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class="vector-toc-link" href="#Mechanical_fasteners"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Mechanical fasteners</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Mechanical_fasteners-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Modular_construction_toys" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Modular_construction_toys"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Modular construction toys</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Modular_construction_toys-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Plumbing" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Plumbing"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Plumbing</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Plumbing-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Downspout" class="vector-toc-list-item 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cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Electrical and electronic subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Electrical_and_electronic-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Variant_usages" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Variant_usages"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.1</span> <span>Variant usages</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Variant_usages-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Abbreviations_and_alternate_terminology" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Abbreviations_and_alternate_terminology"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.2</span> <span>Abbreviations and alternate terminology</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Abbreviations_and_alternate_terminology-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Gender_selection_in_electronic_design" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Gender_selection_in_electronic_design"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.3</span> <span>Gender selection in electronic design</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Gender_selection_in_electronic_design-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Safety" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Safety"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.4</span> <span>Safety</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Safety-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ambiguous_gender" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ambiguous_gender"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7.5</span> <span>Ambiguous gender</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ambiguous_gender-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Genderless_(hermaphroditic)" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Genderless_(hermaphroditic)"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Genderless (hermaphroditic)</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Genderless_(hermaphroditic)-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Gender_changers" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Gender_changers"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Gender changers</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Gender_changers-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Examples" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Examples"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>Examples</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Examples-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">12</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown 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href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners" title="Special:EditPage/Gender of connectors and fasteners">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing 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Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Gender+of+connectors+and+fasteners%22">"Gender of connectors and fasteners"</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Gender+of+connectors+and+fasteners%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Gender+of+connectors+and+fasteners%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Gender+of+connectors+and+fasteners%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Gender+of+connectors+and+fasteners%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Gender+of+connectors+and+fasteners%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">January 2013</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:ConnectorSymbols.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/ConnectorSymbols.svg/220px-ConnectorSymbols.svg.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="92" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/ConnectorSymbols.svg/330px-ConnectorSymbols.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/ConnectorSymbols.svg/440px-ConnectorSymbols.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="193" data-file-height="81" /></a><figcaption>Schematic symbols for male and female connector pins</figcaption></figure> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Electrical" class="mw-redirect" title="Electrical">electrical</a> and <a href="/wiki/Machine" title="Machine">mechanical</a> trades and manufacturing, each half of a pair of mating <a href="/wiki/Electrical_connector" title="Electrical connector">connectors</a> or <a href="/wiki/Fastener" title="Fastener">fasteners</a> is conventionally assigned the designation <b>male</b> or <b>female</b>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The female connector is generally a receptacle that receives and holds the male connector. <a class="mw-selflink-fragment" href="#Abbreviations_and_alternate_terminology">Alternative terminology</a> such as <b>plug</b> and <b>socket</b> or <b>jack</b> are sometimes used, particularly for <a href="/wiki/Electrical_connector#Jacks_and_plugs" title="Electrical connector">electrical connectors</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-jack-plug_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jack-plug-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The assignment is a direct analogy with male and female <a href="/wiki/Sex_organ" title="Sex organ">genitalia</a>, the part bearing one or more protrusions or which fits inside the other being designated <a href="/wiki/Male" title="Male">male</a>, in contrast to the part containing the corresponding indentations, or fitting outside the other, being designated <a href="/wiki/Female" title="Female">female</a>. Extension of the analogy results in the verb <b>to <a href="/wiki/Mating" title="Mating">mate</a></b> being used to describe the process of connecting two corresponding parts together. </p><p>In some cases (notably electrical power connectors), the gender of connectors is selected according to rigid rules, to enforce a sense of one-way directionality (e.g. a flow of power <i>from</i> one device <i>to</i> another). This gender distinction is implemented to enhance safety or ensure proper functionality by preventing unsafe or non-functional configurations from being set up. </p><p>In terms of mathematical <a href="/wiki/Graph_theory" title="Graph theory">graph theory</a>, an electrical power distribution network made up of plugs and sockets is a <a href="/wiki/Directed_tree" class="mw-redirect" title="Directed tree">directed tree</a>, with the directionality arrows corresponding to the female-to-male transfer of electrical power through each mated connection. This is an example where male and female connectors have been deliberately designed and assigned to physically enforce a safe network topology. </p><p>In other contexts, such as plumbing, one-way flow is <i>not</i> enforced through connector gender assignment. Flows through piping networks can be bidirectional, as in underground water distribution networks which have designed-in <a href="/wiki/Redundancy_(engineering)" title="Redundancy (engineering)">redundancy</a>. In plumbing situations where one-way flow <i>is</i> desired, it is implemented through other means (e.g. <a href="/wiki/Air_gap_(plumbing)" title="Air gap (plumbing)">air gaps</a> or one-way <a href="/wiki/Check_valve" title="Check valve">check valves</a>), and not through male-female gender schemes. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Early_mentions_of_the_metaphor">Early mentions of the metaphor</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Early mentions of the metaphor"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Cochlea,_Universal_etymological_english_dictionary_1731.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Cochlea%2C_Universal_etymological_english_dictionary_1731.png/220px-Cochlea%2C_Universal_etymological_english_dictionary_1731.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="268" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Cochlea%2C_Universal_etymological_english_dictionary_1731.png/330px-Cochlea%2C_Universal_etymological_english_dictionary_1731.