Noun
He was a shy boy, but he grew to be a strong and confident man.
He’s a grown man now.
The movie is popular with men and women.
Are you man enough to meet the challenge?
Verb
He stocked shelves while I manned the cash register.
We’ll need someone to man the phones this evening.
No one was manning the front desk.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Killed was a 21-year-old still-unidentified man who died of a stab wound to the chest, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
—
Deanese Williams-harris, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2023
This was a man absorbed into the community with ease.
—Zak Garner-purkis, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2023
The producer also says that in the end, the film is about one fictional man’s specific experience.
—Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Feb. 2023
Perhaps Biden may still be the right man for the job.
—Patrick T. Brown, CNN, 9 Feb. 2023
And Bette always wanted to be the man and had this aura of being very masculine and dominant.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Feb. 2023
Human remains found Saturday in a wooded area in Westfield has been determined to be a man who has been missing since 2019, State Police announced Wednesday in a statement.
—Claire Law, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Feb. 2023
And being a grateful man takes on a whole new meaning …
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 8 Feb. 2023
Despite falling short to Western 84-76 in double overtime, Butler junior Dayton Williams was a man on a mission Friday night.
—J.l. Kirven, The Courier-Journal, 6 Feb. 2023
The buffet—manned by Cucinelli’s personal chefs, with food enough for five hundred—stretches across some several dozen tables.
—Hazlitt, 22 Mar. 2023
So every single beat is covered by a patrol car, manned with officers.
—Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2023
Kenneth Nwuba admirably manned the post.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2023
Cantoral and her husband, Fabian Diaz, have run the place since 2018 when Diaz would come in at 4 a.m. to bake, then man the counter and kitchen until Cantoral — who stayed home with their infant son, three months old at the time — showed up at 10.
—Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2023
The entrance to the area was manned by security guards and metal detectors.
—Brett Williams, Men’s Health, 8 Mar. 2023
Daggett manned the lookout for 15 years during the summer wildlife season.
—Josh Lew, Treehugger, 8 Mar. 2023
Don, who is sixty-five, was manning the flight controls.
—Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023
At the Tabernacle show in 2019, Hakuta manned the merchandise table downstairs after the show.
—Rodney Ho, ajc, 2 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘man.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the word «man». For adult males, see Man. For other uses, see Man (disambiguation).
The term man (from Proto-Germanic *mann- «person») and words derived from it can designate any or even all of the human race regardless of their sex or age. In traditional usage, man (without an article) itself refers to the species or to humanity (mankind) as a whole.
The Germanic word developed into Old English mann. In Old English, the word still primarily meant «person» or «human,» and was used for men, women, and children alike.[1][2] The sense «adult male» was very rare, at least in the written language. That meaning is not recorded at all until about the year 1000, over a hundred years after the writings of Alfred the Great and perhaps nearly three centuries after Beowulf.[3] Male and female gender qualifiers were used with mann in compound words.
Adopting the term for humans in general to refer to men is a common development of Romance and Germanic languages, but is not found in most other European languages (Slavic čelověkъ vs. mǫžь, Greek ἄνθρωπος vs. άνδρας, Finnish ihminen vs. mies etc.).
Etymology[edit]
According to one etymology, Proto-Germanic *man-n- is derived from a Proto-Indo-European root *man-, *mon- or *men- (see Sanskrit/Avestan manu-, Slavic mǫž «man, male»).[4] The Slavic forms (Russian muzh «man, male» etc.) are derived from a suffixed stem *man-gyo-.[citation needed]
In Hindu mythology, Manu is the name of the traditional progenitor of humankind who survives a deluge and gives mankind laws. The hypothetically reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form *Manus may also have played a role in Proto-Indo-European religion based on this, if there is any connection with the figure of Mannus — reported by the Roman historian Tacitus in ca. AD 70 to be the name of a traditional ancestor of the Germanic peoples and son of Tuisto; modern sources other than Tacitus have reinterpreted this as «first man».[5]
In Old English the words wer and wīf were used to refer to «a male» and «a female» respectively, while mann had the primary meaning of «person» or «human» regardless of gender. Both wer and wyf may be used to qualify «man»; for example:
God gesceop ða æt fruman twegen men, wer and wif
(then at the beginning, God created two human beings, man and woman)[6]
These terms are also used to qualify compounds; wifmann (variant wimman) developed into the modern word «woman». Wæpned also meant «male», and was used to qualify «man»: wæpnedmann (variant wepman, «male person»). There was also the term wæpenwifestre, meaning either an armed woman, or a woman with a penis.[7] These terms were not restricted to adults; Old English also used wæpnedcild and wifcild, literally «male-child» and «female-child».[8][9] The Old English wer may survive today in the compound «werewolf» (from Old English werwulf, literally «man-wolf»).[10] See wer.
Some etymologies treat the root as an independent one, as does the American Heritage Dictionary. Of the etymologies that do make connections with other Indo-European roots, man «the thinker» is the most traditional — that is, the word is connected with the root *men- «to think» (cognate to mind). This etymology relies on humans describing themselves as «those who think» (see Human self-reflection). This etymology, however, is not generally accepted. A second potential etymology connects with Latin manus («hand»), which has the same form as Sanskrit manus.[11]
Another etymology postulates the reduction of the ancestor of «human» to the ancestor of «man». Human is from *dhghem-, «earth», thus implying *(dh)ghom-on- would be an «earthdweller». The latter word, when reduced to just its final syllable, would be merely *m-on-[citation needed]. This is the view of Eric Partridge, Origins, under man. Such a derivation might be credible if only the Germanic form was known, but the attested Indo-Iranian manu virtually excludes the possibility. Moreover, *(dh)ghom-on- is known to have survived in Old English not as mann but as guma, the ancestor of the second element of the Modern English word bridegroom.[12] However, there may have been a single lexeme whose paradigm eventually split into two distinct lexemes in Proto-Germanic. Moreover, according to Brugmann’s law, Sanskrit mánu, with its short a, implies a PIE reconstruction *menu- rather than *monu-, which would lead to an expected but not attested cognate **minn- in Proto-Germanic.[13]
In the late twentieth century, the generic meaning of «man» declined (but is also continued in compounds «mankind», «everyman», «no-man», etc.).[14] The same thing has happened to the Latin word homo: in most of the Romance languages, homme, uomo, hombre, homem have come to refer mainly to males, with a residual generic meaning. The exception is Romanian, where om refers to a ‘human’, vs. bărbat (male).
The inflected forms of Old English mann are:[15]
| sg. | pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| nom. | mann | menn |
| acc. | mann | menn |
| gen. | mannes | manna |
| dat. | menn | mannum |
The inflected forms of Old High German word for man (without i-mutation) are:[16]
| sg. | pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| nom. | man | man |
| acc. | manann, also man | man |
| gen. | mannes | mannô |
| dat. | manne, also man | mannum, mannun, mannom, mannen |
The inflected forms of the Old Norse word for man, maðr, are:[17]
| sg. | pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| nom. | maðr | menn |
| acc. | mann | menn |
| gen. | manns | manna |
| dat. | manni | mǫnnum |
Modern usage[edit]
The word «man» is still used in its generic meaning in literary English.
