- man
-
I. noun
(plural men)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English man, mon human being, male human; akin to Old High German man human being, Sanskrit manu
Date: before 12th century
1.
a.
(1) an individual human; especially an adult male human
(2) a man belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation) — usually used in combination <councilman> (3) husband (4) lover b. the human race ; mankind c. a bipedal primate mammal (Homo sapiens) that is anatomically related to the great apes but distinguished especially by notable development of the brain with a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning, is usually considered to form a variable number of freely interbreeding races, and is the sole living representative of the hominid family; broadly any living or extinct hominid d. (1) one possessing in high degree the qualities considered distinctive of manhood (2) obsolete the quality or state of being manly ; manliness e. fellow, chap — used as mode of familiar address f. — used interjectionally to express intensity of feeling <man, what a game> 2. a. individual, person <a man could get killed there> b. the individual who can fulfill or who has been chosen to fulfill one's requirements <she's your man> 3. a. a feudal tenant ; vassal b. an adult male servant c. plural the working force as distinguished from the employer and usually the management 4. a. one of the distinctive objects moved by each player in various board games b. one of the players on a team 5. an alumnus of or student at a college or university <a Bowdoin man> 6. Christian Science the compound idea of infinite Spirit ; the spiritual image and likeness of God ; the full representation of Mind 7. often capitalized police <when I heard the siren, I knew it was the Man — American Speech> 8. often capitalized the white establishment ; white society <surprise that any black…should take on so about The Man — Peter Goldman> 9. one extremely fond of or devoted to something specified <strictly a vanilla ice cream man> • manless adjective • manlike adjective II. transitive verb (manned; manning) Date: 12th century 1. a. to supply with people (as for service) <man a fleet> b. to station members of a ship's crew at <man the capstan> c. to serve in the force or complement of <man the ticket booth> 2. to accustom (as a hawk) to humans and the human environment 3. to furnish with strength or powers of resistance ; brace III. abbreviation manual
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
