Adjacent Words

Man definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MAN, n. plu. men. [Heb.species, kind, image, similitude.]
1. Mankind; the human race; the whole species of human beings; beings distinguished from all other animals by the powers of reason and speech, as well as by their shape and dignified aspect. "Os homini sublime dedit."
And God said, Let us make man in our image, , after our likeness, and let them have dominion--Genesis 1.
Man that is born of a woman, is of few days and full of trouble. Job 14.
My spirit shall not always strive with man. Genesis 6.
I will destroy man whom I have created. Genesis 6.
There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. 1 Corinthians 10.
It is written,man shall not live by bread alone. Matthew 4.
There must be somewhere such a rank as man.
Respecting man, whatever wrong we call--
But vindicate the ways of God to man.
The proper study of mankind is man.
In the System of Nature, man is ranked as a distinct genus.
When opposed to woman, man sometimes denotes the male sex in general.
Woman has, in general, much stronger propensity than man to the discharge of parental duties.
2. A male individual of the human race, of adult growth or years.
The king is but a man as I am.
And the man dreams but what the boy believed.
3. A male of the human race; used often in compound words, or in the nature of an adjective; as a man-child; men-cooks; men-servants.
4. A servant, or an attendant of the male sex.
I and my man will presently go ride.
5. A word of familiar address.
We speak no treason, man.
6. It sometimes bears the sense of a male adult of some uncommon qualifications; particularly,the sense of strength, vigor, bravery, virile powers, or magnanimity, as distinguished from the weakness, timidity or impotence of a boy, or from the narrow mindedness of low bred men.
I dare do all that may become a man.
Will reckons he should not have been the man he is, had he not broke windows--
So in popular language, it is said, he is no man. Play your part like a man. He has not the spirit of a man.
Thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 2 Samuel 17.
7. An individual of the human species.
In matters of equity between man and man--
Under this phraseology, females may be comprehended. So a law restraining man, or every man from a particular act, comprehends women and children, if of competent age to be the subjects of law.
8. Man is sometimes opposed to boy or child, and sometimes to beast.
9. One who is master of his mental powers, or who conducts himself with his usual judgment. When a person has lost his senses, or acts without his usual judgment, we say, he is not his own man.
10. It is sometimes used indefinitely, without reference to a particular individual; any person; one. This is as much as a man can desire.
A man, in an instant,may discover the assertion to be impossible.
This word however is always used in the singular number, referring to an individual. In this respect it does not answer to the French on, nor to the use of man by our Saxon ancestors. In Saxon, man ofsloh, signifies,they slew; man sette ut, they set or fitted out. So in German, man sagt,may be rendered, one ways, it is said, they say, or people say. So in Danish, man siger, one says, it is said, they say.
11. In popular usage, a husband.
Every wife ought to answer for her man.
12. A movable piece at chess or draughts.
13. In feudal law, a vassal, a liege subject or tenant.
The vassal or tenant, kneeling, ungirt,uncovered and holding up his hands between those of his lord, professed that he did become his man, from that day forth, of life, limb, and earthly honor.
Man of war, a ship or war; an armed ship.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman); "there were two women and six men on the bus" [syn: man, adult male] [ant: adult female, woman]
2: someone who serves in the armed forces; a member of a military force; "two men stood sentry duty" [syn: serviceman, military man, man, military personnel] [ant: civilian]
3: the generic use of the word to refer to any human being; "it was every man for himself"
4: any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage [syn: homo, man, human being, human]
5: a male subordinate; "the chief stationed two men outside the building"; "he awaited word from his man in Havana"
6: an adult male person who has a manly character (virile and courageous competent); "the army will make a man of you"
7: a manservant who acts as a personal attendant to his employer; "Jeeves was Bertie Wooster's man" [syn: valet, valet de chambre, gentleman, gentleman's gentleman, man]
8: 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" [ant: woman]
9: one of the British Isles in the Irish Sea [syn: Man, Isle of Man]
10: 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" [syn: man, piece]
11: 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" [syn: world, human race, humanity, humankind, human beings, humans, mankind, man] v
1: take charge of a certain job; occupy a certain work place; "Mr. Smith manned the reception desk in the morning"
2: provide with workers; "We cannot man all the desks"; "Students were manning the booths"

Merriam Webster's

abbreviation Manitoba

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural men) 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 ; mankind 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> • manless adjective • manlike adjective II. transitive verb (manned; manning) Date: 12th century 1. a. to supply with people (as for service) <man a fleet> b. to station members of a ship's crew at <man the capstan> c. to serve in the force or complement of <man the ticket booth> 2. to accustom (as a hawk) to humans and the human environment 3. to furnish with strength or powers of resistance ; brace III. abbreviation manual