The verb to man (i.e. «to furnish [a fortress or a ship] with a company of men») dates to early Middle English.
The word has been applied generally as a suffix in modern combinations like «fireman», «policeman» and «mailman». With social changes in the later 20th century, new gender-neutral terms were coined, such as «firefighter», «police officer» and «mail carrier», to redress the gender-specific connotations of occupational names. Social theorists argued that the confusion of man as human and man as male were linguistic symptoms of male-centric definitions of humanity.[18]
In US American slang, man! also came to be used as an interjection, not necessarily addressing the listener but simply added for emphasis, much like boy!, and similarly, dude!
Also, in American English, the expression «The Man», referring to «the oppressive powers that be», originated in the Southern United States in the 20th century, and became widespread in the urban underworld from the 1950s.
Use of man- as a prefix and in composition usually denotes the generic meaning of «human», as in mankind, man-eating, man-made, etc. In some instances, when modifying gender-neutral nouns, the prefix may also denote masculine gender, as in manservant (17th century). In the context of the culture war of the 2000s to 2010s, man was introduced as a derogatory prefix in feminist jargon in some instances,[19] in neologisms such as mansplaining (2008) manspreading (2014), etc.
See also[edit]
Look up Man or man in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
- Were
- Names for the human species
- Last man
- Gender neutrality in English
- Manu and Yemo
References[edit]
- ^ Rauer, Christine (January 2017). «Mann and Gender in Old English Prose: A Pilot Study». Neophilologus. 101 (1): 139–158. doi:10.1007/s11061-016-9489-1. hdl:10023/8978. S2CID 55817181.
- ^ Online Etymology Dictionary s.v. «man» Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary s.v. «man». Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- ^ American Heritage Dictionary, Appendix I: Indo-European Roots. man-1 Archived 2006-05-19 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 2007-07-22.
- ^ Annihilating Difference: The Anthropology of Genocide, p. 12, Alexander Laban Hinton, University of California Press, 2002
- ^ Rauer, Christine (January 2017). «Mann and Gender in Old English Prose: A Pilot Study» (PDF). Neophilologus. 101 (1): 139–158. doi:10.1007/s11061-016-9489-1. hdl:10023/8978. S2CID 55817181., translation from this CC-BY 4.0 source
- ^ Thomas Wright (1884). Anglo Saxon and Old English Vocabularies (1 ed.). London, Trübner & Co. p. 814. ISBN 9780598901620.
- ^ John Richard Clark Hall (1916). A Concise Anglo−Saxon Dictionary (PDF) (2 ed.). CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS. p. 788. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ^ Huisman, Rosemary (Jan 2008). «Narrative sociotemporality and complementary gender roles in Anglo-Saxon society: the relevance of wifmann and wæpnedmann to a plot summary of the Old English poem Beowulf». Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association. 4. (weak source, but supports only the spelling variants given for clarity)
- ^ (full or condensed, not concise) Oxford English Dictionary
- ^ George Hempl, «Etymologies», The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 22, No. 4 (1901), pp. 426-431, The Johns Hopkins University Press [1]
- ^ Online Etymology Dictionary s.v. bridegroom. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013). Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic. Leiden, NL: Brill. pp. 353f. ISBN 978-90-04-18340-7.
- ^ «man, n.1 (and int.).» OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2015. Web. 13 November 2015.
- ^ Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson, A Guide to Old English, 6th ed p. 29.
- ^ Karl August Hahn, Althochdeutsche Grammatik, p. 37.
- ^ Old Norse Lesson Seven by Óskar Guðlaugsson and Haukur Þorgeirsson
- ^ Dale Spender, 1980. Man-Made Language.
- ^ Clark, Imogen, and Andrea Grant. «Sexuality and danger in the field: starting an uncomfortable Conversation.» JASO: Special Issue on Sexual Harassment in the Field (2015): 1-14.
- Top Definitions
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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
noun, plural men [men]. /mɛn/.
a member of the species Homo sapiens or all the members of this species collectively, without regard to sex: prehistoric man.
the human individual as representing the species, without reference to sex; the human race; humankind: Man hopes for peace, but prepares for war.
a human being; person: to give a man a chance; When the audience smelled the smoke, it was every man for himself.
a husband: I now pronounce you man and wife.
a male lover or sweetheart.
a male follower or subordinate: the king’s men; He’s the boss’s number one man.
a male employee or representative, especially of a company or agency: a Secret Service man; a man from the utility company.
a male having qualities considered typical of men or appropriately masculine: Be a man. The army will make a man of you.
a male servant.
a valet: He asked his man to prepare a valise for the weekend.
an enthusiast or devotee: I like jazz, but I’m essentially a classics man.
Slang. a male friend or ally: You’re my main man.
a term of familiar address to a man; fellow: Now, now, my good man, please calm down.
Slang. a term of familiar address to a man or a woman: Hey, man, how’s it going?
one of the figures, disks, etc., used in playing certain games, as chess or checkers: You can move your men each turn diagonally forward, to the left or to the right.
the man or the Man ,Slang.
- a person or group asserting authority or power over another, especially in a manner experienced as being oppressive, demeaning, or threatening, as the government, an employer, or the police.
- a privileged racial group, especially when exerting a dominating social, cultural, or economic influence.
- Sometimes da man . a person of impressive accomplishment; one who excels.
- a drug dealer.
Obsolete. manly character or courage.
History/Historical. a liegeman; vassal.
verb (used with object), manned, man·ning.
to furnish with people, as for service or defense:to man the ship.
to take one’s place at, as for service: to man the ramparts;to man the phones.
to strengthen, fortify, or brace; steel: to man oneself for the dangers ahead.
Falconry. to accustom (a hawk) to the presence of people.
interjection
Slang. an expression of surprise, enthusiasm, dismay, or other strong feeling: Man, what a ball game!
Verb Phrases
man up, Informal. to act in a typically masculine way, as in taking responsibility or making tough decisions: He should man up and meet the challenge.
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Idioms about man
- to be free from restrictions, control, or dictatorial influence; be independent: Now that he has a business he is his own man.
- to be in complete command of one’s faculties: After a refreshing nap he was again his own man.
as one man, in complete agreement or accord; unanimously: They arose as one man to protest the verdict.
be one’s own man,
man and boy, ever since childhood: He’s been working that farm, man and boy, for more than 50 years.
man’s man, a man who exemplifies masculine qualities.
to a man, with no exception; everyone; all: To a man, the members of the team did their best.
