man

noun, intj, pron and 1 more — 31 senses

man

noun

US, UK /ˈmæn/ · UK /ˈman/

Etymology

From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“man”), from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”). Doublet of mann and Manu. Cognates This word has many cognates, in every Germanic language (whether extant or extinct), with similarities in form and meaning. Virtually all the words below mean “man” and “husband”, with some specific cases noted. In Ingvaeonic (the languages closest to English): :* Low German Mann :* North Frisian maan, man, moon, muon :* Saterland Frisian Mon :* Scots man :* West Frisian man :* Yola man In the remainder of West Germanic: :* Alemannic German ma, Maa, Mann, mo, mà, Mànn :* Bavarian Mo, mon, moon, Må, mònn :* Cimbrian man, mann, månn :* Dutch, Limburgish, and Zealandic man :* German and Luxembourgish Mann :* Mòcheno mònn :* Vilamovian maon, mon, mōn :* Yiddish מאַן (man) In East Germanic: :* Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 (manna), which meant “man”, “human“ and “person”, but likely also “husband” In North Germanic: :* Danish mand :* Faroese and Icelandic maður, both additionally meaning “human” and “person”, as in Old Norse :* Gutnish and Swedish man :* Norn, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk mann :* Norwegian Nynorsk mainnj :* Old Norse maðr Outside Germanic: : Indo-Iranian: ::* Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬱 (manuš, “human”) ::* Sanskrit मनुस् (manus, “human”), मनु (manu, “human; humanity; thought”; “thinking; wise; intelligent”) ::* Also Sanskrit म॒नु॒ष्य॑ (manuṣyà, “human; man; huband”, whence English manusya) : Slavic (all of these mean “man” and “husband”, though in some cases the former is no longer part of the modern standard): ::* Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian муж (muž) ::* Bulgarian мъж (mǎž) ::* Czech and Slovak muž ::* Macedonian маж (maž) ::* Polish mąż (“husband”; the meaning “man” is obsolete, akin to English wife) ::* Serbo-Croatian му̑ж, mȗž ::* Slovene mož

22 senses
  1. 1An adult male human.
  2. 2All human males collectively: mankind.
  3. 3An adult male who belongs to a particular group: an…
  4. 4An adult male who has, to an eminent degree, qualities…
  5. 5An adult or adolescent male servant. Anyone from a…
  6. 6A human, a person regardless of gender or sex, usually an adult.
  7. 7All humans collectively; mankind, humankind, humanity.
  8. 8A member of the genus Homo, especially of the species…
  9. 9A male person, usually an adult; a (generally adult…
  10. 10Manliness; the quality or state of being manly.
  11. 11A husband.
  12. 12A male lover; a boyfriend.
  13. 13A male enthusiast or devotee; a male who is very fond of…
  14. 14A person, usually male, who has duties or skills…
  15. 15A person, usually male, who can fulfill one's…
  16. 16A vassal; a subject.
  17. 17A piece or token used in board games such as backgammon.
  18. 18One of the player's chances to play, lost when the…
  19. 19A term of familiar address often implying on the part of…
  20. 20A term of familiar address usually reserved for other…
  21. 21A player on whom another is playing, with the intent of…
  22. 22A soldier below the rank of a non-commissioned officer.
1

An adult male human.

  • The show is especially popular with middle-aged men.
  • The king is but a man, as I am; the violet smells to him as it doth to me.1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
2 more examples
  • “I want you to know that I hate you, that I think you are a cur, and that I'll never, never speak to you again. Oh, I don't dare to say what I think of you, you — man!”1889, Rudyard Kipling, “A Wayside Comedy”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 75:
  • “[…]it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
2

Collective All human males collectively: mankind.

  • THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.1776 December 19, Thomas Paine, The American Crisis:
  • Unsurprisingly, if modern man is a sort of camera, modern woman is a picture.2011, Eileen Gray and the Design of Sapphic Modernity: Staying In, page 109:
3

An adult male who belongs to a particular group: an employee, a representative, etc.

  • When President Roosevelt goes walking in the country about Washington he is always accompanied by two Secret Service men.1909, Harper's Weekly, volume 53, page iii:
  • "And they're very good people, I assure you — he's a Harvard man." It was the first time Milly had met on intimate terms a graduate of a large university.1913, Robert Herrick, One Woman's Life, page 46:
4

An adult male who has, to an eminent degree, qualities considered masculine, such as strength, integrity, and devotion to family; a mensch.

