牡

1. Biological male: specifically non-human animals, livestock, birds, and dioecious plants.

2. Mechanical/Technical: A door bolt or any protruding part of a joint designed to fit into a socket.

In biological contexts, this term is generally reserved for non-humans; 男 is used for human males. It typically functions in binary opposition to 牝 (pìn), meaning female.

In cursive or degraded manuscripts, avoid conflating 牡 with 母 (mother); while they share a reading and a component, their meanings are opposite in biological contexts.

In agricultural or pharmacological texts, the specification of a male plant typically denotes a specific medicinal property or reproductive role. The technical "door bolt" sense may extend broadly to any inserting piece or peg used in carpentry, weaving, or early engineering.