Origin of man
First recorded before 900; Middle English “human being, person, mankind, adult male, husband,” Old English man(n) “human being, person, servant, vassal”; cognate with German Mann, Dutch man, Old Norse mathr, Gothic manna; akin to Sanskrit mánu- “human being, man,” Polish mąż “husband,” Russian muzh “man, husband”; see also muzhik
synonym study for man
Man, male, gentleman are nouns referring to an adult male human being, one paradigm of gender and biological sex. Man is the most general and most commonly used of the three; it can be neutral, lacking either favorable or unfavorable implication: a wealthy man; a man of strong character, of unbridled appetites. It can also signify possession of the most typical or traditional masculine qualities: to take one’s punishment like a man. Male emphasizes the physical or sexual characteristics of a man; it may also refer to an animal or plant: a male in his prime; two males and three females in the pack; a male of the genus Ilex. In scientific and statistical use, male is the neutral contrastive term to female : 104 females to every 100 males; Among birds, the male is often more colorful than the female. Gentleman, once used only of men of high social rank, now also specifies a man of courtesy and consideration: a real gentleman; to behave like a gentleman. Gentleman is also used as a polite term of reference ( This gentleman is waiting for a table ) or, only in the plural, of address ( Are we ready to begin, gentlemen? ). See also manly, male.
usage note for man
The use of man1 to mean “human being,” both alone and in compounds such as mankind, has met with objection in recent years, and the use is declining. The objection is based on the idea that man is most commonly used as an exclusive, sex-marked noun meaning “male human being.” Critics of the use of man as a generic maintain that it is sometimes ambiguous when the wider sense is intended ( Man has built magnificent civilizations in the desert ), but more often flatly discriminatory in that it slights or ignores the membership of women in the human race: The man in the street wants peace, not war.
Although some editors and writers reject or disregard these objections to man as a generic, many now choose instead to use such terms as human being ( s ), human race, humankind, people, or, when called for by style or context, women and men or men and women. See also -man, -person, -woman.
OTHER WORDS FROM man
man·less, adjectiveman·less·ly, adverbman·less·ness, nounman·ness, noun
Words nearby man
mampara, mampoer, Ma’mun, al-, Mamurius, mamzer, man, mana, man about town, manacle, manada, Manado
Other definitions for man (2 of 5)
noun
Isle of, an island of the British Isles, in the Irish Sea. 227 sq. mi. (588 sq. km). Capital: Douglas.
Other definitions for man (3 of 5)
a combining form of man: layman; postman.
usage note for -man
The sex-neutral use of -man as the last element in compounds referring to a person who performs some function ( anchorman; chairman; spokesman ) has declined a great deal in recent years. If the reference is to a specific male person, the male form is often, but not always, used: Roy Johnston, Channel 83 news anchorman. In many instances, the sex-neutral -person is substituted for -man when the sex of the individual involved is unknown or irrelevant: anchorperson; chairperson; spokesperson. And sometimes, when possible, a form with no suffix at all is used: Roy Johnston, Channel 83 news anchor.
All terms historically ending in -man that designate specific occupations ( foreman; mailman; policeman; repairman; etc.) were dropped in favor of sex-neutral terms in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), published by the U.S. Dept. of Labor in 1977. DOT terms for the occupations listed above are supervisor, mail or letter carrier, police officer (or just officer ), repairer (as in radio repairer ). Many industries and business firms have adopted similar sex-neutral occupational titles.
One -man compound, freshman, is still the term generally used in high schools and colleges and in Congress, and it is applied to all first-year students regardless of their sex. As a modifier, the singular form freshman is used with both singular and plural nouns: a freshman athlete; freshman legislators. See also chairperson, man, -person, -woman.
Other definitions for man (4 of 5)
Other definitions for man (5 of 5)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to man
brother, chap, father, fellow, guy, husband, son, dude, bloke, bro, cat, beau, boyfriend, gentleman, gent, grandfather, nephew, papa, sir, spouse
How to use man in a sentence
-
In the first episode, an officer is shown video of himself shooting and killing a man.
-
That man was Xavier Cortada, a gay man who wrote of his frustration that he and his partner of eight years were unable to marry.
-
It is the summit of human happiness: the surrender of man to God, of woman to man, of several women to the same man.
-
But no more so than the Sodexo building maintenance man or the two cops who were also killed in the crossfire.
-
He looks like a man who should have had kids, but now never will.
-
Davy looked around and saw an old man coming toward them across the lawn.
-
The supernaturalist alleges that religion was revealed to man by God, and that the form of this revelation is a sacred book.
-
The most High hath created medicines out of the earth, and a wise man will not abhor them.
-
He remembered something—the cherished pose of being a man plunged fathoms-deep in business.
-
On the thirteenth of the same month they bound to the stake, in order to burn alive, a man who had two religious in his house.
British Dictionary definitions for man (1 of 4)
noun plural men (mɛn)
an adult male human being, as distinguished from a woman
(modifier) male; masculinea man child
archaic a human being regardless of sex or age, considered as a representative of mankind; a person
(sometimes capital) human beings collectively; mankindthe development of man
Also called: modern man
- a member of any of the living races of Homo sapiens, characterized by erect bipedal posture, a highly developed brain, and powers of articulate speech, abstract reasoning, and imagination
- any extinct member of the species Homo sapiens, such as Cro-Magnon man
a member of any of the extinct species of the genus Homo, such as Java man, Heidelberg man, and Solo man
an adult male human being with qualities associated with the male, such as courage or virilitybe a man
manly qualities or virtuesthe man in him was outraged
- a subordinate, servant, or employee contrasted with an employer or manager
- (in combination)the number of man-days required to complete a job
(usually plural) a member of the armed forces who does not hold commissioned, warrant, or noncommissioned rank (as in the phrase officers and men)
a member of a group, team, etc
a husband, boyfriend, etcman and wife
an expression used parenthetically to indicate an informal relationship between speaker and hearer
a movable piece in various games, such as draughts
Southern African slang any person: used as a term of address
a vassal of a feudal lord
as one man with unanimous action or response
be one’s own man to be independent or free
he’s your man he’s the person needed (for a particular task, role, job, etc)
man and boy from childhood
sort out the men from the boys or separate the men from the boys to separate the experienced from the inexperienced
to a man
- unanimously
- without exceptionthey were slaughtered to a man
interjection
informal an exclamation or expletive, often indicating surprise or pleasure
verb mans, manning or manned (tr)
to provide with sufficient people for operation, defence, etcto man the phones
to take one’s place at or near in readiness for action
falconry to induce (a hawk or falcon) to endure the presence of and handling by man, esp strangers
Derived forms of man
manless, adjective
Word Origin for man
Old English mann; related to Old Frisian man, Old High German man, Dutch man, Icelandic mathr
usage for man
The use of man to mean human beings in general is often considered sexist. Gender-neutral alternatives include human beings, people and humankind . The verb to man can also often be replaced by to staff, to operate and related words
British Dictionary definitions for man (2 of 4)
noun the Man (sometimes not capital) US
Black slang a White man or White men collectively, esp when in authority, in the police, or held in contempt
slang a drug peddler
British Dictionary definitions for man (3 of 4)
noun
Isle of Man an island in the British Isles, in the Irish Sea between Cumbria and Northern Ireland: a UK Crown Dependency (but not part of the United Kingdom), with its own ancient parliament, the Court of Tynwald; a dependency of Norway until 1266, when for a time it came under Scottish rule; its own language, Manx, became extinct in the 19th century but has been revived to some extent. Capital: Douglas. Pop: 86 159 (2013 est). Area: 588 sq km (227 sq miles)
British Dictionary definitions for man (4 of 4)
n combining form
indicating a person who has a role, works in a place, or operates equipment as specifiedsalesman; barman; cameraman
usage for -man
The use of words ending in -man is avoided as implying a male in job advertisements, where sexual discrimination is illegal, and in many other contexts where a term that is not gender-specific is available, such as salesperson, barperson, camera operator
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with man
In addition to the idioms beginning with man
- man about town
- man in the street
- man of few words
- man of his word
- man of the moment
- man of the world
- many a
- many hands make light work
- many happy returns
- many is the
also see:
- as one (man)
- company man
- dead soldier (man)
- dirty joke (old man)
- every man for himself
- every man has his price
- girl (man) Friday
- hatchet man
- hired hand (man)
- ladies’ man
- low man on the totem pole
- marked man
- new person (man)
- no man is an island
- odd man out
- (man) of few words
- one man’s meat is another man’s poison
- own man
- right-hand man
- see a man about a dog
- to a man
Also see undermen.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
|
WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023 man1 /mæn/USA pronunciation n.
