female (n.)
female is used as a noun only in technical writing (medicine, statistics, police reports, sociology). It is most often reserved for biological or nonhuman references. When using "female," use the parallel "male," not "man." "Female" is not sexist because it contains "male." Dennis Baron (Grammar and Gender) says, "Actually female derives from the Latin femella , a diminutive of femina , 'woman.' It is completely unrelated to male …" See also female (adj.).
