WOMAN

[noun] [plural] women - an adult female human being"What's your new boss like?" "She seems to be a very nice woman." [C]A woman and two men were arrested on the day after the explosion. [C]Women first got the vote in Britain in 1918. [C]The women's singles final was won by Margaret Smith. [C]He is writing a book on the representation of woman (= women in general) in medieval art. [U]See also womankind; womenfolk.USAGE: 'Woman' is the general word for an adult female human being.(informal) A man's wife or partner is sometimes called his woman.Have you heard? Geoff's got a new woman.Woman also means female.She is Ireland's first woman (= female) president.The rape victim asked to see a woman police officer.There are three women candidates for the post of company director.Tracy Edwards led the first all-woman/all-women crew to success in the round-the-world yacht race.The Women's Institute ( WI) is an organization in Britain consisting of local groups which allow women to meet together socially and learn new skills.She's an active member of the WI and is always organizing talks for her local group.(dated) Women's liberation (informal women's lib) is the aim of achieving equality for women in all areas of society.As a student, I was heavily involved in women's lib and went to loads of meetings and demonstrations."I'm not a women's libber but I do believe women should be paid the same as men," she said.The women's movement is those people whose social and political aims are to change women's position in society and increase awareness of women's condition in society.The early 20th century women's movement fought for the political emancipation of women.A (UK and ANZ) women's refuge/(US) women's shelter is a house where women whose husbands have been violent towards them can go with their children for protection.She has applied to do a postgraduate course in women's studies (= a course of studies which deals with women in history, society and literature).(saying) 'A woman's work is never done'. -woman [suffix]Jean's an Englishwoman who has been living in Sweden for the past 25 years."Who's chairing this meeting?" "Sally Davies will be acting as chairwoman."