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Cochlea%2C_Universal_etymological_english_dictionary_1731.png/440px-Cochlea%2C_Universal_etymological_english_dictionary_1731.png 2x" data-file-width="728" data-file-height="888" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/An_Universal_Etymological_English_Dictionary" title="An Universal Etymological English Dictionary">Universal Etymological English Dictionary</a> mentioning male and female screws in 1731</figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Talmud" title="Talmud">Talmud</a> describes arrow heads and mating shafts as potentially being either male or female, depending on their construction, i.e. a prong on a male arrow head fits into a hollowed out shaft and vice versa. This is owing to a prohibition on a female shaft, from its susceptibility as a receptacle for impurity, for use as <a href="/wiki/S%27chach" title="S'chach">s'chach</a><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>18th-century dictionaries and encyclopedias mention male and female screws or cochleae.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A 1736 builder's manual mentions screw genders as metaphors for <a href="/wiki/Convex_curve" title="Convex curve">convex</a> and concave shapes: </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>If the furrowed surface be convex, 'tis called a <i>Male Screw</i>; if concave, <i>a Female</i>; and where Motion is to be generated, the Male and Female are always join'd.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Mechanical_fasteners">Mechanical fasteners</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Mechanical fasteners"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bolt-with-nut.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Bolt-with-nut.jpg/220px-Bolt-with-nut.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="94" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Bolt-with-nut.jpg/330px-Bolt-with-nut.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Bolt-with-nut.jpg/440px-Bolt-with-nut.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1600" data-file-height="685" /></a><figcaption><i>Female</i> nut threaded onto a <i>male</i> bolt</figcaption></figure><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Fastener" title="Fastener">Fastener</a></div> <p>In mechanical design, the prototypical "male" component is a threaded bolt,<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but an alignment post, a <a href="/wiki/Mounting_boss" class="mw-redirect" title="Mounting boss">mounting boss</a>, or a sheet metal tab connector can also be considered as male. Correspondingly, a threaded nut, an alignment hole, a mounting recess, or sheet metal slot connector is considered to be female. </p><p>While some mechanical designs are "one-off" custom setups not intended to be repeated, there is an entire <a href="/wiki/Fastener" title="Fastener">fastener</a> industry devoted to manufacturing mass-produced or semi-custom components. To avoid unnecessary confusion, conventional definitions of fastener gender have been defined and agreed upon. </p> <div style="clear:both;" class=""></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Modular_construction_toys">Modular construction toys</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Modular construction toys"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Building_brick.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Building_brick.svg/220px-Building_brick.svg.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="116" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Building_brick.svg/330px-Building_brick.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Building_brick.svg/440px-Building_brick.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="376" data-file-height="199" /></a><figcaption>Lego toy brick connections are <i>female</i> underneath, and <i>male</i> on top</figcaption></figure> <p>Several common construction toys embody gendered (and in some cases, genderless) mechanical interconnections. For example, the canonical <a href="/wiki/LEGO" class="mw-redirect" title="LEGO">LEGO</a> plastic blocks have "female" indentations on the lower surface, and "male" bosses or protrusions on the upper surfaces. <a href="/wiki/Meccano" title="Meccano">Meccano</a> and <a href="/wiki/Erector" class="mw-redirect" title="Erector">Erector</a> have many gendered connections, starting with the nut-and-bolt fasteners they use frequently. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Stickle_bricks" class="mw-redirect" title="Stickle bricks">Stickle bricks</a>, using interlocking plastic protrusions, are effectively genderless (while nonetheless maintaining an asymmetry). <a href="/wiki/Lincoln_logs" class="mw-redirect" title="Lincoln logs">Lincoln logs</a> use a very simple form of genderless connections. <a href="/wiki/Kapla" title="Kapla">Kapla</a> or <a href="/wiki/KEVA_planks" class="mw-redirect" title="KEVA planks">KEVA planks</a> are extremely simple genderless systems interconnected only by gravity. </p><p>Mathematicians have begun to classify well-known <a href="/wiki/Construction_set" title="Construction set">construction sets</a> using <a href="/wiki/Group_theory" title="Group theory">group theory</a> to study the combinatoric possibilities of structures that can be built.<sup id="cite_ref-Calegari_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Calegari-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Plumbing">Plumbing</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Plumbing"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Threaded_pipe" title="Threaded pipe">Threaded pipe</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Malefemalepipe.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Malefemalepipe.jpg/220px-Malefemalepipe.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="172" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Malefemalepipe.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="228" data-file-height="178" /></a><figcaption>Left: A <i>male</i> threaded pipe,<br />Right: a <i>female</i> threaded <a href="/wiki/Piping_and_plumbing_fittings" class="mw-redirect" title="Piping and plumbing fittings">elbow</a></figcaption></figure> <p>In plumbing fittings, the "M" or "F" usually comes at the beginning rather than the end of the abbreviated designation. For example: </p> <ul><li>MIPT denotes <i>male iron pipe thread</i>;</li> <li>FIPT denotes <i>female iron pipe thread</i>.</li></ul> <p>A short length of pipe having an MIP thread at both ends is sometimes called a <a href="/wiki/Piping_and_plumbing_fittings#Nipple" class="mw-redirect" title="Piping and plumbing fittings">nipple</a>. A short pipe fitting having an FIP thread at both ends is sometimes called a <a href="/wiki/Piping_and_plumbing_fittings#Coupling" class="mw-redirect" title="Piping and plumbing fittings">coupling</a>. </p><p><a href="#Genderless_(hermaphroditic)">Hermaphroditic</a> connections, which may include both male and female elements in a single unit, are used for some specialized tubing fittings, such as <a href="/wiki/Storz" title="Storz">Storz</a> <a href="/wiki/Fire_hose" title="Fire hose">fire hose</a> connectors. A picture of such fittings appears in <a href="#Genderless_(hermaphroditic)">§ Genderless (hermaphroditic)</a>, below. Interchangeable garden hose fittings made by GEKA are also hermaphroditic, relying on a rubber gasket to make the final connection. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Downspout">Downspout</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Downspout"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Downspout" title="Downspout">Downspouts</a> (also called downpipes, rain conductors, or leaders) are used to convey rainwater from <a href="/wiki/Roof_gutters" class="mw-redirect" title="Roof gutters">roof gutters</a> to the ground through hollow pipes or tubes. These tubes usually come in sections, joined by inserting the male end (often <a href="/wiki/Crimp_connection" class="mw-redirect" title="Crimp connection">crimped</a> with a special tool to slightly reduce its size) into the female end of the next section. These connections are usually not sealed or caulked, instead relying on gravity to move the rainwater from the male end and into the receiving female connection located directly below. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Ductwork">Ductwork</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Ductwork"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Sheet_metal" title="Sheet metal">Sheet metal</a> <a href="/wiki/Ductwork" class="mw-redirect" title="Ductwork">ductwork</a> for conveying air in <a href="/wiki/HVAC" class="mw-redirect" title="HVAC">HVAC</a> systems typically uses gendered connections. Typically, the airflow through a ductwork connection is from male to female. However, since one-way flow is implemented by forced-air fans or blowers, "backwards" gendered connections can be seen frequently in some systems, since all connections are typically sealed with duct sealing <a href="/wiki/Adhesive" title="Adhesive">mastic</a> or tape to prevent leakage anyway. The flow convention is usually loosely adhered to for simplicity of design, and to reduce the number of gender changer fittings required, but exceptions are made whenever expedient. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Electrical_and_electronic">Electrical and electronic</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Electrical and electronic"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237032888/mw-parser-output/.tmulti">.mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner img{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner img{background-color:white}}</style><div class="thumb tmulti tright"><div class="thumbinner multiimageinner" style="width:224px;max-width:224px"><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:222px;max-width:222px"><div class="thumbimage"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:VGA-Buchse.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/VGA-Buchse.JPG/220px-VGA-Buchse.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="134" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/VGA-Buchse.JPG/330px-VGA-Buchse.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/VGA-Buchse.JPG/440px-VGA-Buchse.JPG 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="489" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><i>Female</i> VGA connector</div></div></div><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:222px;max-width:222px"><div class="thumbimage"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Male_VGA_connector.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Male_VGA_connector.jpg/220px-Male_VGA_connector.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Male_VGA_connector.jpg/330px-Male_VGA_connector.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Male_VGA_connector.jpg/440px-Male_VGA_connector.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1944" data-file-height="1296" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption"><i>Male</i> VGA connector</div></div></div><div class="trow" style="display:flex"><div class="thumbcaption">Gender of electrical connectors is defined by the conductive pins</div></div></div></div> <p>Although the gender of tubing and plumbing fittings is usually obvious, this may not be true of <a href="/wiki/Electrical_connectors" class="mw-redirect" title="Electrical connectors">electrical connectors</a> because of their more complex and varying constructions. Instead, connector gender is conventionalized and thus can be somewhat obscure to the uninitiated. For example, the female <a href="/wiki/D-subminiature" title="D-subminiature">D-subminiature</a> connector body projects outward from the mounting plane of the chassis, and this protrusion could be erroneously construed as male. Instead, the "maleness" of the D-subminiature connectors is defined by specific presence of <i>male pins</i>, rather than by the protrusion of the connector (this is also true for many other pin-based connectors like <a href="/wiki/XLR_connector" title="XLR connector">XLR</a>). The male/female distinction is more obvious with ring crimp lug connectors which are placed around a screw post, but again with spade or split ring crimp lug connectors the end alone is not obviously female. </p><p>Further confusion can be caused by the term "<a href="/wiki/Jack_(connector)" class="mw-redirect" title="Jack (connector)">jack</a>", which is used for both female and male connectors and typically refers to the fixed (panel) side of a connector pair. IEEE STD 100, IEEE-315-1975 and <a href="/wiki/IEEE_200-1975" class="mw-redirect" title="IEEE 200-1975">IEEE 200-1975</a> (replaced by <a href="/wiki/ASME_Y14.44-2008" class="mw-redirect" title="ASME Y14.44-2008">ASME Y14.44-2008</a>) define "<a href="/wiki/Plug_(connector)" class="mw-redirect" title="Plug (connector)">plug</a>" and "<a href="/wiki/Jack_(connector)" class="mw-redirect" title="Jack (connector)">jack</a>" by location or mobility, rather than gender.<sup id="cite_ref-IEEE3151975_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-IEEE3151975-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-IEEE2001975_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-IEEE2001975-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-ASME-y14-44-2008_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ASME-y14-44-2008-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>A connector in a fixed location is a "jack", and a moveable connector is a "plug".<sup id="cite_ref-IEEE3151975_8-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-IEEE3151975-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-ASME-y14-44-2008_10-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ASME-y14-44-2008-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The distinction is relative, so a portable radio is considered stationary compared to the cable from the headphones; the radio has a jack, and the headphone cable has a plug. Where the relationship is equal, such as when two flexible cables are connected (an "inline" connection), each is considered a plug. Jacks use the <a href="/wiki/Reference_designator" title="Reference designator">reference designator</a> prefix of J and plugs use the <a href="/wiki/Reference_designator" title="Reference designator">reference designator</a> prefix of P.<sup id="cite_ref-IEEE3151975_8-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-IEEE3151975-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-ASME-y14-44-2008_10-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ASME-y14-44-2008-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>It is common practice to use female connectors for jacks, so the informal gender-based usage often happens to agree with the functional description of the technical standards. However, this is <i>not</i> always the case; often-seen exceptions include a computer's AC Power Inlet and EIA232 DE9 Serial Port, or the male <a href="/wiki/Coaxial_power_connector" title="Coaxial power connector">coaxial power</a> jacks for connecting external power adapters to portable equipment. </p><p>To summarize, it is considered best practice to use "male" and "female" for connector <i>gender</i>, and "plug" and "jack" for connector <i>function</i> or <i>mobility</i>. <sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (April 2020)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Variant_usages">Variant usages</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Variant usages"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the United Kingdom, many <a href="/wiki/Commonwealth_countries" class="mw-redirect" title="Commonwealth countries">Commonwealth countries</a>, and some non-English-speaking countries such as France, the word "jack" may refer to the <i>plug</i> on the end of a removable cable. These connectors were originally referred to as "jack plugs", or plugs intended to be mated with fixed receptacles, or <i>sockets</i> (which North Americans would call "jacks"), but the second word was dropped.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (March 2012)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> This variant usage is in direct contradiction to common usage and official standards in North America. </p><p>For example, in the UK, the connector on the end of a headphone lead is known as a "jack", that plugs into a <i>socket</i> on the main unit. The same usage also generally occurs in Italy, where the English word "jack" is commonly used to indicate the connector on the end of a headphone lead.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (February 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>In Romania, female connectors are known as <i>mamă</i> ("mother") and male connectors are <i>tată</i> ("father").<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (February 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Abbreviations_and_alternate_terminology">Abbreviations and alternate terminology</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Abbreviations and alternate terminology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The standard letters "M" and "F" are commonly used in part numbers to designate connector gender. For example, in Switchcraft XLR <a href="/wiki/Microphone" title="Microphone">microphone</a> or <a href="/wiki/Hydrophone" title="Hydrophone">hydrophone</a> connectors, the part numbers are denoted as follows: </p> <ul><li>A3F = Audio 3-pin Female connector;</li> <li>A3M = Audio 3-pin Male connector.</li></ul> <p>The terms <b>plug</b>, <b>pin</b>, and <b>prong</b> are also often used for "male" connectors, and <b>receptacle</b>, <b>socket</b>, and <b>slot</b> are used for "female" connectors. In many cases these terms are more common than <i>male</i> and <i>female</i>, especially in documentation intended for the non-specialist. These nearly synonymous terms can cause a fair amount of confusion when the designations are shortened in labels. </p><p>For example, a female high-density <a href="/wiki/D-subminiature" title="D-subminiature">D-subminiature</a> connector with a size 1 shell can be named DE15F or DE15S (see accompanying pictures). Both terms mean the same thing but could be construed to be completely different items. Similarly, a male standard-density D-sub with a size 1 shell can be named DE9M or DE9P; a female standard-density D-sub with a size 2 shell can be named DA15F or DA15S; a male high-density D-sub with a size 3 shell can be named DB44M or DB44P; and so forth. </p> <ul class="gallery mw-gallery-traditional"> <li class="gallerycaption">Male and female electrical connectors</li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 195px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 190px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:IEC60320_C14.