Man Definition

măn
manned, manning, mans, men
noun
men
A human being; person.
Webster's New World
An adult male human being.
Webster's New World
The human race; mankind.
Webster's New World
A human or an adult male human belonging to a specific occupation, group, nationality, or other category. Often used in combination.
A milkman; a congressman; a freeman.
American Heritage
Sometimes, a boy.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
verb
manned, manning, mans
To furnish with a labor force for work, defense, etc.
To man a ship.
Webster's New World
To supply with men, as for defense or service.
Man a ship.
American Heritage
To take assigned places in, on, or at for work or defense.
Man the guns!
Webster's New World
To strengthen; brace; fortify; nerve.
To man oneself for an ordeal.
Webster's New World
To tame or accustom (a hawk) to the presence of men.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
interjection
Used as an expletive to indicate intense feeling.
Man! That was close.
American Heritage
Used to provide emphasis.
Webster's New World
Used in a neutral way to preface or resume one's remarks.
Webster's New World

Used to place emphasis upon something or someone; sometimes, but not always, when actually addressing a man.

Man, that was a great catch!
(Geordie) Giv' is a bottle of dog man! [Dog here is referring to beer or brown ale.]
Wiktionary
abbreviation
Manila (paper)
Webster's New World
Manitoba.
Webster's New World
adjective
Male.
Webster's New World
affix
Man or person of a (specified) kind, in a (specified) activity, etc.
Webster's New World
idiom
as one man
  • In complete agreement; unanimously.
  • With no exception:

    They objected as one man.

American Heritage
(one's) own man
  • Independent in judgment and action.
American Heritage
to a man
  • Without exception:

    All were lost, to a man.

American Heritage
as a man
  • in unison; unanimously
Webster's New World
be one's own man
  • to be free and independent
Webster's New World

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Man

Origin of Man

  • From Middle English man, from Old English mann (“human being, person, man"), from Proto-Germanic *mann- (“human being, man"), probably from Proto-Indo-European *man- (“man") (compare also *men- (“mind")). Cognate with West Frisian man, Dutch man, German Mann (“man"), Norwegian mann (“man"), Old Swedish maþer (“man"), Swedish man, Russian муж (muž, “male person"), Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬱 (manuÅ¡), Sanskrit मनु (manu, “human being").

    From Wiktionary

  • The verb is from Middle English mannen, from Old English mannian, Ä¡emannian (“to man, supply with men, populate, garrison"), from mann (“human being, man"). Cognate with Dutch mannen (“to man"), German mannen (“to man"), Swedish bemanna (“to man"), Icelandic manna (“to supply with men, man").

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Old English mann man-1 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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