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. (pl. men) 1 an adult human male, esp. as distinct from a woman or boy. 2 a a human being; a person (no man is perfect). b human beings in general; the human race (man is mortal). 3 a person showing characteristics associated with males (she's more of a man than he is). 4 a a worker; an employee (the manager spoke to the men). b a manservant or valet. c hist. a vassal. 5 a (usu. in pl.) soldiers, sailors, etc., esp. non-officers (was in command of 200 men). b an individual, usu. male, person (fought to the last man). c (usu. prec. by the, or poss. pron.) a person regarded as suitable or appropriate in some way; a person fulfilling requirements (I'm your man; not the man for the job). 6 a a husband (man and wife). b colloq. a boyfriend or lover. 7 a a human being of a specified historical period or character (Renaissance man). b a type of prehistoric man named after the place where the remains were found (Peking man; Piltdown man). 8 any one of a set of pieces used in playing chess, draughts, etc. 9 (as second element in comb.) a man of a specified nationality, profession, skill, etc. (Dutchman; clergyman; horseman; gentleman). 10 a an expression of impatience etc. used in addressing a male (nonsense, man!). b colloq. a general mode of address among hippies etc. (blew my mind, man!). 11 (prec. by a) a person; one (what can a man do?). 12 a person pursued; an opponent etc. (the police have so far not caught their man). 13 (the Man) US sl. a the police. b Blacksl. White people. 14 (in comb.) a ship of a specified type (merchantman; Indiaman). --v.tr. (manned, manning) 1 supply (a ship, fort, factory, etc.) with a person or people for work or defence etc. 2 work or service or defend (a specified piece of equipment, a fortification, etc.) (man the pumps). 3 Naut. place men at (a part of a ship). 4 fill (a post or office). 5 (usu. refl.) fortify the spirits or courage of (manned herself for the task). Phrases and idioms: as one man in unison; in agreement. be a man be courageous; not show fear. be one's own man 1 be free to act; be independent. 2 be in full possession of one's faculties etc. man about town a fashionable man of leisure. man and boy from childhood. man-at-arms (pl. men-at-arms) archaic a soldier, esp. when heavily armed and mounted. man Friday see FRIDAY. man-hour (or day etc.) an hour (or day etc.) regarded in terms of the amount of work that could be done by one person within this period. man in the moon the semblance of a face seen on the surface of a full moon. man in (US on) the street an ordinary average person, as distinct from an expert. man-made (esp. of a textile fibre) made by man, artificial, synthetic. man of God 1 a clergyman. 2 a male saint. man of honour a man whose word can be trusted. man of the house the male head of a household. man of letters a scholar; an author. man of the moment a man of importance at a particular time. man of straw 1 an insubstantial person; an imaginary person set up as an opponent. 2 a stuffed effigy. 3 a person undertaking a financial commitment without adequate means. 4 a sham argument set up to be defeated. man-of-war an armed ship, esp. of a specified country. man of the world see WORLD. man-size (or -sized) 1 of the size of a man; very large. 2 big enough for a man. man to man with candour; honestly. men's (or men's room) a usu. public lavatory for men. my (or my good) man a patronizing mode of address to a man. separate (or sort out) the men from the boys colloq. find those who are truly virile, competent, etc. to a man all without exception. Derivatives: manless adj. Etymology: OE man(n), pl. menn, mannian, f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Man Man, n. Man of sin (Script.), one who is the embodiment of evil, whose coming is represented (--2 Thess. ii. 3) as preceding the second coming of Christ. [A Hebraistic expression] Man-stopping bullet (Mil.), a bullet which will produce a sufficient shock to stop a soldier advancing in a charge; specif., a small-caliber bullet so modified as to expand when striking the human body. Such bullets are chiefly used in wars with savage tribes. Manbird Man"bird`, n. An aviator. [Colloq.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Man Man, n.; pl. Men. [AS. mann, man, monn, mon; akin to OS., D., & OHG. man, G. mann, Icel. ma[eth]r, for mannr, Dan. Mand, Sw. man, Goth. manna, Skr. manu, manus, and perh. to Skr. man to think, and E. mind. [root]104. Cf. Minx a pert girl.] 1. A human being; -- opposed tobeast. These men went about wide, and man found they none, But fair country, and wild beast many [a] one. --R. of Glouc. The king is but a man, as I am; the violet smells to him as it doth to me. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Man Man, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Manned; p. pr. & vb. n. Manning.] 1. To supply with men; to furnish with a sufficient force or complement of men, as for management, service, defense, or the like; to guard; as, to man a ship, boat, or fort. See how the surly Warwick mans the wall ! --Shak. They man their boats, and all their young men arm. --Waller. 2. To furnish with strength for action; to prepare for efficiency; to fortify. ``Theodosius having manned his soul with proper reflections.'' --Addison. 3. To tame, as a hawk. [R.] --Shak. 4. To furnish with a servants. [Obs.] --Shak. 5. To wait on as a manservant. [Obs.] --Shak. Note: In ``Othello,'' V. ii. 270, the meaning is uncertain, being, perhaps: To point, to aim, or to manage. To man a yard (Naut.), to send men upon a yard, as for furling or reefing a sail. To man the yards (Naut.), to station men on the yards as a salute or mark of respect.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(men, mans, manning, manned) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A man is an adult male human being. He had not expected the young man to reappear before evening... I have always regarded him as a man of integrity. ...the thousands of men, women and children who are facing starvation. N-COUNT 2. Man and men are sometimes used to refer to all human beings, including both males and females. Some people dislike this use. The chick initially has no fear of man... N-VAR 3. If you say that a man is, for example, a gambling man or an outdoors man, you mean that he likes gambling or outdoor activities. Are you a gambling man, Mr Graham?... N-COUNT: supp N 4. If you say that a man is, for example, a London man or an Oxford man, you mean that he comes from London or Oxford, or went to university there. ...as the Stockport man collected his winnings... N-COUNT: n-proper N 5. If you refer to a particular company's or organization's man, you mean a man who works for or represents that company or organization. (JOURNALISM) ...the Daily Telegraph's man in Abu Dhabi. N-COUNT: poss N 6. Some people refer to a woman's husband, lover, or boyfriend as her man. (INFORMAL) ...if they see your man cuddle you in the kitchen or living room. N-SING: poss N 7. In very informal social situations, man is sometimes used as a greeting or form of address to a man. Hey wow, man! Where d'you get those boots? N-VOC [formulae] 8. If you man something such as a place or machine, you operate it or are in charge of it. ...the person manning the phone at the complaints department... The station is seldom manned in the evening. VERB: V n, V n 9. see also manned, ladies' man, no-man's land 10. If you say that a man is man enough to do something, you mean that he has the necessary courage or ability to do it. I told him that he should be man enough to admit he had done wrong... PHRASE: v-link PHR 11. If you describe a man as a man's man, you mean that he has qualities which make him popular with other men rather than with women. PHRASE: v-link PHR 12. If you say that a man is his own man, you approve of the fact that he makes his decisions and his plans himself, and does not depend on other people. Be your own man. Make up your own mind... PHRASE: V inflects [approval] 13. If you say that a group of men are, do, or think something to a man, you are emphasizing that every one of them is, does, or thinks that thing. To a man, the surveyors blamed the government... PHRASE: PHR with v [emphasis] 14. A man-to-man conversation or meeting takes place between two men, especially two men who meet to discuss a serious personal matter. He called me to his office for a man-to-man talk... Me and Ben should sort this out man to man. PHRASE: PHR n, PHR after v 15. the man in the street: see street man of the world: see world