  • He’s more a man than any pair of rats of you in this here house[…]1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “In The Enemy’s Camp”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part VI (Captain Silver), page 234:
  • I had the opportunity to marry one of them but wasn't mature enough to be a man and marry her and be close to the[…]children and raise them[…].2011, Timothy Shephard, Can We Help Us?: Growing Up Bi-Racial in America, →ISBN, page 181:
5

An adult or adolescent male servant. Anyone from a right-hand man (high-ranking assistant) to a low-ranking servant.

6

Dated, Formal A human, a person regardless of gender or sex, usually an adult.

  • every man for himself
  • […]a man cannot make him laugh.c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
4 more examples
  • Recompence to no man euill for euill.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 12:17:
  • No man is an Iland, intire of it ſelfe; euery man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; […]1624, John Donne, “17. Meditation”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, →OCLC, pages 415–416:
  • A man would expect, in so very ancient a town of Italy, to find some considerable antiquities; but all they have to show of this nature is an old Rostrum of a Roman ship, that stands over the door of their arsenal.c. 1700, Joseph Addison, Monaco, Genoa, &c., page 9:
  • THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.1776 December 19, Thomas Paine, The American Crisis:
7

Collective, Dated, Formal All humans collectively; mankind, humankind, humanity.

  • How did God create man? God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.1647, Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 10
  • THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.1776 December 19, Thomas Paine, The American Crisis:
4 more examples
  • This consideration must surely tell us that all living things were not made for man. Many of them have no relation to him. The cycle of their existence has gone on independently of his, and is disturbed or broken by every advance in man’s intellectual development; and their happiness and enjoyments, their loves and hates, their struggles for existence, their vigorous life and early death, would seem to be immediately related to their own well-being and perpetuation alone[.]1869, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Malay Archipelago, volume II, London: Macmillan and Co., page 224:
  • Academics who study Aboriginal languages are […] contributing to Man’s search for knowledge, a search that interests most people even if they are not personally involved in it.1991, Barry J. Blake, Australian Aboriginal Languages: A General Introduction, page 75:
  • Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless.2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
  • We are striving to forge our union with purpose. To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man.2021 January 20, Amanda Gorman, The Hill We Climb:
8

Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, History, Human sciences, Natural sciences, Paleontology, Sciences A member of the genus Homo, especially of the species Homo sapiens.

  • THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.1776 December 19, Thomas Paine, The American Crisis:
  • The evidence suggests that close relatives of early man, in lineages that later became extinct, also were able to use tools.1990, The Almanac of Science and Technology, →ISBN, page 68:
9

A male person, usually an adult; a (generally adult male) sentient being, whether human, supernatural, elf, alien, etc.

  • For God is holde a ryghtwys man.c. 1500, “A Gest of Robyn Hode”, in Child Ballads:
  • God's a good man.1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
3 more examples
  • Expect: But was the devil a proper man, gossip? / As fine a gentleman of his inches as ever I saw trusted to the stage, or any where else.1609 December (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Epicoene, or The Silent Woman. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
  • Clearing a space between the tables, the men tested their prowess against one another with feats of wrestling and archery and bouts with quarterstaves. Two of the elves, a man and a woman, demonstrated their skill with swordplay—[…]2008, Christopher Paolini, Brisingr: Or The Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular - Inheritance Book Three, →ISBN, page 549:
  • There was a pair of burly dwarves – a woman and a man – bearing the markings of the formidable Thane Guards.2014, Oisin McGann, Kings of the Realm: Cruel Salvation, Penguin UK, →ISBN:
10

Obsolete, Uncommon Manliness; the quality or state of being manly.

  • Methought he bare himself in such a fashion, / So full of man, and sweetness in his carriage, /[…]1598, Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Euery Man in His Humour. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
11

A husband.

  • I pronounce that they are man and wife.1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […], →OCLC:
  • In the next place, every wife ought to answer for her man.1715, Joseph Addison, The Freeholder:
12

A male lover; a boyfriend.

  • Stay away from my man!

› Used as the last element of a compound.

13

A male enthusiast or devotee; a male who is very fond of or devoted to a specified kind of thing.

