Fem

Fem (plural femmes) or Femfur is an term used by some in the furry fandom for "female", although it is perhaps not as common as it once was. The equivalent term for "male" was mel.

The mel/fem terminology has its origins in science fiction, where it was introduced by the author David Brin in his Uplift Universe. It was further popularized within the early furry fandom by Elf Sternberg's Pendor stories.