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(1.) Heb. 'Adam, used as the proper name of the first man. The name is derived from a word meaning "to be red," and thus the first man was called Adam because he was formed from the red earth. It is also the generic name of the human race (Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:2; 8:21; Deut. 8:3). Its equivalents are the Latin homo and the Greek anthropos (Matt. 5:13, 16). It denotes also man in opposition to woman (Gen. 3:12; Matt. 19:10).

(2.) Heb. 'ish, like the Latin vir and Greek aner, denotes properly a man in opposition to a woman (1 Sam. 17:33; Matt. 14:21); a husband (Gen. 3:16; Hos. 2:16); man with reference to excellent mental qualities.

(3.) Heb. 'enosh, man as mortal, transient, perishable (2 Chr. 14:11; Isa. 8:1; Job 15:14; Ps. 8:4; 9:19, 20; 103:15). It is applied to women (Josh. 8:25).

(4.) Heb. geber, man with reference to his strength, as distinguished from women (Deut. 22:5) and from children (Ex. 12:37); a husband (Prov. 6:34).

(5.) Heb. methim, men as mortal (Isa. 41:14), and as opposed to women and children (Deut. 3:6; Job 11:3; Isa. 3:25).

Man was created by the immediate hand of God, and is generically different from all other creatures (Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:7). His complex nature is composed of two elements, two distinct substances, viz., body and soul (Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7; 2 Cor. 5:1-8).

The words translated "spirit" and "soul," in 1 Thess. 5:23, Heb. 4:12, are habitually used interchangeably (Matt. 10:28; 16:26; 1 Pet. 1:22). The "spirit" (Gr. pneuma) is the soul as rational; the "soul" (Gr. psuche) is the same, considered as the animating and vital principle of the body.