  • Some people prefer apple pie, but me, I’m a cherry pie man.
14

A person, usually male, who has duties or skills associated with a specified thing.

  • I wanted to be a guitar man on a road tour, but instead I’m a flag man on a road crew.
15

A person, usually male, who can fulfill one's requirements with regard to a specified matter.

  • "She's the man for the job."2007, Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night, →ISBN, page 553:
  • Joanie volunteered, of course — if any dirty job is on offer requiring running, she's your man —2008, Soccer Dad: A Father, a Son, and a Magic Season, →ISBN, page 148:
1 more example
  • He also owns the only backhoe tractor on Elbow Cay, so whenever anyone needs a cistern dug, he's their man.2012, The Island Caper: A Jake Lafferty Action Novel, →ISBN, page 34:
16

Historical A vassal; a subject.

  • Like master, like man.
  • all the king's men
2 more examples
  • The vassal, or tenant, kneeling, ungirt, uncovered, and holding up his hands between those of his lord, professed that he did become his man from that day forth, of life, limb, and earthly honour.c. 1700s, William Blackstone
  • No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:
17

A piece or token used in board games such as backgammon.

  • The white men are always put on that side of the board which commences by row I, and the black men are placed opposite.1883, Henry Richter, Chess Simplified!, page 4:
18

Video games One of the player's chances to play, lost when the player's character dies or when certain mistakes are made.

  • Most machines are set to award you an extra man after 8000 points, and then after each additional 14.000 points.1983, William Brohaugh, “Q*Bert: A player's guide”, in Video & Arcade Games, volume 1, number 2, page 31:
19

A term of familiar address often implying on the part of the speaker some degree of authority, impatience, or haste.

  • Come on, man, we've got no time to lose!
  • Eternal Life is now on my trail / Got my red glitter coffin, man, just need one last nail / While all these ugly gentlemen play out their foolish games / There's a flaming red horizon that screams our names / And as your fantasies are broken in two / Did you really think this bloody road would pave the way for you? / You better turn around and blow your kiss hello to life eternal, angel / Racist everyman, what have you done? / Man, you've made a killer of your unborn son / Crown my fear your king at the point of a gun / All I want to do is love everyone1995, “Eternal Life”, in Grace (Hard Rock), performed by Jeff Buckley, United States:
20

A term of familiar address usually reserved for other adult males. It works both with ones whose name is known and ones whose name is unknown.

  • Near-synonyms: my man, bro, brother
  • Hey, man, how's it goin'? I haven't seen you in months! [they know each other's name]
1 more example
  • Hey, man, thanks for holding the door! [they don't know each other's name, and it doesn't matter]
21

Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A player on whom another is playing, with the intent of limiting their attacking impact.

  • 2018 Dinny Navaratnam, Andrews will learn from experience: Fagan Brisbane Lions, 30 July 2018. Accessed 6 August 2018. "It was a brutal return to football for Brisbane Lions defender Harris Andrews as his man Tom Hawkins booted seven goals but Lions Coach Chris Fagan said the team's defensive faults, rather than the backman's, allowed the big Cat to dominate."
  • The second arrived three minutes later and was all Saka's own work, the Arsenal winger turning away from his man on the edge of the area and curling a superb effort beyond the reach of Anatoliy Trubin and into the top corner.2023 March 26, Phil McNulty, “England 2-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport:
22

Government, Military, Politics, War Slang A soldier below the rank of a non-commissioned officer.

