manna

noun

man·​na ˈma-nə 

1

a

: food miraculously supplied to the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness

b

: divinely supplied spiritual nourishment

c

: a usually sudden and unexpected source of gratification, pleasure, or gain

2

a

: the sweetish dried exudate of a Eurasian ash (especially Fraxinus ornus) that contains mannitol and has been used as a laxative and demulcent

b

: a similar product excreted by a scale insect (Trabutina mannipara) feeding on the tamarisk

Synonyms

• delectation
• delight
• feast
• gas [slang]
• joy
• kick
• pleasure
• treat

Examples of manna in a Sentence

Your generous gift was manna from heaven.

the announcement that there would be a sequel was manna to the many fans of the original movie

Recent Examples on the Web

Lost and stranded on a narrow ledge on a frigid night, the father came upon a backpack that – like manna from heaven – was filled with emergency blankets, water, snacks, a small tent and other supplies. —Ray Sanchez, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025

Politicians say misleading things all the time, but Trump is setting himself up for failure by suggesting that fiscal balance will be easy and that tariffs will be like manna from heaven. —The Editors, National Review, 5 Mar. 2025

Lost and stranded on a narrow ledge on a frigid night, the father came upon a backpack that – like manna from heaven – was filled with emergency blankets, water, snacks, a small tent and other supplies. —Ray Sanchez, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025

Another unique element in the mix is manna, a natural sweetener culled from ash trees found in the area. —Catherine Sabino, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek, from Hebrew mān

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing manna

• manna grass

Rhymes for manna

• anna
• canna
• chana
• grana
• kana
• nana
• plana
• prana
• rana
• sanna
• shanna
• thana

Kids Definition

manna

noun

man·​na ˈman-ə 

1

: food miraculously supplied to the Israelites in the wilderness

2

: a usually sudden and unexpected source of pleasure or gain

Medical Definition

manna

noun

man·​na ˈman-ə 

1

: the sweetish dried exudate of a European ash (especially Fraxinus ornus) that contains mannitol and has been used as a laxative and demulcent

2

: a product that is similar to manna and is excreted by a scale insect (Trabutina mannipara) feeding on the tamarisk