interj.
v. [~ + object]
Idioms
-man, suffix.
-man- , root.
-man- , root.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023 man1
v.t. interj. man′less, adj.
man2
Man
-man,
etc.) were dropped in favor of sex-neutral terms in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), published by the U.S. Dept. of Labor in 1977. DOT terms for the occupations listed above are supervisor, mail or letter carrier, police officer (or just officer), repairer (as in radio repairer). Many industries and business firms have adopted similar sex-neutral occupational titles. One —man compound, freshman, is still the term generally used in high schools and colleges and in Congress, and it is applied to both sexes. As a modifier, the singular form freshman is used with both singular and plural nouns:a freshman athlete; freshman legislators.See also chairperson, man, -person, -woman.
man.,
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: man /mæn/ n ( pl men /mɛn/)
interj
vb (mans, manning, manned)(transitive)
Etymology: Old English mann; related to Old Frisian man, Old High German man, Dutch man, Icelandic mathr Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: Man /mæn/ n the Man ⇒ (sometimes not capital) US
Man /mæn/ n
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: -man n combining form
The use of words ending in -man is avoided as implying a male in job advertisements, where sexual discrimination is illegal, and in many other contexts where a term that is not gender-specific is available, such as salesperson, barperson, camera operator ‘man‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): |
|
man
(măn)
n. pl. men (mĕn)
1. An adult male human.
2. A human regardless of sex or age; a person.
3. 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.
4. The human race; mankind: man’s quest for peace.
5. A male human endowed with qualities, such as strength, considered characteristic of manhood.
6. Informal
a. A husband.
b. A male lover or sweetheart.
7. men
a. Workers.
b. Enlisted personnel of the armed forces: officers and men.
8. A male representative, as of a country or company: our man in Tokyo.
9. A male servant or subordinate.
10. Informal Used as a familiar form of address for a man: See here, my good man!
11. One who swore allegiance to a lord in the Middle Ages; a vassal.
12. Games Any of the pieces used in a board game, such as chess or checkers.
13. Nautical A ship. Often used in combination: a merchantman; a man-of-war.
14. often Man Slang A person or group felt to be in a position of power or authority. Used with the: «Their writing mainly concerns the street life—the pimp, the junky, the forces of drug addiction, exploitation at the hands of ‘the man'» (Black World).
tr.v. manned, man·ning, mans
1. To supply with men, as for defense or service: man a ship.
2. To take stations at, as to defend or operate: manned the guns.
3. To fortify or brace: manned himself for the battle ahead.
interj.
Used as an expletive to indicate intense feeling: Man! That was close.
Phrasal Verb:
man up
Slang To take an action displaying stereotypically masculine virtues such as decisiveness or courage.
Idioms:
as one man
1. In complete agreement; unanimously.
2. With no exception: They objected as one man.
(one’s) own man
Independent in judgment and action.
to a man
Without exception: All were lost, to a man.
Usage Note: Traditionally, many writers have used man and words derived from it to designate any or all of the human race regardless of sex. In fact, this is the oldest use of the word. In Old English the principal sense of man was «a human,» and the words wer and wyf (or wæpman and wifman) were used to refer to «a male human» and «a female human» respectively. But in Middle English man displaced wer as the term for «a male human,» while wyfman (which evolved into present-day woman) was retained for «a female human.» Man also continued to carry its original sense of «a human,» resulting in an asymmetric arrangement that many criticize as sexist. Despite the objections to the generic use of man, a solid majority of the Usage Panel still approves of it. For example, the sentence If early man suffered from a lack of information, modern man is tyrannized by an excess of it was acceptable to 79 percent of the Panel in our 2004 survey, and the sentence The site shows that man learned to use tools much earlier than scientists believed possible was acceptable to 75 percent. However, only 48 percent approved of the generic plural form of man, as in Men learned to use tools more than ten thousand years ago, probably because the plural, unlike the singular man, suggests that one is referring to actual men of ten thousand years ago, taking them as representative of the species. · A substantial majority of the Panel also accepts compound words derived from generic man, and resistance to these compounds does not appear to be increasing. In the 2004 survey, 87 percent accepted the sentence The Great Wall is the only manmade structure visible from space—essentially the same percentage that accepted this sentence in 1988 (86 percent). In the 2004 survey, 86 percent also accepted The first manmade fiber to be commercially manufactured in the US was rayon, in 1910, suggesting that context makes no difference on this issue. · As a verb, man was originally used in military and nautical contexts, when the group performing the action consisted entirely of men. In the days when only men manned the decks, there was no need for a different word to include women. Today, the verb form of man can be considered sexist when the subject includes or is limited to women, as in the sentence Members of the League of Women Voters will be manning the registration desk. But in our 2004 survey only 26 percent of the Usage Panel considered this sentence to be unacceptable. This is noticeably fewer Panelists than the 56 percent who rejected this same sentence in 1988. This suggests that for many people the issue of the generic use of man is not as salient as it once was. See Usage Notes at chairman, -ess, men.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
man
(mæn)
n, pl men (mɛn)
1. an adult male human being, as distinguished from a woman
2. (modifier) male; masculine: a man child.
3. archaic a human being regardless of sex or age, considered as a representative of mankind; a person
4. (sometimes capital) human beings collectively; mankind: the development of man.
5. (Anthropology & Ethnology)
a. a member of any of the living races of Homo sapiens, characterized by erect bipedal posture, a highly developed brain, and powers of articulate speech, abstract reasoning, and imagination
b. any extinct member of the species Homo sapiens, such as Cro-Magnon man
6. (Zoology)
a. a member of any of the living races of Homo sapiens, characterized by erect bipedal posture, a highly developed brain, and powers of articulate speech, abstract reasoning, and imagination
b. any extinct member of the species Homo sapiens, such as Cro-Magnon man
7. (Anthropology & Ethnology) a member of any of the extinct species of the genus Homo, such as Java man, Heidelberg man, and Solo man
8. (Zoology) a member of any of the extinct species of the genus Homo, such as Java man, Heidelberg man, and Solo man
9. an adult male human being with qualities associated with the male, such as courage or virility: be a man.
