female (of animals or plants); when applied to people it can be archaic or literary.
雌の鳥は雄よりも地味な色をしていることが多い。
Female birds are often more plainly colored than males.
雌魚と雄魚を水槽で分けて飼育した。
I kept female and male fish separated in different tanks.
a prefix-like use indicating the smaller or weaker of two; a rare usage.
この滝は雌滝と呼ばれ、雄滝より水量が少ない。
This waterfall is called the 'female waterfall' and has less water than the male waterfall.
woman; female (archaic). Found in classical or literary contexts.
古い詩では、しばしば『雌』が女性を意味している。
In old poetry, '雌' often means a woman.
wife (archaic); used in older written language.
古文書の一節に、夫（雄）と雌（妻）の関係が記されている。
A passage in an old document records the relationship between the husband (雄) and the wife (雌).