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="A panel-mounted IEC 60320 C14 male connector jack designed to accept AC line power"><img alt="A panel-mounted IEC 60320 C14 male connector jack designed to accept AC line power" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/IEC60320_C14.jpg/160px-IEC60320_C14.jpg" decoding="async" width="160" height="91" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/IEC60320_C14.jpg/240px-IEC60320_C14.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/IEC60320_C14.jpg/320px-IEC60320_C14.jpg 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="340" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">A panel-mounted <a href="/wiki/IEC_60320_C14" class="mw-redirect" title="IEC 60320 C14">IEC 60320 C14</a> <i>male</i> connector <i>jack</i> designed to accept AC line power</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 195px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 190px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:BNC_connector_50_ohm_male.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="A male 50 ohm BNC connector plug. Three circular projections (including the central pin) interlock with two rings of the female jack."><img alt="A male 50 ohm BNC connector plug. Three circular projections (including the central pin) interlock with two rings of the female jack." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/BNC_connector_50_ohm_male.jpg/160px-BNC_connector_50_ohm_male.jpg" decoding="async" width="160" height="120" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/BNC_connector_50_ohm_male.jpg/240px-BNC_connector_50_ohm_male.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/BNC_connector_50_ohm_male.jpg/320px-BNC_connector_50_ohm_male.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1408" data-file-height="1056" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">A <i>male</i> 50 ohm <a href="/wiki/BNC_connector" title="BNC connector">BNC connector</a> <i>plug</i>. Three circular projections (including the central pin) interlock with two rings of the female jack.</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 195px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 190px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:BNC_triax.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Triaxial BNC connector, a male plug"><img alt="Triaxial BNC connector, a male plug" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/BNC_triax.jpg/96px-BNC_triax.jpg" decoding="async" width="96" height="120" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/BNC_triax.jpg/145px-BNC_triax.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/BNC_triax.jpg/193px-BNC_triax.jpg 2x" data-file-width="753" data-file-height="936" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Triaxial_cable" title="Triaxial cable">Triaxial</a> BNC connector, a <i>male</i> <i>plug</i></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 195px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 190px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Twinax_Stecker.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Twinaxial cable connector, a male plug"><img alt="Twinaxial cable connector, a male plug" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Twinax_Stecker.jpg/139px-Twinax_Stecker.jpg" decoding="async" width="139" height="120" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Twinax_Stecker.jpg/208px-Twinax_Stecker.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Twinax_Stecker.jpg/278px-Twinax_Stecker.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1227" data-file-height="1061" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Twinaxial_cabling" title="Twinaxial cabling">Twinaxial</a> cable connector, a <i>male</i> <i>plug</i></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 195px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 190px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Male_type_N_connector.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Coaxial Type N connector, a male plug"><img alt="Coaxial Type N connector, a male plug" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Male_type_N_connector.jpg/160px-Male_type_N_connector.jpg" decoding="async" width="160" height="107" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Male_type_N_connector.jpg/240px-Male_type_N_connector.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Male_type_N_connector.jpg/320px-Male_type_N_connector.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1944" data-file-height="1296" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Coaxial_cable" title="Coaxial cable">Coaxial</a> Type <a href="/wiki/N_connector" title="N connector">N connector</a>, a <i>male</i> <i>plug</i></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 195px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 190px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:PV_connectors_01_Pengo.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Female (left) and male weatherproof plugs for photovoltaic solar panels"><img alt="Female (left) and male weatherproof plugs for photovoltaic solar panels" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/PV_connectors_01_Pengo.jpg/160px-PV_connectors_01_Pengo.jpg" decoding="async" width="160" height="117" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/PV_connectors_01_Pengo.jpg/240px-PV_connectors_01_Pengo.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/PV_connectors_01_Pengo.jpg/320px-PV_connectors_01_Pengo.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3009" data-file-height="2194" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><i>Female</i> (left) and <i>male</i> weatherproof <i>plugs</i> for photovoltaic <a href="/wiki/Solar_panel" title="Solar panel">solar panels</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 195px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 190px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:HDMI_connector-male-ar_5to4-fs_PNr%C2%B00270.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="This HDMI plug is conventionally assigned to male gender"><img alt="This HDMI plug is conventionally assigned to male gender" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/HDMI_connector-male-ar_5to4-fs_PNr%C2%B00270.jpg/150px-HDMI_connector-male-ar_5to4-fs_PNr%C2%B00270.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="120" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/HDMI_connector-male-ar_5to4-fs_PNr%C2%B00270.jpg/225px-HDMI_connector-male-ar_5to4-fs_PNr%C2%B00270.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/HDMI_connector-male-ar_5to4-fs_PNr%C2%B00270.jpg/300px-HDMI_connector-male-ar_5to4-fs_PNr%C2%B00270.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2891" data-file-height="2313" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">This <a href="/wiki/HDMI" title="HDMI">HDMI</a> <i>plug</i> is conventionally assigned to <i>male</i> gender</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 195px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 190px; height: 150px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Toslink_kabel_(rotated).jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Toslink male plug optical fiber connector"><img alt="Toslink male plug optical fiber connector" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Toslink_kabel_%28rotated%29.jpg/160px-Toslink_kabel_%28rotated%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="160" height="120" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Toslink_kabel_%28rotated%29.jpg/240px-Toslink_kabel_%28rotated%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Toslink_kabel_%28rotated%29.jpg/320px-Toslink_kabel_%28rotated%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="480" data-file-height="360" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Toslink" class="mw-redirect" title="Toslink">Toslink</a> <i>male</i> <i>plug</i> <a href="/wiki/Optical_fiber" title="Optical fiber">optical fiber</a> connector</div> </li> </ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Gender_selection_in_electronic_design">Gender selection in electronic design</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Gender selection in electronic design"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Electronic designers often select female jack connectors for fixed mounting on electronic equipment they design. This is usually done because female connectors are more resistant to damage or contamination, by virtue of their concealed or recessed electrical contacts. A damaged motherboard connector can result in the scrapping of an expensive piece of electronic equipment. The risk of damage is reduced by relegating the more exposed male contacts to connecting cables, which can be repaired or replaced at lower cost. </p><p>For example, in an <a href="/wiki/RS-232" title="RS-232">RS-232</a> <a href="/wiki/Serial_port" title="Serial port">serial port</a>, the male connector is more mechanically fragile than the female connector.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Cost and reliability considerations probably drove the design decision to use female jack connectors on many computer terminals (and some personal computers) for the serial port, despite being in direct violation of the connector gender convention explicitly specified in the RS-232 standard for "DTE" (<a href="/wiki/Data_terminal_equipment" title="Data terminal equipment">data terminal equipment</a>) connections. This confusing reversal of the RS-232 connector gender convention has caused many hours of frustration for ill-informed end users, as they tried to troubleshoot non-functional serial port equipment connections.