Synonyms
40 termsbloke, boy, bro, broski, bruh, cat, chap, chappy, chield, cove, covey, dog [⇒ thesaurus] (slang), dawg, dude, fella, fellow, gadgie, gate, geezer, gink, gloak, gome, guy, health, homeboy, homey, joe, lede, nigga, ninja, omi, pillicock, punk, rooster, seg, shalk, wallah, wer, were, wye
Antonyms
woman
Derived terms
1018 terms2 man, 9-man, Abraham-man, Abraham man, Abram-man, Abram man, account man, action man, Addyman, ad-man, a drowning man will clutch at a straw, advance man, affidavit man, Age of Man, Ages of Man, ag man, a hungry man is an angry man, aidman, aircraftman, airman, all-night-man, all things to all men, almsman, alongshoreman, a man is known by the company he keeps, anchorman, anchor man, angry white man, antiman, anti-man, apeman, are you a man or a mouse, Aristophanic man, as one man, as the man said, as the man says, aw man, a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle, a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle, axeman, aye man, back-door man, backman, backwoodsman, bad man, badman, Badman, bag man, barman, barrow man, baseman, bassman, Bateman, bathman, Batman, batman, batty man, be a man, beastman, bedeman, beggarman, behind every great man is a great woman, behind every great man there stands a woman, behind every successful man there stands a woman, bellman, be one's own man, best man, be the bigger man, big man, big man on campus, big man ting, big mitt man, bin man, bioman, black man, blanketman, blindman, bluesman, boardsman, boatsman, body man, bogey man, boilerman, boldly go where no man has gone before, Bonesman, bookman, bossman, bottle man, bottom man, bowsman, box man, bridesman, broken man, brotherman, bug man, bug-man, bugman, business man, bust-out man, butter-and-egg man, button man, cable man, Callao Man, candy man, candy-man, can man, canoeman, career man, careerman, cat man, cat-man, cattleman, cavalryman, caveman, centreman, chapelman, Chapman, chapman, character man, chi chi man, Chineseman, churchman, cisman, cis man, cis-man, cleanup man, clothes don't make the man, clothes make the man, clothes maketh the man, C-man, coffeeman, color man, colour man, common man, commonwealthman, commonwealthsman, company man, confidence man, conjure man, con man, corner man, Cotman, counterman, crayman, crazy man in the bottle, Cro-Magnon Man, crossbowman, cunning man, cupboard-man, cyberman, da man, dangerman, Davos Man, day man, deadman, dead man, dead man walking, dead men, dead men can tell no tales, dead men's bells, dead men's fingers, dead men's shoes, dead men tell no tales, death-of-man, decoyman, deliveryman, delivery man, deman, demesman, demiman, derrickman, deskman, dinner man, dirty old man, Discman, disman, d-man, dodman, dog man, dollar-a-year man, doomsman, dope man, Dragon man, dragon man, drayman, dunny man, duty man, duty-man, Earthman, earthsman, economic man, eighth-man, eighthman, eighth man, elf-man, emergency man, Essex man, every man for himself, every man for hisself, every man has a price, every man has his price, every man is the architect of his own fortune, every man jack, every man Jack, faceless man, face man, fall of man, family man, fancy man, fellow man, Fennoman, fetish-man, fieldman, fieldsman, finger man, fireman, First Man, fisherman, Florida Man, foeman, fogman, footman, footplate man, foreman, four-letter man, frat man, fraudsman, freedman, Freedman, Freeman, fremman, freshman, frogman, frontiersman, frontman, front man, funny man, gadsman, garbage man, gasman, gay man, gentleman, getaway man, gingerbread man, girly man, give a man a fish, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime, given man, Gladman, gleeman, G-man, G-men, God's gift to men, good man, goodman, government man, gownman, gownsman, grand old man, gray man, great man theory, green man, groomsman, ground man, ground-man, Guineaman, handman, hardman, hard man, hatcheryman, hatchet man, headman, head man, heavy man, Heidelberg man, hellman, helmsman, he-man, herbivore man, herdman, Hesseman, highman, highwayman, hillman, hit man, hitman, hodman, holy man, homer man, Homer man, hoodman, horseman, hot rodent man, husman, hype man, hypeman, india-rubber man, infantryman, inner man, inside man, ironman, iron man, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, it's a man's world, Java man, Javaman, Jewman, J-man, jujuman, junkman, kempery-man, kept man, keyman, key man insurance, key man risk, kidsman, kingsman, king's man, kit man, Klansman, know someone from the man