■ noun
1》 a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants.
2》 an association of people for mutual aid or the pursuit of a common goal.
3》 Ecology a group of species with similar roles within a community.
Derivatives
~sman noun ( plural ~smen ).
Origin
OE: prob. from Mid. Low Ger. and MDu. gilde , of Gmc origin; related to yield .