Main Entry: ¹man

Pronunciation: \ˈman, in compounds ˌman or mən\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural men \ˈmen, in compounds ˌmen or mən\

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 <councilman> (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 \ˈman-ləs\ adjective

— man·like \-ˌlīk\ 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