10. manly qualities or virtues: the man in him was outraged.
11.
a. a subordinate, servant, or employee contrasted with an employer or manager
b. (in combination): the number of man-days required to complete a job.
12. (Military) (usually plural) a member of the armed forces who does not hold commissioned, warrant, or noncommissioned rank (as in the phrase officers and men)
13. (Military) a member of a group, team, etc
14. a husband, boyfriend, etc: man and wife.
15. an expression used parenthetically to indicate an informal relationship between speaker and hearer
16. (Games, other than specified) a movable piece in various games, such as draughts
17. slang South African any person: used as a term of address
18. (Historical Terms) a vassal of a feudal lord
19. as one man with unanimous action or response
20. be one’s own man to be independent or free
21. he’s your man he’s the person needed (for a particular task, role, job, etc)
22. man and boy from childhood
23. sort out the men from the boys separate the men from the boys to separate the experienced from the inexperienced
24. to a man
a. unanimously
b. without exception: they were slaughtered to a man.
interj
informal an exclamation or expletive, often indicating surprise or pleasure
vb (tr) , mans, manning or manned
25. to provide with sufficient people for operation, defence, etc: to man the phones.
26. to take one’s place at or near in readiness for action
27. (Falconry) falconry to induce (a hawk or falcon) to endure the presence of and handling by man, esp strangers
[Old English mann; related to Old Frisian man, Old High German man, Dutch man, Icelandic mathr]
ˈmanless adj
Usage: The use of man and mankind to mean human beings in general is often considered sexist. Gender-neutral alternatives include human beings, people and humankind. The verb to man can also often be replaced by to staff, to operate and related words. Gender-neutral alternatives to manpower include personnel and staff.
Man
(mæn)
n (sometimes not capital)
1. Black slang a White man or White men collectively, esp when in authority, in the police, or held in contempt
2. (Recreational Drugs) slang a drug peddler
Man
(mæn)
n
(Placename) Isle of Man an island in the British Isles, in the Irish Sea between Cumbria and Northern Ireland: a UK Crown Dependency (but not part of the United Kingdom), with its own ancient parliament, the Court of Tynwald; a dependency of Norway until 1266, when for a time it came under Scottish rule; its own language, Manx, became extinct in the 19th century but has been revived to some extent. Capital: Douglas. Pop: 86 159 (2013 est). Area: 588 sq km (227 sq miles)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
man
(mæn)
n., pl. men, n.
1. an adult male person, as distinguished from a boy or a woman.
2. a member of the species Homo sapiens or all the members of this species collectively, without regard to sex.
3. the human individual as representing the species, without reference to sex; the human race; humankind: Man hopes for peace.
4. a human being; person: every man for himself.
5. a husband.
6. a male lover or sweetheart.
7. a male having qualities considered appropriately masculine: made a man of him.
8. a male servant or attendant.
9. a feudal tenant; vassal.
10. Slang. a male friend; ally: my main man.
11. Slang. (used as a term of familiar address): Man, take it easy.
12. a playing piece used in certain games, as chess or checkers.
13. Obs. manly character.
14. the man or Man, Slang.
a. an authoritative or controlling person or group.
b. (among blacks) white persons collectively; white society.
c. a person who is greatly admired: He’s the man.
interj.
15. (used to express astonishment or delight): Man, what a car!
v.t.
16. to supply with people, as for service: to man the ship.
17. to take one’s place at: to man the ramparts; to man the phones.
18. to strengthen; fortify: to man yourself for danger.
Idioms:
1. one’s own man, free from restrictions or influences; independent.
2. man and boy, ever since childhood: He’s been working, man and boy, for 50 years.
3. to a man, including everyone.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English man(n), c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon mann, Old High German man(n), Old Norse mathr, Gothic manna]
usage: The use of generic man (“human being”), alone and in compounds such as mankind, is declining. Critics of generic man maintain that its use is sometimes ambiguous and often slighting of women. Although some editors and writers dismiss these objections, many now choose instead such terms as human(s), human being(s), human race, humankind, people, or, when necessary, men and women or women and men. See also -man, -person, -woman.
Man
(mæn)
n.
Isle of, an island of the British Isles, in the Irish Sea. 73,837; 227 sq. mi. (588 sq. km). Cap.: Douglas.
-man
a combining form of man: layman; postman.
usage: The use of -man as the last element in compounds referring to a person of either sex who performs some function (anchorman; chairman; spokesman) has declined in recent years. In some instances the sex-neutral -person is substituted for -man (anchorperson; spokesperson), and sometimes a form with no suffix at all is used (anchor; chair). Terms ending in -man that designate specific occupations (foreman; mailman; policeman, etc.) have been dropped by the U.S. government in favor of neutral terms, and many industries and business firms have done likewise. The compounds freshman, underclassman, and upperclassman are still generally used in schools, freshman in Congress also, and they are applied to both sexes. The term first-year student is increasingly common as an alternative to freshman. As a modifier, freshman is used with both singular and plural nouns: a freshman athlete; freshman legislators. See also man, -person, -woman.
Man.
1. Manila.
2. Manitoba.
man.
manual.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
man
1. ‘man’
A man is an adult male human being. The plural of man is men.
Larry was a handsome man of about 50.
Two men got on the bus.
Man is sometimes used to refer to human beings in general. For example, instead of saying ‘Human beings are destroying the environment’, you can say ‘Man is destroying the environment’. When man has this meaning, don’t use ‘the’ in front of it.
Man is always searching for new knowledge.
Massage is one of the oldest forms of treatment known to man.
Men is sometimes used to refer to all human beings, considered as individuals.
All men are born equal.
Darwin concluded that men were descended from apes.
2. ‘mankind’
Mankind is used to refer to all human beings, considered as a group.
His only desire is to help mankind.
Some people do not like the use of man, men, and mankind to refer to human beings of both sexes, because they think it suggests that men are more important than women. You can use people instead.
