n.
Pronunciation: ' man, in compounds ˌ man or m ə n
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural men \ ' men, in compounds ˌ men or m ə n \
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English man, mon human being, male human; akin to Old High German man human being, Sanskrit manu
Date: before 12th century
1 a (1) : an individual human especially : an adult male human (2) : a man belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation) ― usually used in combination <council man > (3) : HUSBAND (4) : LOVER b : the human race : HUMANKIND c : a bipedal primate mammal ( Homo sapiens ) that is anatomically related to the great apes but distinguished especially by notable development of the brain with a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning, is usually considered to form a variable number of freely interbreeding races, and is the sole living representative of the hominid family broadly : any living or extinct hominid d (1) : one possessing in high degree the qualities considered distinctive of manhood (2) obsolete : the quality or state of being manly : MANLINESS e : FELLOW , CHAP ― used as mode of familiar address f ― used interjectionally to express intensity of feeling < man , what a game>
2 a : INDIVIDUAL , PERSON <a man could get killed there> b : the individual who can fulfill or who has been chosen to fulfill one's requirements <she's your man >
3 a : a feudal tenant : VASSAL b : an adult male servant c plural : the working force as distinguished from the employer and usually the management
4 a : one of the distinctive objects moved by each player in various board games b : one of the players on a team
5 : an alumnus of or student at a college or university <a Bowdoin man >
6 Christian Science : the compound idea of infinite Spirit : the spiritual image and likeness of God : the full representation of Mind
7 often capitalized : POLICE <when I heard the siren, I knew it was the Man ― American Speech >
8 often capitalized : the white establishment : white society <surprise that any black ⋯ should take on so about The Man ― Peter Goldman>
9 : one extremely fond of or devoted to something specified <strictly a vanilla ice cream man >
– man · less \ ' man-l ə s \ adjective
– man · like \ - ˌ l ī k \ adjective
– as one man : with the agreement and consent of all : UNANIMOUSLY
– one's own man : free from interference or control : INDEPENDENT
– to a man : without exception