woman

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noun wom·an \ˈwu̇-mən, especially Southern ˈwō- or ˈwə-\

: an adult female human being

: a woman who has a specified job or position

: all women thought of as a group

plural wom·en \ˈwi-mən\

Full Definition of WOMAN

1

a :  an adult female person

b :  a woman belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation) —usually used in combination <councilwoman>

2

:  womankind

3

:  distinctively feminine nature :  womanliness

4

:  a woman who is a servant or personal attendant

5

a chiefly dialect :  wife

b :  mistress

c :  girlfriend 2

— woman adjective

— wom·an·less \-ləs\ adjective

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Examples of WOMAN

1. She was a shy and awkward girl who grew up to become a confident and beautiful woman.
2. She is a grown woman.
3. The store sells shoes for both men and women.
4. Do they have a cleaning woman?

Origin of WOMAN

Middle English, from Old English wīfman, from wīf woman, wife + man human being, man

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to WOMAN

Synonyms

female, lady, skirt [slang]

Related Words

dame, gentlewoman; madam, madame, senora (or señora); babe [slang], beauty, belle, chick [slang], damsel, doll, gal, girl, ingenue (or ingénue), lass, lassie, mademoiselle, maid, maiden, miss, senorita (or señorita)