All people are born equal.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
man
Past participle: manned
Gerund: manning
| Imperative |
|---|
| man |
| man |
| Present |
|---|
| I man |
| you man |
| he/she/it mans |
| we man |
| you man |
| they man |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I manned |
| you manned |
| he/she/it manned |
| we manned |
| you manned |
| they manned |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am manning |
| you are manning |
| he/she/it is manning |
| we are manning |
| you are manning |
| they are manning |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have manned |
| you have manned |
| he/she/it has manned |
| we have manned |
| you have manned |
| they have manned |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was manning |
| you were manning |
| he/she/it was manning |
| we were manning |
| you were manning |
| they were manning |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had manned |
| you had manned |
| he/she/it had manned |
| we had manned |
| you had manned |
| they had manned |
| Future |
|---|
| I will man |
| you will man |
| he/she/it will man |
| we will man |
| you will man |
| they will man |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have manned |
| you will have manned |
| he/she/it will have manned |
| we will have manned |
| you will have manned |
| they will have manned |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be manning |
| you will be manning |
| he/she/it will be manning |
| we will be manning |
| you will be manning |
| they will be manning |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been manning |
| you have been manning |
| he/she/it has been manning |
| we have been manning |
| you have been manning |
| they have been manning |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been manning |
| you will have been manning |
| he/she/it will have been manning |
| we will have been manning |
| you will have been manning |
| they will have been manning |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been manning |
| you had been manning |
| he/she/it had been manning |
| we had been manning |
| you had been manning |
| they had been manning |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would man |
| you would man |
| he/she/it would man |
| we would man |
| you would man |
| they would man |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have manned |
| you would have manned |
| he/she/it would have manned |
| we would have manned |
| you would have manned |
| they would have manned |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  man — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman); «there were two women and six men on the bus»
adult male adult male body, man’s body — the body of an adult man adult, grownup — a fully developed person from maturity onward male person, male — a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies Black man — a man who is Black white man — a man who is White baboo, babu — used as a Hindi courtesy title; equivalent to English `Mr’ bachelor, unmarried man — a man who has never been married bey — (formerly) a title of respect for a man in Turkey or Egypt; «he introduced me to Ahmet Bey» boy — a friendly informal reference to a grown man; «he likes to play golf with the boys» beau, boyfriend, swain, young man, fellow — a man who is the lover of a girl or young woman; «if I’d known he was her boyfriend I wouldn’t have asked» ex-boyfriend — a man who is no longer a woman’s boyfriend bruiser, strapper, bull, Samson — a large and strong and heavyset man; «he was a bull of a man»; «a thick-skinned bruiser ready to give as good as he got» dandy, fashion plate, fop, gallant, sheik, dude, beau, clotheshorse, swell — a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance ejaculator — a man who ejaculates semen Esq, Esquire — a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name castrate, eunuch — a man who has been castrated and is incapable of reproduction; «eunuchs guarded the harem» father figure, father surrogate — a man who takes over all the functions of the real father father-figure — a man (often a powerful or influential man) who arouses emotions usually felt for your real father and with whom you identify psychologically buster, dude, fellow — an informal form of address for a man; «Say, fellow, what are you doing?»; «Hey buster, what’s up?» galoot — a disreputable or clumsy man geezer — a man who is (usually) old and/or eccentric gentleman — a man of refinement divorced man, grass widower — a man who is divorced from (or separated from) his wife guy, hombre, bozo, cat — an informal term for a youth or man; «a nice guy»; «the guy’s only doing it for some doll» Herr — a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English Hooray Henry — a lively and ineffectual upper-class young man housefather — a man in charge of children in an institution hunk — a well-built sexually attractive man ex, ex-husband — a man who was formerly a certain woman’s husband inamorato — a man with whom you are in love or have an intimate relationship iron man, ironman — a strong man of exceptional physical endurance ironside — a man of great strength or bravery adonis — any handsome young man middle-aged man — a man who is roughly between 45 and 65 years old Monsieur — used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English `Mr’ old boy, old man — a familiar term of address for a man graybeard, greybeard, old man, Methuselah — a man who is very old paterfamilias, patriarch — the male head of family or tribe Peter Pan — a boyish or immature man; after the boy in Barrie’s play who never grows up ponce — a man who is effeminate in his manner and fussy in the way he dresses posseman — an able-bodied man serving as a member of a posse Senhor — a Portuguese title of respect; equivalent to English `Mr’ shaver — an adult male who shaves signior, signor — used as an Italian courtesy title; can be prefixed to the name or used separately signore — an Italian title of respect for a man; equivalent to the English `sir’; used separately (not prefixed to his name) sir — term of address for a man stiff — an ordinary man; «a lucky stiff»; «a working stiff» he-man, macho-man, stud — a man who is virile and sexually active Tarzan — (sometimes used ironically) a man of great strength and agility (after the hero of a series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs) widower, widowman — a man whose wife is dead especially one who has not remarried philanderer, womaniser, womanizer — a man who likes many women and has short sexual relationships with them adult female, woman — an adult female person (as opposed to a man); «the woman kept house while the man hunted» |
| 2. |  man — someone who serves in the armed forces; a member of a military force; «two men stood sentry duty»
military man, serviceman, military personnel military force, military group, military unit, force — a unit that is part of some military service; «he sent Caesar a force of six thousand men» armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine — the military forces of a nation; «their military is the largest in the region»; «the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker» air force officer, commander — an officer in the airforce artilleryman, cannoneer, gunner, machine gunner — a serviceman in the artillery bluejacket, navy man, sailor boy, sailor — a serviceman in the navy commando, ranger — a member of a military unit trained as shock troops for hit-and-run raids conscript, draftee, inductee — someone who is drafted into military service enlisted person — a serviceman who ranks below a commissioned officer devil dog, leatherneck, Marine, shipboard soldier — a member of the United States Marine Corps military officer, officer — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command; «an officer is responsible for the lives of his men» noncombatant — a member of the armed forces who does not participate in combat (e.g. a chaplain or surgeon) occupier — a member of a military force who is residing in a conquered foreign country skilled worker, skilled workman, trained worker — a worker who has acquired special skills striper — a serviceman who wears stripes on the uniform to indicate rank or years of service; «he’s a four-striper» ex-serviceman, vet, veteran — a person who has served in the armed forces veteran, veteran soldier — a serviceman who has seen considerable active service; «the veterans laughed at the new recruits» military volunteer, voluntary, volunteer — (military) a person who freely enlists for service |
|
| 3. |  man — the generic use of the word to refer to any human being; «it was every man for himself»
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul — a human being; «there was too much for one person to do» |
|
| 4. |  man — any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage
human, human being, homo lumbus, loin — either side of the backbone between the hipbone and the ribs in humans as well as quadrupeds hominid — a primate of the family Hominidae genus Homo — type genus of the family Hominidae human beings, human race, humankind, humans, mankind, humanity, world, man — all of the living human inhabitants of the earth; «all the world loves a lover»; «she always used `humankind’ because `mankind’ seemed to slight the women» Homo erectus — extinct species of primitive hominid with upright stature but small brain; «Homo erectus was formerly called Pithecanthropus erectus» Homo soloensis — extinct primitive hominid of late Pleistocene; Java; formerly Javanthropus Homo habilis — extinct species of upright East African hominid having some advanced humanlike characteristics Homo sapiens — the only surviving hominid; species to which modern man belongs; bipedal primate having language and ability to make and use complex tools; brain volume at least 1400 cc Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, Neandertal, Neandertal man, Neanderthal, Neanderthal man — extinct robust human of Middle Paleolithic in Europe and western Asia body, organic structure, physical structure — the entire structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being); «he felt as if his whole body were on fire» chassis, bod, human body, material body, physical body, physique, build, anatomy, figure, flesh, frame, shape, soma, form — alternative names for the body of a human being; «Leonardo studied the human body»; «he has a strong physique»; «the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak» body hair — short hair growing over a person’s body head of hair, mane — growth of hair covering the scalp of a human being human head — the head of a human being side — either the left or right half of a body; «he had a pain in his side» foot, human foot, pes — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint; «his bare feet projected from his trousers»; «armored from head to foot» arm — a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb hand, manus, mitt, paw — the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb; «he had the hands of a surgeon»; «he extended his mitt» face, human face — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear; «he washed his face»; «I wish I had seen the look on his face when he got the news» nutrition — the scientific study of food and drink (especially in humans) Homo rhodesiensis, Rhodesian man — a primitive hominid resembling Neanderthal man but living in Africa schistosome dermatitis, swimmer’s itch — a sensitization reaction to repeated invasion of the skin by cercariae of schistosomes hyperdactyly, polydactyly — birth defect characterized by the presence of more than the normal number of fingers or toes syndactylism, syndactyly — birth defect in which there is partial or total webbing connecting two or more fingers or toes |
|
| 5. | man — a male subordinate; «the chief stationed two men outside the building»; «he awaited word from his man in Havana»
subordinate, subsidiary, underling, foot soldier — an assistant subject to the authority or control of another |
|
| 6. |  man — an adult male person who has a manly character (virile and courageous competent); «the army will make a man of you»
male person, male — a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies |
|
| 7. |  man — a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer; «Jeeves was Bertie Wooster’s man»
gentleman’s gentleman, valet, valet de chambre, gentleman body servant — a valet or personal maid manservant — a man servant |
|
| 8. | man — a male person who plays a significant role (husband or lover or boyfriend) in the life of a particular woman; «she takes good care of her man»
colloquialism — a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech lover — a significant other to whom you are not related by marriage male person, male — a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies woman — a female person who plays a significant role (wife or mistress or girlfriend) in the life of a particular man; «he was faithful to his woman» |
|
| 9. |  Man — one of the British Isles in the Irish Sea
Isle of Man British Isles — Great Britain and Ireland and adjacent islands in the north Atlantic |
|
| 10. |  man — game equipment consisting of an object used in playing certain board games; «he taught me to set up the men on the chess board»; «he sacrificed a piece to get a strategic advantage»
piece black — (board games) the darker pieces chequer, checker — one of the flat round pieces used in playing the game of checkers chess piece, chessman — any of 16 white and 16 black pieces used in playing the game of chess game equipment — equipment or apparatus used in playing a game tile — game equipment consisting of a flat thin piece marked with characters and used in board games like Mah-Jong, Scrabble, etc. white — (board games) the lighter pieces |
|
| 11. |  man — all of the living human inhabitants of the earth; «all the world loves a lover»; «she always used `humankind’ because `mankind’ seemed to slight the women»
humankind, humans, mankind, human beings, human race, humanity, world group, grouping — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit human, human being, man — any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage people — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively; «old people»; «there were at least 200 people in the audience» |
|
| Verb | 1. | man — take charge of a certain job; occupy a certain work place; «Mr. Smith manned the reception desk in the morning»
man — provide with workers; «We cannot man all the desks»; «Students were manning the booths» do work, work — be employed; «Is your husband working again?»; «My wife never worked»; «Do you want to work after the age of 60?»; «She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money»; «She works as a waitress to put herself through college» |
| 2. | man — provide with workers; «We cannot man all the desks»; «Students were manning the booths»
staff — provide with staff; «This position is not always staffed» crew — serve as a crew member on man — take charge of a certain job; occupy a certain work place; «Mr. Smith manned the reception desk in the morning» |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
man
noun
1. male, guy (informal), fellow (informal), gentleman, bloke (Brit. informal), chap (Brit. informal), dude (U.S. informal), geezer (informal), adult male I had not expected the young man to reappear before evening.
4. partner, boy, husband, lover, mate, boyfriend, squeeze (informal), old man, groom, spouse, sweetheart, beau, significant other (U.S.), bidie-in (Scot.) Does your man cuddle you enough?
Quotations
«Man is only a reed, the weakest thing in nature; but he is a thinking reed» [Blaise Pascal Pensées]
«Man is the measure of all things» [Protagoras]
«Man is heaven’s masterpiece» [Francis Quarles Emblems]
«There are many wonderful things, and nothing is more wonderful than man» [Sophocles Antigone]
«Man is a noble animal, splendid in ashes, and pompous in the grave» [Thomas Browne Hydriotaphia]
«Man is an embodied paradox, a bundle of contradictions» [Charles Colton Lacon]
«Man has but three events in his life: to be born, to live, and to die. He is not conscious of his birth, he suffers at his death and he forgets to live» [Jean de la Bruyère The Characters, or the Manners of the Age]
«The four stages of man are infancy, childhood, adolescence and obsolescence» [Art Linkletter A Child’s Garden of Misinformation]
«Man is a useless passion» [Jean-Paul Sartre L’Être et le néant]
«Glory to Man in the highest! for Man is the master of things» [Algernon Charles Swinburne Atalanta in Calydon: Hymn of Man]
«I sometimes think that God in creating man somewhat overestimated his ability» [Oscar Wilde]
«What a piece of work is man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form, in moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals!» [William Shakespeare Hamlet]
«Man is nature’s sole mistake» [W.S. Gilbert Princess Ida]
«Man is something to be surpassed» [Friedrich Nietzche Thus Spake Zarathustra]
«Man was formed for society» [William Blackstone Commentaries on the Laws of England]
«man: an animal so lost in rapturous contemplation of what he thinks he is as to overlook what he indubitably ought to be» [Ambrose Bierce The Devil’s Dictionary]
«Men are but children of a larger growth» [John Dryden All for Love]
«Man, became man through work, who stepped out of the animal kingdom as transformer of the natural into the artificial, who became therefore the magician» [Ernst Fischer The Necessity of Art]
Proverbs
«The best of men are but men at best»
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
man
noun
1. A member of the human race:
being, body, creature, homo, human, human being, individual, life, mortal, party, person, personage, soul.
