equivalents. I suppose you could argue that the synonyms have masculine equivalents and therefore, slut does. But I would struggle to think of a masculine equivalent to the intent behind the word. Current usage of course.
However, I stand to be corrected!
Edited by: sneaker_fish
There are thousands of feminine specific words: actress, stewardess, aviatrix, etc. At one time the masculine equivalents were masculine specific but no more: actor, steward, aviator, etc.
Then there are the livestock words: stallion, mare, bull, cow (not f. specific), cock, rooster, hen, duck not f. specific), drake, dog (not m. specific), bitch etc. And the game words: buck, doe, hart, hind, fox (not m. specific), vixen, etc.
Aside from those categories, I can only think of a couple of masculine specific words: pederast and catamite.
Bachelor, spinster, and of course various family relationships: father, uncle, brother, son, etc.
Sort of weird to single out cuckold as something special.
I must have misinterpreted the OP. I thought the OP was asking which words did not have an equivalent masculine or feminine term?
Slut for women brings to mind the hypocritical stud for men who are sexually promiscuous. I'm not sure if that fits the OP either.