in the moon, know someone from the man on the moon, kurdaitcha man, ladies man, ladies' man, lady's man, last man standing, layman, leaderman, leading man, leadsman, leatherman, ledës-man, leg man, leman, lemman, leopard man, liberty man, liensman, lifeboatsman, like a man, like a man possessed, like the man said, like the man says, Limerickman, little blue man, little green man, little man, little man in the boat, lizard man, lizardman, locoman, lodesman, lollipop man, longbowman, Long Man, lookie lookie man, lookout man, loresman, lover man, lover-man, loverman, macho man, made man, mad man, magsman, mailman, main man, make the bald man cry, -man, manable, man-about-town, man about town, man advantage, man alive, man among men, man and boy, man and wife, man ape, manarchist, man-arm, man-at-arms, manbaby, man-bag, man bag, man basket, man-bird, manbitch, man bites dog, manboob, man boob, man-boob, man-bot, manbot, manbote, manboy, man-boy, man-bulge, man bulge, manbulge, man bun, man-bun, man camp, man-cart, mancart, man catcher, man-catching, mancation, man cave, mancession, man child, man-child, manchild, man crush, mancubine, man cunt, mandate, man date, man-day, man day, man down, man-eater, maneating, man-eating, maneen, manel, man engine, man enough, maness, manface, man fern, manfiction, man-flu, man flu, man Friday, manfriend, man from Porlock, manful, mangagement ring, mangenue, mangina, man goo, manhair, man-handle, manhandle, manhater, manhating, manhaul, man ho, manhole, manhood, man-hour, manhour, manhug, man hug, manhunt, manhunter, manhunting, manify, Manillaman, manimal, manime, manimony, man in black, man in motion, man-in-the-browser, man in the middle, man-in-the-middle attack, man in the mirror, man in the moon, man in the street, man in white, man is a wolf to man, man is the measure of all things, man it out, manizer, Man Jose, man juice, man-killer, mankiller, mankin, mankind, Mankind, mankini, manless, manlet, manlift, man lift, manling, manlock, man look, manlover, manly, man-machine, manmade, man-made, man-made fiber, man magnet, man management, man-mark, man-marker, man-marking, man-meat, man-midwife, man-milk, man milk, man-minute, man mode, manmode, man-month, man-mountain, mannequin, manners maketh man, manness, mannie, mannish, manniversary, manny, man of action, man of culture, man of few words, man of gingerbread, man of God, man of Kent, man of law, man of letters, man of many parts, man of means, man of parts, man of science, man of sin, man of straw, man of the cloth, man of the earth, man-of-the-earth, man of the frock, man of the hour, man of the house, man of the match, man of the moment, man of the people, man of the world, man-of-war, man of war, man-of-war bird, man on, man on horseback, man on the Bondi tram, man on the Clapham omnibus, man on the moon, man on the Shau Kei Wan tram, man on the street, manopause, man orchid, manorexia, manorexic, man overboard, man-o'-war, man o' war, man-o'-war suit, manpack, manpacked, man page, man-pain, manpain, man panties, manpanzee, manparts, man plans and God laughs, man-portable, manpower, manpowered, man-powered, manpris, manpurse, man purse, man-pussy, man pussy, manqueller, manquelling, man-rate, manred, manroot, manrope, man-scape, manscape, man-scaper, man-scaping, manscara, manservant, mansformation, manshake, man shall not live by bread alone, manshift, manship, man shower, man-shy, mansicle, man-size, man-sized, manslag, manslaught, manslaughter, manslaughterer, manslaughtering, manslayer, manslaying, manslut, man's man, mansome, manspeak, mansplain, mansplaining, manspreading, manssiere, man-stealer, manstealer, manstealing, manstopper, manstopping, manstress, man-tailored, man talk, mantastic, manterrupt, manterruption, man the fort, manther, manthing, manties, man-tiger, mantini, mantique, mantit, man tit, man titty, man-to-man, man-to-man defense, mantourage, mantracking, man trap, man-trap, mantrap, mantrum, mantuary, mantyhose, man versus time, manward, manwards, manway, man whore, man-whore, manwhore, Manwich, manwise, man-witch, man with no name, man with the ax, man-wolf, man-woman, man-year, manzilian, marksman, Marlboro man, Marlboro Man, marshman, masked man fallacy, masman, mass man, Matthewman, meatman, medallion man, medicine man, megaman, meggings, men in blue ties, men in white coats, men's room, men's studies, men-stealer, men ☕, merm, merman, mermin, merry men, middleman, middle man, midsummer men, minute-man, minute man, mirdle, missing