n. (pl. -men)
1. esp. hist. a man holding and cultivating a small landed estate.
2 hist. a person qualified by possessing free land of an annual value of 40 shillings to serve on juries, vote for the knight of the shire, etc.
3 Brit. a member of the yeomanry force.
4 hist. a servant in a royal or noble household.
5 (in full yeoman of signals) a petty officer in the Navy, concerned with visual signalling.
6 US a petty officer performing clerical duties on board ship.
Phrases and idioms:
Yeoman of the Guard
1. a member of the British sovereign's bodyguard.
2 (in general use) a warder in the Tower of London. yeoman (or yeoman's) service efficient or useful help in need. Yeoman Usher Brit. the deputy of Black Rod.
Derivatives:
yeomanly adj.
Etymology: ME yoman, yeman, etc., prob. f. YOUNG + MAN