Man was created in the likeness of God as to the perfection of his nature, in knowledge (Col. 3:10), righteousness, and holiness (Eph. 4:24), and as having dominion over all the inferior creatures (Gen. 1:28). He had in his original state God's law written on his heart, and had power to obey it, and yet was capable of disobeying, being left to the freedom of his own will. He was created with holy dispositions, prompting him to holy actions; but he was fallible, and did fall from his integrity (3:1-6). (See FALL.)

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See ANTHROPOLOGY.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Person, individual, body, somebody, one, personage, soul, living soul, some one, human being. 2. Mankind, the human race. 3. Male person. 4. Adult male. 5. Vassal, liege, subject, servant, attendant, dependant. 6. Husband, married man. 7. Workman, employee. 8. Piece (as chess, draughts, etc.). II. v. a. 1. Furnish with men, supply with hands. 2. Strengthen, fortify, re-enforce.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

(CAMBRIDGE.) Any undergraduate from fifteen to thirty. As a man of Emanuel--a young member of Emanuel.

Foolish Dictionary

Something that "Goes first on four feet, then two feet, then three, but the more feet it goes on the weaker it be!"

Moby Thesaurus

Achilles, Adam, Adamite, Australanthropus, Australopithecus, Barbary ape, Casanova, Chiroptera, Cro-Magnon man, David, Don Juan, Galley Hill man, Gigantopithecus, Grimaldi man, Hector, Heidelberg man, Hominidae, Homo sapiens, John Law, Lagomorpha, Lothario, Neanderthal man, Oreopithecus, Paranthropus, Peking man, Pithecanthropus, Plesianthropus, Primates, Rhodesian man, Rodentia, Roland, Romeo, Samson, Sinanthropus, Stone Age man, Swanscombe man, Zinjanthropus, a man, accouter, adherent, adult, amoroso, angwantibo, anthropoid ape, ape, appendage, appoint, arm, armor, armor-plate, aye-aye, baboon, bank, barricade, battle, beau, being, benedict, bishop, blockade, bloke, bluecoat, body, boy, boyfriend, brave, buck, bull, bulldog, bulwark, butler, caballero, capuchin, castellate, castle, cat, cavalier, cavaliere servente, caveman, chacma, chap, character, chauffeur, chessman, chimpanzee, chutzpanik, clay, coachman, cop, cover, creature, crenellate, crew, cuss, customer, dangler, decorated hero, demigod, demigoddess, dependent, dig in, disciple, dress, drill, driver, duck, dummy, earthling, embattle, entellus, entrench, eolithic man, equerry, equip, esquire, fallen humanity, fancy man, fellow, fence, fighting cock, figurehead, fit, fit out, fit up, flame, flatfoot, flesh, flunky, follower, fortify, furnish, fuzz, gallant, galoot, gamecock, gardener, garrison, gear, gee, geezer, generation of man, gent, gentleman, genus Homo, gibbon, gigolo, gillie, good soldier, goodman, goody, goon, gorilla, groundling, grown man, grownup, guenon, guereza, guy, hand, hanger-on, hanuman, he, head, heat, heel, heeler, henchman, hero, heroine, him, his, hombre, hominid, homme, homo, houseboy, houseman, hubby, human, human being, human family, human nature, human race, human species, humanity, humankind, husband, inamorato, individual, jackal, joker, king, knight, lackey, lady-killer, langur, le genre humain, legalis homo, lemur, life, lion, living soul, lord, lord-in-waiting, love-maker, macaque, major, male, male being, male person, male sex, man of courage, man the garrison, mandrill, manhood, mankind, manservant, marmoset, married man, masculine, master, mature man, men, menfolk, menfolks, mine, minion, mister, mortal, mortal flesh, mortality, mortals, mountain gorilla, munition, myrmidon, necker, neolithic man, no chicken, nose, officer, old man, one, orang, orangutan, outfit, paladin, palisade, paramour, party, pawn, people, person, personage, personality, petter, philanderer, piece, pig, prepare, proboscis monkey, puppet, queen, race of man, retainer, rhesus, rig, rig out, rig up, rook, saki, satellite, seducer, servant, shadow, sheik, single, skate, snap, somebody, someone, soul, squire, staff, stalwart, stooge, sugar daddy, swain, sword side, sycophant, tagtail, tellurian, terran, the brave, thug, tiger, turn out, valet, valet de chambre, valiant, valiant knight, votary, wall, ward heeler, woman, worldling, young man

Moby Thesaurus

American Indian, Amerind, Australian aborigine, Bushman, Caucasian, Indian, Malayan, Mister Charley, Mongolian, Negrillo, Negrito, Negro, Oriental, Red Indian, WASP, black, black man, blackfellow, boy, brown man, burrhead, colored person, coon, darky, gook, honky, jigaboo, jungle bunny, nigger, niggra, ofay, paleface, pygmy, red man, redskin, slant-eye, spade, the Man, white, white man, whitey, yellow man