man formation, Mister Man, mister man, mizen-top man, mizzentopman, mizzen-top man, mobsman, mod man, money man, moneyman, monkey man, moob, Moonman, moonman, moon-man, Mothman, mountain man, mousetrap man, multiman, munt, murse, muscleman, muscle man, Muzak man, my good man, my man, naked man orchid, Neanderthal man, nearly man, needleman, Nepman, netherman, Newman, new man, niggerman, night man, night-man, night soil man, nine men's morris, nobleman, no man, no-man, no man is an island, No Man's Heath, no man's land, No Man's Land, nonman, north countryman, Northman, nurseryman, odd-job man, odd man, odd man out, odd man wins, oh man, old man, old-man, old man of the woods, old man's pepper, old man yells at cloud, once a man, twice a child, one-dollar man, one-man, one-man advantage, one man and a dog, one man and his dog, one-man army, one man band, one-man band, one-man train, one-minute man, one minute man, orange man bad, organisation man, organization man, other man, outside man, overman, paceman, pan man, pants man, panty man, party man, Peanut Man, Peking man, peterman, pitchman, pivotman, pivot man, pizza-man, pizza man, plainclothes man, play the ball and not the man, play the ball not the man, play the man, play the man and not the ball, play the man not the ball, play the white man, ploughman, plough-man, plowman, point man, pointsman, policeman, police man, pollman, poor man of mutton, portman, Portman, Portuguese man-of-war, pot man, pressman, privateersman, property man, prudent man rule, puppetman, questman, rag-and-bone man, ragman, railwayman, rain man, Randal's man, Rastaman, rastaman, real men don't eat quiche, record man, recycle man, Red Army man, redman, red man, red man syndrome, remainder-man, reman, re-man, remittance man, Renaissance man, repo man, rescueman, resurrection-man, resurrection man, rewrite man, Rhodesian man, rich man, right-hand man, right man, ring-man, rodsman, rule of man, rulleyman, running man, sack man, safari man, Sallee-man, sandwich man, sandwich-man, sawman, scampsman, scienceman, screwman, seal-man, seaman, second man, second-storey man, second-story man, sectionman, a man, a man about a dog, a man about a horse, self-made man, separate the men from the boys, setup man, sexyman, shieldsman, ship-man, short man syndrome, sick man, sick man of Asia, sick man of East Asia, sick man of Europe, sideman, sightsman, signalman, silkman, six-man football, sixth man, skillman, skyman, Sloman, Smallman, small man syndrome, snakeman, snowman, Solo Man, song man, songman, spade man, spade-man, Spearman, speciman, spiderman, spirit-man, spirit man, spoilsman, squaw man, steely-eyed missile man, sternsman, stick it to the man, stick man, stiff man syndrome, stone man syndrome, straight man, strawman, straw man, strong man, stunt man, subman, superfluous man, Superman, superman, swagman, swineman, swingman, swordsman, tall man, tally-man, target man, taximan, tax man, taxman, tenderman, the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, the man, the measure of a man, thinking man's, third man, three-bottle man, three wise men, tide nor time tarrieth no man, time and tide stay for no man, time and tide tarry for no man, time and tide wait for no man, tinman, tin man, Tin Man, tithing-man, titman, T-man, to a man, Tom of Bedlam's man, topsman, to the last man, towerman, townman, townsman, trans-man, transman, trans man, trashman, tree man disease, tree man syndrome, trencher-man, triggerman, trigger man, tripeman, trotter-man, truckman, Tumblr sexyman, twelfth man, twelve good men and true, two bald men fighting over a comb, two-man advantage, two-man saw, two men and a dog, ugly man, underman, union man, unman, upright man, utilityman, utility man, VATman, vigilance man, Walkman, wardsman, waterman, Waterman, Wealdsman, wealsman, weed man, wereman, Westman, wheel-barrow man, wheelsman, whimsey man, whipsman, white man, white van man, whoreman, wicker man, widow's man, wild man, wild-man, wild man syndrome, Wileman, wiseman, wise man, witchman, wo/man, wolfman, woman, wombman, world's fastest man, yardsman, yearsman, yeggman, yellow man, yer man, yes man, yesman, yes-man, you can't keep a good man down, you man, young man, your man, youthman
Related terms
boyfriend, lover, sexual partner
Hypernyms
adult, he, male, person
Hyponyms
beautiful man, blighter, boyo, dandy, effeminate man, eunuch, father, gay man, husband, hypermasculine man, old man, promiscuous man, son, sonny, ugly man
Coordinate terms
woman, boy

