[wom.an] n, pl wom.en [ME, fr. OE wifman, fr. wif woman, wife + man human being, man] (bef. 12c) 1 a: an adult female person b: a woman belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation)--usu. used in combination "councilwoman"
2: womenkind
3: distinctively feminine nature: womanliness
4: a female servant or personal attendant
5. a chiefly dial: wife b: mistress c: girlfriend
2. -- woman adj -- wom.an.less adj