3. Slang. A member of a law-enforcement agency.Often uppercase:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
bemanman
رَجُلشَخْص رُجولييا اخ!يُجَهِّز، يُزَوِّدالإنْسان
мъжфигура
home
mužčlověkmužstvoobsaditpán
mandmenneskespillermenig=-mand
homoulovirovirulo
meesmeesterahvasnupp
مرد
miesnappulapelinappulatäyttääukko
आदमीपुरुष
čovjekmuškarac
férfilegénységgel ellátparasztsorkatonaember
homineviro
laki-lakiorangpria
mannamanneskjaóbreyttur hermaîurtaflmaîurkarl
人男男の人男性石
남자사내사람
vir
brandus amžiusbrutaliai elgtis sueilinis žmogusgabenti rankomiskaip vienas
cilvēk!cilvēksfigūraierindniekskareivis
ആണ്പുരുഷന്
bărbatom
človečečlovekmužobsadiť posádkou
moškimožčlovek
manmänniskaspelpjäsbemanna
ผู้ชาย
чоловік
آدمیمرد
đàn ông
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
man
[ˈmæn] [men] (pl)
vt
(= find personnel for) [+ building, office, factory] → recruter du personnel pour; [+ factory] → recruter de la main d’œuvre pour; [+ fort] → garnir d’hommes, trouver des hommes pour tenir
The station is seldom manned in the evening
BUT La permanence de la gare est rarement assurée dans la soirée.; La gare est généralement sans personnel dans la soirée.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
man
n pl <men>
(= adult male) → Mann m; be a man! → sei ein Mann!; to make a man out of somebody → einen Mann aus jdm machen; this incident made a man out of him → dieses Ereignis hat ihn zum Mann gemacht; we’ll never make a man out of him → aus ihm wird nie ein Mann; he’s only half a man → er ist kein richtiger Mann; I’m only half a man without you → ohne dich bin ich nur ein halber Mensch; he took it like a man → er hat es wie ein Mann or mannhaft ertragen; that’s just like a man → das ist typisch Mann (inf); her man (inf) → ihr Mann; man and boy → von Kindheit/Jugend an; they are man and wife → sie sind Mann und Frau; the man in the street → der Mann auf der Straße, der kleine Mann; the man on the Clapham omnibus (Brit) → der Mann auf der Straße; man of God → Mann m → Gottes; man of letters (= writer) → Schriftsteller m, → Literat m; (= scholar) → Gelehrter m; man of property → vermögender Mann; you’re a man about town, you know where … (Brit) → du kennst dich aus, du weißt, wo …; he used to be something of a man about town (Brit) → er hatte früher ein reges gesellschaftliches Leben; a suit for the man about town (Brit) → ein Anzug für den feinen Herrn; a man of the world → ein Mann m → von Welt; as one man to another → von Mann zu Mann; well done, that man! → gut gemacht, alter Junge! (inf); to be man enough (to do something) → Manns genug sein(, etw zu tun); man’s bicycle/jacket → Herrenfahrrad nt → /-jacke f; old man (dated) → alter Junge (dated) → or Knabe (dated) ? good
(= human race: also Man) → der Mensch, die Menschen; that’s no use or good to man or beast → das nützt niemandem etwas
(= person) → man; no man → keiner, niemand; any man → jeder; any man who believes that … → wer das glaubt, …; sometimes a man needs a change (inf) → manchmal braucht man einfach etwas Abwechslung; that man! → dieser Mensch!; that man Jones → dieser or der Jones!; our man in Beirut → unser Mann in Beirut; the strong man of the government → der starke Mann (in) der Regierung; as one man → geschlossen, wie ein Mann; they are communists to a man → sie sind allesamt Kommunisten
(inf: interj) → Mensch (inf), → Mann (inf); you can’t do that, man → Mensch or Mann, das kannst du doch nicht machen! (inf); fantastic, man! → klasse, Mann! (inf); see you, man! → bis später; are you coming with us, man? → du, kommst du noch mit?
(= employee, soldier etc) → Mann m; (= servant) → Bedienstete(r) m; she has a man to do the garden → sie hat jemanden, der den Garten macht; officers and men → Offiziere und Mannschaften; follow me, men! → mir nach, Leute!
(Chess) → Figur f; (in draughts) → Stein m
the Man (US inf: = boss) → der Boss (inf), → der Alte (inf); (= police) → die Bullen pl (sl); (= white man) → die Weißen pl
man
:
manhunt
n → Fahndung f; (hum, of woman) → Männerfang m
man
:
man-sized
adj → Riesen-; man portion/steak → Riesenportion f → /-steak nt
man
:
man-to-man
adj, adv
(Sport) man marking → Manndeckung f; man marker → Manndecker m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
man
[mæn]
1. n (men (pl))
b. (humanity) Man → l’uomo, l’umanità f inv
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
man
(mӕn) – plural men (men) – noun
1. an adult male human being. Hundreds of men, women and children; a four-man team.
2. human beings taken as a whole; the human race. the development of man.
3. obviously masculine male person. He’s independent, tough, strong, brave – a real man!
4. a word sometimes used in speaking informally or giving commands to someone. Get on with your work, man, and stop complaining!
5. an ordinary soldier, who is not an officer. officers and men.
6. a piece used in playing chess or draughts. I took three of his men in one move.
verb – past tense, past participle manned –
to supply with men (especially soldiers). The colonel manned the guns with soldiers from our regiment.
-man (-mən) , (-mӕn) a person (formerly usually used for either sex; currently, often replaced by -person when the person referred to can be of either sex) who performs a particular activity, as in postman, *milkman, *chairman
etc.
ˈmanhood noun
1. (of a male) the state of being adult, physically (and mentally) mature etc. He died before he reached manhood.
2. manly qualities. He took her refusal to marry him as an insult to his manhood.
manˈkind noun
the human race as a whole. He worked for the benefit of all mankind.
ˈmanly adjective
having the qualities thought desirable in a man, ie strength, determination, courage etc. He is strong and manly.
ˈmanliness nounmanned adjective
supplied with men. a manned spacecraft.
ˈman-eating adjective
which will eat people. a man-eating tiger.
ˈman-eater nounmanˈhandle verb
1. to move, carry etc by hand. When the crane broke down, they had to manhandle the crates on to the boat.
2. to treat roughly. You’ll break all the china if you manhandle it like that!
ˈmanhole noun
a hole (usually in the middle of a road or pavement) through which someone may go to inspect sewers etc.
ˌman-ˈmade adjective
made, happening or formed by man, not by natural means. a man-made lake.
ˈmanpower noun
the number of people available for employment etc. There’s a shortage of manpower in the building industry.
ˈmanservant – plural ˈmenservants – noun
a male servant (especially one employed as a valet). He has only one manservant.
ˈmansize(d) adjective
of a size suitable for a man; large. a mansized breakfast.
ˈmanslaughter noun
the crime of killing someone, without intending to do so. He was found guilty of manslaughter.
ˈmenfolk noun plural
male people, especially male relatives. The wives accompanied their menfolk.
ˈmenswear (ˈmenz-) noun
clothing for men. Do you sell menswear?
as one man
simultaneously; together. They rose as one man to applaud his speech.
the man in the street
the ordinary, typical, average man. The man in the street often has little interest in politics.
man of letters
a writer and/or scholar. Shakespeare was perhaps Britain’s greatest man of letters.
man of the world
a sophisticated man who is not likely to be shocked or surprised by most things. You can speak freely – we’re all men of the world.
man to man as one man to another; openly or frankly: They talked man to man about their problems; adjective (etc)
a man-to-man discussion.
to a man
every one, without exception. They voted to a man to accept the proposal.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
man
→ رَجُل muž mand Mann άντρας hombre mies homme čovjek uomo 男 남자 man mann mężczyzna homem мужчина man ผู้ชาย erkek đàn ông 男人
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.