man

intj
Etymology

From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“man”), from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”). Doublet of mann and Manu. Cognates This word has many cognates, in every Germanic language (whether extant or extinct), with similarities in form and meaning. Virtually all the words below mean “man” and “husband”, with some specific cases noted. In Ingvaeonic (the languages closest to English): :* Low German Mann :* North Frisian maan, man, moon, muon :* Saterland Frisian Mon :* Scots man :* West Frisian man :* Yola man In the remainder of West Germanic: :* Alemannic German ma, Maa, Mann, mo, mà, Mànn :* Bavarian Mo, mon, moon, Må, mònn :* Cimbrian man, mann, månn :* Dutch, Limburgish, and Zealandic man :* German and Luxembourgish Mann :* Mòcheno mònn :* Vilamovian maon, mon, mōn :* Yiddish מאַן (man) In East Germanic: :* Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 (manna), which meant “man”, “human“ and “person”, but likely also “husband” In North Germanic: :* Danish mand :* Faroese and Icelandic maður, both additionally meaning “human” and “person”, as in Old Norse :* Gutnish and Swedish man :* Norn, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk mann :* Norwegian Nynorsk mainnj :* Old Norse maðr Outside Germanic: : Indo-Iranian: ::* Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬱 (manuš, “human”) ::* Sanskrit मनुस् (manus, “human”), मनु (manu, “human; humanity; thought”; “thinking; wise; intelligent”) ::* Also Sanskrit म॒नु॒ष्य॑ (manuṣyà, “human; man; huband”, whence English manusya) : Slavic (all of these mean “man” and “husband”, though in some cases the former is no longer part of the modern standard): ::* Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian муж (muž) ::* Bulgarian мъж (mǎž) ::* Czech and Slovak muž ::* Macedonian маж (maž) ::* Polish mąż (“husband”; the meaning “man” is obsolete, akin to English wife) ::* Serbo-Croatian му̑ж, mȗž ::* Slovene mož

1

Used to place emphasis upon something or someone; sometimes, but not always, when actually addressing a man.

  • Man, that was a great catch!
  • "What happened to your eye?" she says. "Ice pick, Bayonne, 1985," he says. "Any other questions?" "Sorry, man, I was just asking."2011, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, Penguin Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 160:
2 more examples
  • The 19 meandering minutes of Dark Star are attractive enough but, man, they go on, while poor Creedence Clearwater Revival – headliners, with Bad Moon Rising still in the charts – are watching the clock tick in the wings.2019 August 15, Bob Stanley, “'Groovy, groovy, groovy': listening to Woodstock 50 years on – all 38 discs”, in The Guardian:
  • For quotations using this term, see Citations:man.

man

pron
Etymology

From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“man”), from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”). Doublet of mann and Manu. Cognates This word has many cognates, in every Germanic language (whether extant or extinct), with similarities in form and meaning. Virtually all the words below mean “man” and “husband”, with some specific cases noted. In Ingvaeonic (the languages closest to English): :* Low German Mann :* North Frisian maan, man, moon, muon :* Saterland Frisian Mon :* Scots man :* West Frisian man :* Yola man In the remainder of West Germanic: :* Alemannic German ma, Maa, Mann, mo, mà, Mànn :* Bavarian Mo, mon, moon, Må, mònn :* Cimbrian man, mann, månn :* Dutch, Limburgish, and Zealandic man :* German and Luxembourgish Mann :* Mòcheno mònn :* Vilamovian maon, mon, mōn :* Yiddish מאַן (man) In East Germanic: :* Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌰 (manna), which meant “man”, “human“ and “person”, but likely also “husband” In North Germanic: :* Danish mand :* Faroese and Icelandic maður, both additionally meaning “human” and “person”, as in Old Norse :* Gutnish and Swedish man :* Norn, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk mann :* Norwegian Nynorsk mainnj :* Old Norse maðr Outside Germanic: : Indo-Iranian: ::* Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬱 (manuš, “human”) ::* Sanskrit मनुस् (manus, “human”), मनु (manu, “human; humanity; thought”; “thinking; wise; intelligent”) ::* Also Sanskrit म॒नु॒ष्य॑ (manuṣyà, “human; man; huband”, whence English manusya) : Slavic (all of these mean “man” and “husband”, though in some cases the former is no longer part of the modern standard): ::* Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian муж (muž) ::* Bulgarian мъж (mǎž) ::* Czech and Slovak muž ::* Macedonian маж (maž) ::* Polish mąż (“husband”; the meaning “man” is obsolete, akin to English wife) ::* Serbo-Croatian му̑ж, mȗž ::* Slovene mož

1

Multicultural London English, Personal, Pronoun, Slang Used to refer to oneself or one's group: I, we; construed in the third person.

