■ combining form
1》 in nouns denoting a man of a specified nationality or origin: Frenchman.
2》 in nouns denoting a person, especially a man, belonging to a specified group or having a specified occupation or role: layman | oarsman.
3》 a ship of a specified kind: merchantman.
Usage
The use of the form ~ to create words referring to an occupation or role, as in fireman and policeman , is now often regarded as outdated and sexist. As a result, there has been a move away from ~ compounds except where referring to a specific male person. Alternative gender-neutral terms which can be used instead include firefighter and police officer .