reproductrice

Reproductrice is a feminine noun and adjective in French derived from reproducteur. In technical usage, it designates a female entity capable of reproduction or a female element involved in reproduction. The term is common in scientific and agricultural contexts, but it is not everyday vocabulary outside those fields.

In biology, the related adjective reproductive (reproductif/reproductrice) agrees with the noun it describes. It can refer to tissues or cells involved in reproduction, such as cellule reproductrice (reproductive cell) or organes reproducteurs (reproductive organs). The feminine form reproductrice appears when the noun it modifies is feminine, for example une cellule reproductrice or les organes reproductrices.

In agriculture and animal breeding, reproductrices are female breeding stock. The phrase is used to designate females selected for propagation of traits or lines, as in "vaches reproductrices," "juments reproductrices," or "reproductrices en charge de l’élevage." The term emphasizes the role of these females in producing offspring rather than their general health or productivity.

Etymology and usage notes: reproductrice comes from the verb reproduire plus the agentive suffix -trice, mirroring the masculine reproducteur. The word is most often used in specialist writing—biologie, zoologie, horticulture, et élevage—where precision about sex and reproductive role matters. In everyday French, other formulations such as mère reproductrice or reproductrices for breeding females may be used to convey the same idea.