yeoman

noun

yeo·​man ˈyō-mən How to pronounce yeoman (audio)
1
a
: an attendant or officer in a royal or noble household
b
: a person attending or assisting another : retainer
d
: a naval petty officer who performs clerical duties
2
a
: a person who owns and cultivates a small farm
specifically : one belonging to a class of English freeholders below the gentry
b
: a person of the social rank of yeoman
3
: one that performs great and loyal service
did a yeoman's job in seeing the program through

Examples of yeoman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With all due respect to the yeoman’s work that Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson did for the Resident Evil adaptations over the years, Welcome to Raccoon City is actually the best Res movie to date. Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2024 The offensive line did yeoman’s work and Willis hit Reed in stride at the Jacksonville 40. Rob Reischel, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024 On the other hand, the Democratic-Republicans’ vision for the nation was based on the yeoman farmer with limited federal government and no standing army. Lindsay M. Chervinsky / Made By History, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024 Lessening the impact of wildfires and expediting recovery can help farms and ranches do yeoman’s work to support health and the economy. Andrew J. Whelton, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for yeoman 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English yoman, yeman

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of yeoman was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near yeoman

Cite this Entry

“Yeoman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yeoman. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

yeoman

noun
yeo·​man ˈyō-mən How to pronounce yeoman (audio)
1
a
: a servant in a royal or noble household
b
: a naval petty officer who works as a clerk
2
: a small landowning farmer

More from Merriam-Webster on yeoman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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