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Safety">Safety</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Safety"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:NEMA_5-15_Outlet_120V-15A.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/NEMA_5-15_Outlet_120V-15A.jpg/170px-NEMA_5-15_Outlet_120V-15A.jpg" decoding="async" width="170" height="227" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/NEMA_5-15_Outlet_120V-15A.jpg/255px-NEMA_5-15_Outlet_120V-15A.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/NEMA_5-15_Outlet_120V-15A.jpg/340px-NEMA_5-15_Outlet_120V-15A.jpg 2x" data-file-width="480" data-file-height="641" /></a><figcaption>Electrical power outlets are <i>female</i> for safety.</figcaption></figure> <p>In electrical connections where <a href="/wiki/Voltage" title="Voltage">voltage</a> or <a href="/wiki/Electric_current" title="Electric current">current</a> is sufficient to <a href="/wiki/Electric_shock" class="mw-redirect" title="Electric shock">cause injury</a>, the part permanently connected to the power <i>source</i> is invariably female, with concealed contacts, to prevent inadvertent touching of live conductors by people or animals, or by conductive items that may cause a <a href="/wiki/Short_circuit" title="Short circuit">short circuit</a>. A male plug, with fully exposed protruding contacts, is installed on the cord of (or directly onto) the device <i>receiving</i> the power. Devices that need to be robust against mechanical damage may use a special male <a href="/wiki/IEC_60320_C14" class="mw-redirect" title="IEC 60320 C14">IEC 60320 C14</a> connector (see <a href="#Abbreviations_and_alternate_terminology">the gallery</a> above), which is recessed below the surface of a mounting panel, providing the desired physical protection while conforming to safety regulations. </p><p>In the case of consumer-level AC power, connector gender is used to implicitly enforce safe use of power connectors. Because of this consideration, it is illegal<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="margin-left:0.1em; white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify" title="Wikipedia:Please clarify"><span title="The text near this tag may need clarification or removal of jargon. (May 2024)">clarification needed</span></a></i>]</sup> under <a href="/wiki/Electrical_code" title="Electrical code">electrical code</a><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Avoid weasel words"><span title="The material near this tag possibly uses too vague attribution or weasel words. (May 2024)">which?</span></a></i>]</sup> to make or use any <i>gender changers</i> to connect AC line power to consumer-level equipment. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Suicide_cable.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Suicide_cable.jpg/220px-Suicide_cable.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="121" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Suicide_cable.jpg/330px-Suicide_cable.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Suicide_cable.jpg/440px-Suicide_cable.jpg 2x" data-file-width="993" data-file-height="548" /></a><figcaption>A dangerous double-ended male connector, known as a "suicide cable"</figcaption></figure> <p>A double-ended male connector for utility-supplied ("mains") electrical power is extremely dangerous, and sometimes is called a <b>suicide cable</b> or <b>widowmaker cord</b>.<sup id="cite_ref-Stanger_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stanger-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Some hardware shops explicitly refuse to make or sell them when asked by customers who have mistakenly hung a string of <a href="/wiki/Christmas_lights" title="Christmas lights">Christmas lights</a> backwards and wish to connect the socket end to a wall socket,<sup id="cite_ref-Marco_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Marco-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> or who intend to connect a <a href="/wiki/Engine-generator" class="mw-redirect" title="Engine-generator">generator</a> or <a href="/wiki/Power_inverter" title="Power inverter">inverter</a> to their home's electrical circuit in the event of a utility power outage.<sup id="cite_ref-Stanger_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stanger-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The exposed prongs on the live end of the cable pose serious electrical shock and fire hazards, and when improperly used in a generator setup may cause the equipment to burn out when utility power is restored.<sup id="cite_ref-Stanger_12-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stanger-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It can also backfeed power into the grid, potentially damaging utility equipment or even electrocuting linemen attempting to restore power.<sup id="cite_ref-Stanger_12-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stanger-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Similarly, an exposed connection on a <a href="/wiki/Jump_start_(vehicle)" title="Jump start (vehicle)">jumper cable</a> for a 12V automotive battery can be hazardous, because of the potentially high current and energy involved. Accidental shorting of the wire to vehicle ground can cause sparks, rapid heating, or even a battery explosion. </p><p>In <a href="/wiki/Extra-low_voltage" title="Extra-low voltage">low-voltage</a> use such as for <a href="/wiki/Telecommunication" class="mw-redirect" title="Telecommunication">data communications</a>, electrical shock hazard is not an issue, and male or female connectors are used based on other engineering factors such as convenience of use, cost, or ease of manufacturing. For example, the common <a href="/wiki/Category_5_cable" title="Category 5 cable">"patch cables"</a> used for <a href="/wiki/Ethernet" title="Ethernet">Ethernet</a> (and the similar cords used for <a href="/wiki/Telephone" title="Telephone">telephones</a>) typically have male <a href="/wiki/Modular_plug" class="mw-redirect" title="Modular plug">modular plugs</a> on both ends, to connect to jacks on equipment or mounted in walls. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-left" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Hohlstecker_und_Hohlbuchse_5,5x2,5.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Hohlstecker_und_Hohlbuchse_5%2C5x2%2C5.jpg/220px-Hohlstecker_und_Hohlbuchse_5%2C5x2%2C5.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="96" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Hohlstecker_und_Hohlbuchse_5%2C5x2%2C5.jpg/330px-Hohlstecker_und_Hohlbuchse_5%2C5x2%2C5.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Hohlstecker_und_Hohlbuchse_5%2C5x2%2C5.jpg/440px-Hohlstecker_und_Hohlbuchse_5%2C5x2%2C5.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3245" data-file-height="1419" /></a><figcaption>Common 5.5×2.5 mm <a href="/wiki/Coaxial_power_connector" title="Coaxial power connector">coaxial power connectors</a>. Power is provided by the <i>female plug</i> on the right to the <i>male jack</i> on the left; the exposed conductors are not hazardous due to the low voltage.</figcaption></figure> <p>An example of a design tradeoff in power connector selection is a <a href="/wiki/Coaxial_power_connector" title="Coaxial power connector">coaxial power connector</a>, which is usually set up so that power is fed <i>from</i> the female plug <i>into</i> the male jack (which is typically a part of the electronic device accepting the power). Although the plug is female, with a partially recessed center contact, it is still possible for casual accidental contact with a metallic object to short-circuit the power source. Depending on the design of the power adapter, it may react to a short circuit by shutting down temporarily, or instead by blowing out an internal safety <a href="/wiki/Fuse_(electrical)" title="Fuse (electrical)">fuse</a>. </p><p>In this example, the marginal reliability of the connector choice was deemed to be acceptable by the equipment designer, since the power adapter supplies <a href="/wiki/Extra-low_voltage" title="Extra-low voltage">low voltage</a> that does not pose an electric shock hazard. The potential fire hazard from accidental short-circuiting is addressed by the internal safety fuse, although this requires that a failed power adapter be completely replaced. In a different design, if the power adapter were intended to supply a voltage sufficient to cause electrical shock, the semi-exposed center contact of the female plug would be considered unacceptably hazardous, requiring a different choice of connector. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ambiguous_gender">Ambiguous gender</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Ambiguous gender"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Some electrical connectors are <a href="#Genderless_(hermaphroditic)">hermaphroditic</a> because they include both male and female elements in a single unit intended to interconnect freely, without regard for gender. See the discussion of <a href="#Genderless_(hermaphroditic)">genderless connectors</a> in this article for more detailed information. </p><p>As an additional complication, certain electronic connector designs may incorporate combinations of male and female pins in a <i>single</i> connector body, for mating with a complementary connector with opposite gender pins in corresponding positions. For example, <a href="/wiki/CEE_7_standard_AC_plugs_and_sockets#CEE_7/5_socket_and_CEE_7/6_plug_(French;_Type_E)" title="CEE 7 standard AC plugs and sockets">CEE 7/5</a> sockets have a male Ground pin. In these unusual cases, gender is often defined by the shape of the connector <i>body</i>, rather than the mixed-gender connector <i>pins</i> and <i>sockets</i>. These types of connectors are not strictly speaking hermaphroditic, since mating connectors are <i>not</i> freely interchangeable. An informal term that has been used for these connectors is "bisexual", in addition to the more official terminology, <b>mixed-gender</b>. Thus, for example, one can have a mixed-gender female plug that connects to a mixed-gender male jack (though a reversed gender assignment of connectors would be a more typical design choice in this example). </p><p>Male connector pins are often protected by a <b>shell</b> (also called a <b>shroud</b>, <b>surround</b>, or <b>shield</b>), which may envelop the entire female connector when mated. <a href="/wiki/RF_connector" title="RF connector">RF connectors</a> often have multiple layers of interlocking shells to properly connect the shields of <a href="/wiki/Coaxial_cable" title="Coaxial cable">coaxial</a> and <a href="/wiki/Triaxial_cable" title="Triaxial cable">triaxial cable</a>. In such cases, the gender is assigned based on the <i>innermost</i> connecting point. With the exception of reverse polarity BNC or TNC, where the outer shell determines the gender and the innermost connecting points are opposite to a standard connector, for example a female RP-TNC connector has a solid innermost pin. </p><p>Another ambiguous situation arises with the connectors used for <a href="/wiki/USB" title="USB">USB</a>, <a href="/wiki/FireWire" class="mw-redirect" title="FireWire">FireWire</a> (IEEE-1394), <a href="/wiki/HDMI" title="HDMI">HDMI</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Thunderbolt_(interface)" title="Thunderbolt (interface)">Thunderbolt</a> serial data bus connections. Close examination of these connectors reveals that the contact "pins" are not actually pins, but instead are conductive surfaces that slide past each other when they mate. Therefore, the traditional pin and socket nomenclature is not applicable. Instead, most computer hardware people fall back to referring to the wrap-around metal shield on the plug connector <i>as if</i> it were a connector <i>pin</i>. By this convention, the connectors on serial bus cables are "male plugs", and the corresponding connectors on equipment are "female jacks". </p><p>A casual glance at a USB "Type A" plug connector may give the false impression that it is hermaphroditic. However, a physical attempt to mate two USB "Type A" cables with each other reveals the fact that the connectors will not interconnect. Classifying according to mathematical <a href="/wiki/Graph_theory" title="Graph theory">graph theory</a>, USB buses are <a href="/wiki/Directed_tree" class="mw-redirect" title="Directed tree">directed trees</a>, whereas FireWire buses have a true <a href="/wiki/Bus_network" title="Bus network">bus network</a> topology. This difference is reflected in the bus connectors used, in that USB cables are asymmetrical (one end Type A, other end Type B) while FireWire cables may have identical connectors at both ends. The more-recent <a href="/wiki/USB-C" title="USB-C">USB-C</a> cables may also have identical connectors on both ends (in which case the logical <i>A</i> and <i>B</i> ends are negotiated between the attached devices rather than being directly indicated by the plugs). </p><p>An example of a connector where the contacts themselves are hermaphroditic is the ELCO Varicon, wherein the contacts are bifurcated in recessed cross-shaped wells, and mate with one another axially at a 90 degree rotation. In this example, the plugs have the contacts oriented transversely and the sockets are arranged longitudinally. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Genderless_(hermaphroditic)"><span id="Genderless_.28hermaphroditic.29"></span>Genderless (hermaphroditic)</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Genderless (hermaphroditic)"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Train_coupling.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Train_coupling.jpg/220px-Train_coupling.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="172" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Train_coupling.jpg/330px-Train_coupling.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Train_coupling.jpg/440px-Train_coupling.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2817" data-file-height="2200" /></a><figcaption>Paired "knuckle" type hermaphroditic mechanical <a href="/wiki/Janney_coupler" title="Janney coupler">couplers</a> for railcars (viewed from above, looking down at the tracks)</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Arduino_Protoboard_Shields.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Arduino_Protoboard_Shields.jpg/220px-Arduino_Protoboard_Shields.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Arduino_Protoboard_Shields.jpg/330px-Arduino_Protoboard_Shields.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/df/Arduino_Protoboard_Shields.jpg/440px-Arduino_Protoboard_Shields.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2048" data-file-height="1536" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Arduino" title="Arduino">Arduino</a> "shield" boards connected via stackable bus connectors</figcaption></figure> <p>By definition, a <a href="/wiki/Hermaphroditic" class="mw-redirect" title="Hermaphroditic">hermaphroditic</a> connector includes mating surfaces having simultaneous male and female aspects, involving complementary paired identical parts each containing both protrusions and indentations. These mating surfaces are mounted into identical fittings which can freely mate with any other, without regard for gender (provided that the size and type are already matched). Alternative names include <b>hermaphrodite</b>, <b><a href="/wiki/Androgynous_Peripheral_Attach_System" title="Androgynous Peripheral Attach System">androgynous</a></b>, <b>genderless</b>, <b>sexless</b>, <b>combination</b> (or <b>combo</b>), <b>two-in-one</b>, <b>two-way</b>, and other descriptive terms. Several of these latter alternate names are ambiguous in meaning, and should not be used unless carefully defined in context. True hermaphroditic connectors should not be confused with <i>mixed gender</i> connectors, which are described elsewhere in this article. </p><p>Another closely related type is the <b>stackable connector</b> for electronics, which typically has male pins on one surface and complementary female sockets on the opposite surface, allowing multiple units to be stacked up like plastic <a href="/wiki/Milk_crate" title="Milk crate">milk crates</a>. Examples of this include stackable banana plugs, and interconnect cables specified for the <a href="/wiki/IEEE-488" class="mw-redirect" title="IEEE-488">IEEE-488</a> instrumentation bus. <b>Stackable mezzanine bus connectors</b> are used on some modular microcomputer accessory boards for systems such as the <a href="/wiki/Arduino" title="Arduino">Arduino</a> add-on daughterboards called "shields". The older <a href="/wiki/PC/104" title="PC/104">PC/104</a> embedded PC modules use a similar stackable format for interconnection. Stackable connectors are not classified as hermaphroditic in the strictest sense, but are often described as such in looser usage. </p><p>The hermaphroditic design is useful when multiple complex or lengthy components must be arbitrarily connected in various combinations. For example, if hoses have hermaphroditic fittings, they can be connected without having to pull a lengthy hose and reverse it because it has the wrong gender to connect to another hose. Some military fiber optical cables also have hermaphroditic connectors to prevent "wrong gender" connector problems in field deployments. In a similar fashion, <a href="/wiki/Railcar" title="Railcar">railcars</a> are usually equipped with hermaphroditic <a href="/wiki/Railway_coupling" title="Railway coupling">railway coupling</a> mechanisms that allow either end of the vehicle to be connected to a <a href="/wiki/Train" title="Train">train</a> without having to turn the railcar around first. For the same reason, several <a href="/wiki/Spacecraft_docking_mechanism" class="mw-redirect" title="Spacecraft docking mechanism">spacecraft docking mechanisms</a> are designed to be "androgynous", including the <a href="/wiki/Androgynous_Peripheral_Attach_System" title="Androgynous Peripheral Attach System">Androgynous Peripheral Attach System</a>, the <a href="/wiki/NASA_Docking_System" title="NASA Docking System">NASA Docking System</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Chinese_Docking_Mechanism" title="Chinese Docking Mechanism">Chinese Docking Mechanism</a>. </p><p>In the absence of genderless connectors, <a href="/wiki/Gender_changer" title="Gender changer">gender changer</a> fittings might be used to enable certain connections. The designer of a connection