/ ˈmænə; NAmE / noun
[ U ] ( in the Bible ) the food that God provided for the people of Israel during their 40 years in the desert :
( figurative )
To the refugees, the food shipments were manna from heaven (= an unexpected and very welcome gift) .
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English , via late Latin and Greek from Aramaic mannā , from Hebrew mān , corresponding to Arabic mann , denoting a product of the tamarisk (an Old World shrub or small tree) Tamarix mannifera .