vɪrɪˈlaɪz

Definitions

1. verb

to cause to become masculine or male; to make someone or something more masculine or male-like

“The testosterone injections were designed to virilize the patient’s body.”

2. verb

to make something or someone seem more masculine or male-like

“The artist’s depiction of the warrior virilized the entire scene.”

3. verb

to cause to develop male characteristics or a male sex

“The doctor explained that the surgery would virilize the intersex patient’s genitalia.”

4. noun

the process of becoming masculine or male

“The virilization of the species occurred over thousands of years.”