system may use one or both schemes to allow arbitrary connectivity, or even combine both schemes into a single system. </p><p>When an enforced sense of unidirectionality or "one-way flow" is required for safety or other reasons (for example, AC electrical power connections), a strict assignment of connector genders is implemented to prevent undesired configurations, and gender changers are banned. </p><p>Some commonly seen examples of hermaphroditic connectors include the <a href="/wiki/SAE_connector" class="mw-redirect" title="SAE connector">SAE connector for 12 V DC power</a>, <a href="/wiki/Jackhammer" title="Jackhammer">jackhammer</a> air hose connectors, and the <a href="/wiki/Anderson_Powerpole" title="Anderson Powerpole">Anderson Powerpole</a> series of modular high-current power connectors. The now-obsolete <a href="/wiki/IBM_Token_Ring" class="mw-redirect" title="IBM Token Ring">IBM Token Ring</a> connector was another widespread example. The <a href="/wiki/General_Radio_Corporation" class="mw-redirect" title="General Radio Corporation">General Radio Corporation</a> developed a hermaphroditic coaxial radio frequency connector often called the "<a href="/wiki/GR_connector" title="GR connector">GR connector</a>". </p><p>Some <a href="/wiki/Audio_multicore_cable" title="Audio multicore cable">audio multicore cables</a> are fitted with hermaphroditic multipin quick-disconnect connectors for ease of use in the field. One style of this audio signal cable is fitted on both ends with connectors that are each populated half with pins and half with sockets. The advantage to the user is that it does not matter which end connects to the <a href="/wiki/Stage_(theatre)" title="Stage (theatre)">stage</a> and which to the <a href="/wiki/Audio_mixer" class="mw-redirect" title="Audio mixer">audio mixer</a>, facilitating faster set up.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Another style of connector uses hybrid male/female pins with a receiving slot fitted in the center of each two-tine pin, and relies on 90-degree rotation of the pin axes to mate. The connector housings themselves are sexed male and female.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1248256098">@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery{width:100%!important}}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery{display:table}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery-default{background:transparent;margin-top:4px}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery-center{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery-left{float:left}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery-right{float:right}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery-none{float:none}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery-collapsible{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .title,.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .main,.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .footer{display:table-row}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .title>div{display:table-cell;padding:0 4px 4px;text-align:center;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .main>div{display:table-cell}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .gallery{line-height:1.35em}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .footer>div{display:table-cell;padding:4px;text-align:right;font-size:85%;line-height:1em}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .title>div *,.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .footer>div *{overflow:visible}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .gallerybox img{background:none!important}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .bordered-images .thumb img{border:solid var(--background-color-neutral,#eaecf0)1px}.mw-parser-output .mod-gallery .whitebg .thumb{background:var(--background-color-base,#fff)!important}</style><div class="mod-gallery mod-gallery-default mod-gallery-center"><div class="title"><div>Genderless connectors</div></div><div class="main"><div><ul class="gallery mw-gallery-traditional nochecker bordered-images whitebg"> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Festkupplung.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Hermaphroditic Storz fire hose connector"><img alt="Hermaphroditic Storz fire hose connector" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Festkupplung.jpg/174px-Festkupplung.jpg" decoding="async" width="174" height="180" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Festkupplung.jpg/261px-Festkupplung.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Festkupplung.jpg/348px-Festkupplung.jpg 2x" data-file-width="484" data-file-height="500" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Hermaphroditic <a href="/wiki/Storz" title="Storz">Storz</a> <a href="/wiki/Fire_hose" title="Fire hose">fire hose</a> connector</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Gama_racores_UNE23400_ligatura.JPG" class="mw-file-description" title="Hermaphroditic or genderless "claw" type hose connectors"><img alt="Hermaphroditic or genderless "claw" type hose connectors" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Gama_racores_UNE23400_ligatura.JPG/175px-Gama_racores_UNE23400_ligatura.JPG" decoding="async" width="175" height="127" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Gama_racores_UNE23400_ligatura.JPG/263px-Gama_racores_UNE23400_ligatura.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Gama_racores_UNE23400_ligatura.JPG/350px-Gama_racores_UNE23400_ligatura.JPG 2x" data-file-width="1116" data-file-height="812" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Hermaphroditic or genderless "claw" type hose connectors</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:IBM_hermaphroditic_connector.JPG" class="mw-file-description" title="IBM Token Ring hermaphroditic connector with locking clip"><img alt="IBM Token Ring hermaphroditic connector with locking clip" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/IBM_hermaphroditic_connector.JPG/175px-IBM_hermaphroditic_connector.JPG" decoding="async" width="175" height="140" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/IBM_hermaphroditic_connector.JPG/263px-IBM_hermaphroditic_connector.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/IBM_hermaphroditic_connector.JPG/350px-IBM_hermaphroditic_connector.JPG 2x" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="512" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/IBM_Token_Ring" class="mw-redirect" title="IBM Token Ring">IBM Token Ring</a> hermaphroditic connector with locking clip</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:SAE_Connector.png" class="mw-file-description" title="SAE hermaphroditic connector used for 12 V DC power"><img alt="SAE hermaphroditic connector used for 12 V DC power" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/SAE_Connector.png/175px-SAE_Connector.png" decoding="async" width="175" height="112" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/SAE_Connector.png/263px-SAE_Connector.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/SAE_Connector.png/350px-SAE_Connector.png 2x" data-file-width="534" data-file-height="343" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">SAE hermaphroditic connector used for 12 V DC power</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Gr-874-connector.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="General Radio GR-874 hermaphroditic coaxial RF connector"><img alt="General Radio GR-874 hermaphroditic coaxial RF connector" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Gr-874-connector.jpg/175px-Gr-874-connector.jpg" decoding="async" width="175" height="131" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Gr-874-connector.jpg/263px-Gr-874-connector.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Gr-874-connector.jpg/350px-Gr-874-connector.jpg 2x" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/General_Radio" title="General Radio">General Radio</a> <a href="/wiki/GR-874" class="mw-redirect" title="GR-874">GR-874</a> hermaphroditic <a href="/wiki/Coaxial" title="Coaxial">coaxial</a> RF connector</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Apc7_1.png" class="mw-file-description" title="APC-7 coaxial RF connector"><img alt="APC-7 coaxial RF connector" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Apc7_1.png/175px-Apc7_1.png" decoding="async" width="175" height="91" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Apc7_1.png/263px-Apc7_1.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Apc7_1.png 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="156" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/APC-7_connector" title="APC-7 connector">APC-7 coaxial RF connector</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:APAS-75_image_cropped_and_rotated.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Androgynous Peripheral Attach System spacecraft docking mechanism"><img alt="Androgynous Peripheral Attach System spacecraft docking mechanism" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/APAS-75_image_cropped_and_rotated.jpg/175px-APAS-75_image_cropped_and_rotated.jpg" decoding="async" width="175" height="166" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/APAS-75_image_cropped_and_rotated.jpg/263px-APAS-75_image_cropped_and_rotated.