  • Man's got some new creps.
  • [Sully:] If it weren’t for that snake […] Man wouldn’t even be in this mess right now.2011, Top Boy:
3 more examples
  • before I got arrested man paid for my own ticket to go Jamaica you know . but I’ve never paid to go on no holiday before this time I paid (Dexter, MLE)2013, Jenny Cheshire, “Grammaticalisation in social context: The emergence of a new English pronoun”, in Journal of Sociolinguistics, volume 17, number 5, page 609:
  • The girl told me, "take off your jacket" / I said, "Babe, man's not hot" (never hot)2017 September 22, “Man's Not Hot”performed by Big Shaq [Michael Dapaah]:
  • Blood I swear she just gave man extra chicken? Two fat pieces of chicken.2017, Joseph Barnes Phillips, Big Foot ...and Tiny Little Heartstrings:
2

Multicultural London English, Personal, Pronoun, Slang You; construed in the third person.

  • Man thinks I was born yesterday.
  • Oh, come on. Help a brother out. People see you coppin', might inspire them. Look, I know you ain't payin' bills right now. Man must have bare peas saved up.2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane, spoken by Nathan (Simon Manyonda):
3

Multicultural London English, Indefinite, Personal, Pronoun, Slang Any person, one

  • Man don't care.
  • He was of all colours Þat man may se of flours Be-twene Mydsomer and May.c. 1450, Thomas Chestre, Libeaus Desconus:
1 more example
  • I don’t really mind how . how my girl looks if she looks decent yeah and there’s one bit of her face that just looks mashed yeah . I don’t care it’s her personality man’s looking at (Alex, MLE corpus [MLE])2013, Jenny Cheshire, “Grammaticalisation in social context: The emergence of a new English pronoun”, in Journal of Sociolinguistics, volume 17, number 5, page 609:
Derived terms
manna

man

verb

Etymology From Middle English mannen, from Old English mannian, ġemannian (“to man, supply with men, populate, garrison”), from mann (“human being, man”). Cognates * Dutch bemannen (“to man”) * German bemannen (“to man”) * Danish bemande (“to man”) * Swedish bemanna (“to man”) * Icelandic manna (“to supply with men, to man”)

1

To supply (something) with staff or crew (of either sex).

  • The ship was manned with a small crew.
  • In Britain, nearly 2,500 steam locomotives were built, 999 to new designs. Although the latter were modern, they were still labour-intensive to man and maintain, during a period of full employment when working for poor pay in the dirty railway environment was unattractive.2023 March 8, David Clough, “The long road that led to Beeching”, in RAIL, number 978, page 39:
2

To take up position in order to operate (something).

  • Man the machine guns!
  • “Avast!” roared Ahab, dashing him against the bulwarks—“Man the boat! Which way heading?”1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 100, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
1 more example
  • At times it might seem, to a less sympathetic soul than our imagined observer, that this pale blue, egg-shaped two-door sedan, of uncertain age and in mediocre condition, was manned by an idiot.1957 March 7, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 5.1, in Pnin, Heinemann, page 112:
3

Dated, Possibly To brace (oneself), to fortify or steel (oneself) in a manly way. (Compare man up.)

  • “To stay open, the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Forward said he needed people to cover security,” Duncan wrote. “Personnel Recovery Task Force (PRTF) Pilots, maintainers and support personnel donned their vests, helmets and M-4 rifles and manned defensive fighting positions.”2021 October 14, Oren Liebermann, “CENTCOM disputes Air Force account of attempted hijacking at Kabul airport during Afghanistan evacuation”, in CNN:
  • he manned himself heroically1876, Julian Hawthorne, Saxon Studies:
4

Obsolete To wait on, attend to or escort.

5

Falconry, Hobbies, Hunting, Lifestyle Obsolete To accustom (a raptor or other type of bird) to the presence of people.

Derived terms
beman, overman

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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