Notice, though, that even the M-W definition says “especially on the basis of their reproductive organs.” Compare that to the Wikipedia definition:

Although gender is commonly used interchangeably with sex, within the social sciences it often refers to specifically social differences, known as gender roles in the biological sciences.

So what I was really saying is that I’m not really sold on the idea that gender is independent of sex, which some sociologists think is the case. When I say I prefer to say gender when sex is perfectly accurate, it’s partly because I don’t want to concede to the idea that they mean different things.

In fact, Merriam Webster online has “sex” used for “gender” as the first definition, and sex used for copulation the second.

Main Entry: 1sex
Pronunciation: \ˈseks\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin sexus
Date: 14th century
1: either of the two major forms of individuals that occur in many species and that are distinguished respectively as female or male especially on the basis of their reproductive organs and structures
2: the sum of the structural, functional, and behavioral characteristics of organisms that are involved in reproduction marked by the union of gametes and that distinguish males and females
3 a: sexually motivated phenomena or behavior b: sexual intercourse
4: genitalia

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sex

What you do or do not “prefer” doesn’t matter with regards to proper usage, bub.

~~Becka

I’m not sure I buy into the idea that gender = sociology but sex = biology.

~~Becka

That’s wonderful