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/APAS-75_image_cropped_and_rotated.jpg/350px-APAS-75_image_cropped_and_rotated.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3024" data-file-height="2867" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Androgynous_Peripheral_Attach_System" title="Androgynous Peripheral Attach System">Androgynous Peripheral Attach System</a> spacecraft docking mechanism</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Pp01.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Anderson Powerpole 15/30/45 ampere genderless housings and contacts"><img alt="Anderson Powerpole 15/30/45 ampere genderless housings and contacts" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Pp01.jpg/175px-Pp01.jpg" decoding="async" width="175" height="117" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Pp01.jpg/263px-Pp01.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Pp01.jpg/350px-Pp01.jpg 2x" data-file-width="432" data-file-height="288" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext"><a href="/wiki/Anderson_Powerpole" title="Anderson Powerpole">Anderson Powerpole</a> 15/30/45 ampere genderless housings and contacts</div> </li> </ul></div></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Gender_changers">Gender changers</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Gender changers"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Devices used for mating two connectors of the same gender have a wide variety of terms, including for example: "<a href="/wiki/Gender_changer" title="Gender changer">gender changer</a>", "gender mender", "gender bender", and "gender blender".<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A specific gender changer can be referred to by either the gender of its connectors, or the gender which it is designed to connect to, resulting in a thoroughly ambiguous terminology. Thus a "male gender changer" might have female connectors to mate two male ends, or male connectors to mate two female ends. </p><p>Adding to this potential for confusion, some gender changers also combine additional functions such as <a href="/wiki/Crossover_cable" title="Crossover cable">cross-over</a> pin-outs. <a href="/wiki/Active_cable" title="Active cable">Active cables</a> may incorporate <a href="/wiki/Embedded_system" title="Embedded system">embedded systems</a> for communications protocol or <a href="/wiki/Logic_level#Logic_voltage_levels" title="Logic level">logic level</a> changes, which technically makes them "<a href="/wiki/Adapter_(computing)" title="Adapter (computing)">adapters</a>", but this distinction is sometimes neglected in marketing materials or common usage. </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1248256098"><div class="mod-gallery mod-gallery-default mod-gallery-center"><div class="title"><div>Gender changers</div></div><div class="main"><div><ul class="gallery mw-gallery-traditional nochecker bordered-images whitebg"> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Gender_changer.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="DA15 and DB25 D-subminiature gender changers"><img alt="DA15 and DB25 D-subminiature gender changers" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Gender_changer.jpg/175px-Gender_changer.jpg" decoding="async" width="175" height="133" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Gender_changer.jpg/263px-Gender_changer.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Gender_changer.jpg/350px-Gender_changer.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1630" data-file-height="1240" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">DA15 and DB25 <a href="/wiki/D-subminiature" title="D-subminiature">D-subminiature</a> gender changers</div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Female_BNC_Connector.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="A female to female BNC connector"><img alt="A female to female BNC connector" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Female_BNC_Connector.jpg/175px-Female_BNC_Connector.jpg" decoding="async" width="175" height="135" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Female_BNC_Connector.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="252" data-file-height="195" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">A <i>female</i> to <i>female</i> <a href="/wiki/BNC_connector" title="BNC connector">BNC connector</a></div> </li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 210px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 205px; height: 210px;"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Nypel_zwyk%C5%82y_dwustronny.jpg" class="mw-file-description" title="Pipe nipple male to male threaded pipe coupling"><img alt="Pipe nipple male to male threaded pipe coupling" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Nypel_zwyk%C5%82y_dwustronny.jpg/175px-Nypel_zwyk%C5%82y_dwustronny.jpg" decoding="async" width="175" height="131" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Nypel_zwyk%C5%82y_dwustronny.jpg/263px-Nypel_zwyk%C5%82y_dwustronny.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Nypel_zwyk%C5%82y_dwustronny.jpg/350px-Nypel_zwyk%C5%82y_dwustronny.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3456" data-file-height="2592" /></a></span></div> <div class="gallerytext">Pipe <a href="/wiki/Nipple_(plumbing)" title="Nipple (plumbing)">nipple</a> <i>male</i> to <i>male</i> threaded pipe coupling</div> </li> </ul></div></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Examples">Examples</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Examples"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Coaxial_power_connector" title="Coaxial power connector">Coaxial power connector</a>, for low-voltage DC connections</li> <li>A power cord on an <a href="/wiki/Home_appliance" title="Home appliance">appliance</a> terminates in a (male) plug; it connects to a (female) socket in a wall or on an extension cord.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coaxial_cable" title="Coaxial cable">Coaxial cables</a> used for video or other high-<a href="/wiki/Frequency" title="Frequency">frequency</a> <a href="/wiki/Signal_(information_theory)" class="mw-redirect" title="Signal (information theory)">signals</a> are normally terminated, at both ends, in a <a href="/wiki/RF_connector" title="RF connector">connector</a> comprising an inner pin and an outer fixed or rotating shell; these are conventionally reckoned as male.</li> <li>A threaded <a href="/wiki/Nut_(hardware)" title="Nut (hardware)">nut</a> is female and a <a href="/wiki/Screw" title="Screw">bolt</a> is male.</li> <li>Connectors for <a href="/wiki/Air_brake_(road_vehicle)" title="Air brake (road vehicle)">air brake</a> hoses on heavy <a href="/wiki/Semi-trailer_truck" title="Semi-trailer truck">trucks</a> and <a href="/wiki/Rolling_stock" title="Rolling stock">railroad equipment</a> use genderless "<a href="/wiki/Gladhand_connector" title="Gladhand connector">gladhand connectors</a>". In <a href="/wiki/Railway_air_brake" title="Railway air brake">railroad air brake</a> use, this makes the orientation of rolling stock irrelevant, and is used with the standard North American <a href="/wiki/Janney_coupler" title="Janney coupler">railroad coupler</a> that connects cars together, also genderless.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mating_connection" title="Mating connection">Mating connection</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Piping_and_plumbing_fittings" class="mw-redirect" title="Piping and plumbing fittings">Piping and plumbing fittings</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Screw_thread" title="Screw thread">Screw thread</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sex_bolt" title="Sex bolt">Sex bolt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Twistlock" title="Twistlock">Twistlock</a> – standardized fasteners for <a href="/wiki/Shipping_containers" class="mw-redirect" title="Shipping containers">shipping containers</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Gender_of_connectors_and_fasteners&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Simon_Unwin" title="Simon Unwin">Simon Unwin</a>: <i>Metaphor: an exploration of the metaphorical dimensions and potential of architecture</i>. Routledge 2019, p. 40.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-jack-plug-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-jack-plug_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFHuggins2009" class="citation web cs1">Huggins, John S. (15 July 2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cosjwt.com/jack-plug-male-female-connectors/">"Jack/Plug – Jack, Plug, Male, Female Connectors"</a>. <i>An Engineer's Review</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">1 July</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=An+Engineer%27s+Review&rft.atitle=Jack%2FPlug+%E2%80%93+Jack%2C+Plug%2C+Male%2C+Female+Connectors&rft.date=2009-07-15&rft.aulast=Huggins&rft.aufirst=John+S.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cosjwt.com%2Fjack-plug-male-female-connectors%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AGender+of+connectors+and+fasteners" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGoldwurm" class="citation book cs1">Goldwurm, R. Hersh, Ed. <i>Talmud Bavli: Tractate Sucah I, Schottenstein Edition</i>. 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