Adjacent Words

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MAN'NER, n. [L. manus, the hand.]
1. Form; method; way of performing or executing.
Find thou the manner, and the means prepare.
2. Custom; habitual practice.
Show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. This will be the manner of the king. 2 Samuel 8.
Paul, as his manner was--Acts 17.
3. Sort; kind.
Ye tithe mint and rue, and all manner of herbs. Luke 11.
They shall say all manner of evil against you falsely--Matthew 5.
In this application, manner has the sense of a plural word; all sorts or kinds.
4. Certain degree or measure. It is in a manner done already.
The bread is in a manner common. 2 Samuel 21.
This use may also be sometimes defined by sort or fashion; as we say, a thing is done after a sort or fashion, that is, not well, fully or perfectly.
Augustinus does in a manner confess the charge.
5. Mien; cast of look; mode.
Air and manner are more expressive than words.
6. Peculiar way or carriage; distinct mode.
It can hardly be imagined how great a difference was in the humor, disposition and manner of the army under Essex and that under Waller.
A man's company may be known by his manner of expressing himself.
7. Way; mode; of things.
The temptations of prosperity insinuate themselves after a gentle, but very powerful manner.
8. Way of service or worship.
The nations which thou hast removed and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the god of the land--2 Kings 7.
9. In painting, the particular habit of a painter in managing colors, lights and shades.
MAN'NER, v.t. To instruct in manners.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: how something is done or how it happens; "her dignified manner"; "his rapid manner of talking"; "their nomadic mode of existence"; "in the characteristic New York style"; "a lonely way of life"; "in an abrasive fashion" [syn: manner, mode, style, way, fashion]
2: a way of acting or behaving [syn: manner, personal manner]
3: a kind; "what manner of man are you?"

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English manere, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *manuaria, from Latin, feminine of manuarius of the hand, from manus hand — more at manual Date: 12th century 1. a. kind, sort <what manner of man is he> b. kinds, sorts <all manner of problems> 2. a. (1) a characteristic or customary mode of acting ; custom (2) a mode of procedure or way of acting ; fashion (3) method of artistic execution or mode of presentation ; style b. plural social conduct or rules of conduct as shown in the prevalent customs <Victorian manners> c. characteristic or distinctive bearing, air, or deportment <his poised gracious manner> d. plural (1) habitual conduct or deportment ; behavior <mind your manners> (2) good manners e. a distinguished or stylish air Synonyms: see bearing, method • mannerless adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a way a thing is done or happens (always dresses in that manner). 2 (in pl.) a social behaviour (it is bad manners to stare). b polite or well-bred behaviour (he has no manners). c modes of life; conditions of society. 3 a person's outward bearing, way of speaking, etc. (has an imperious manner). 4 a a style in literature, art, etc. (in the manner of Rembrandt). b = MANNERISM 2a. 5 archaic a kind or sort (what manner of man is he?). Phrases and idioms: all manner of many different kinds of. comedy of manners satirical portrayal of social behaviour, esp. of the upper classes. in a manner of speaking in some sense; to some extent; so to speak. manner of means see MEANS. to the manner born 1 colloq. naturally at ease in a specified job, situation, etc. 2 destined by birth to follow a custom or way of life (Shakesp. Hamlet I. iv. 17). Derivatives: mannerless adj. (in sense 2b of n.). Etymology: ME f. AF manere, OF maniere ult. f. L manuarius of the hand (manus)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Manner Man"ner, n. [OE. manere, F. mani[`e]re, from OF. manier, adj., manual, skillful, handy, fr. (assumed) LL. manarius, for L. manuarius belonging to the hand, fr. manus the hand. See Manual.] 1. Mode of action; way of performing or effecting anything; method; style; form; fashion. The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land. --2 Kings xvii. 26. The temptations of prosperity insinuate themselves after a gentle, but very powerful,manner. --Atterbury. 2. Characteristic mode of acting, conducting, carrying one's self, or the like; bearing; habitual style. Specifically: (a) Customary method of acting; habit. Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them. --Acts xvii. 2. Air and manner are more expressive than words. --Richardson. (b) pl. Carriage; behavior; deportment; also, becoming behavior; well-bred carriage and address. Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices. --Emerson. (c) The style of writing or thought of an author; characteristic peculiarity of an artist. 3. Certain degree or measure; as, it is in a manner done already. The bread is in a manner common. --1 Sam. xxi.5. 4. Sort; kind; style; -- in this application sometimes having the sense of a plural, sorts or kinds. Ye tithe mint, and rue, and all manner of herbs. --Luke xi. 42. I bid thee say, What manner of man art thou? --Coleridge. Note: In old usage, of was often omitted after manner, when employed in this sense. ``A manner Latin corrupt was her speech.'' --Chaucer. By any manner of means, in any way possible; by any sort of means. To be taken in, or with the manner. [A corruption of to be taken in the mainor. See Mainor.] To be taken in the very act. [Obs.] See Mainor. To make one's manners, to make a bow or courtesy; to offer salutation. Manners bit, a portion left in a dish for the sake of good manners. --Hallwell. Syn: Method; mode; custom; habit; fashion; air; look; mien; aspect; appearance. See Method.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(manners) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. The manner in which you do something is the way that you do it. She smiled again in a friendly manner... I'm a professional and I have to conduct myself in a professional manner... The manner in which young children are spoken to varies depending on who is present. N-SING: with supp 2. Someone's manner is the way in which they behave and talk when they are with other people, for example whether they are polite, confident, or bad-tempered. His manner was self-assured and brusque... N-SING: usu poss N • -mannered Forrest was normally mild-mannered, affable, and untalkative... The British are considered ill-mannered, badly dressed and unsophisticated. COMB in ADJ 3. If someone has good manners, they are polite and observe social customs. If someone has bad manners, they are impolite and do not observe these customs. He dressed well and had impeccable manners... They taught him his manners. N-PLURAL 4. see also bedside manner, table manners 5. If you refer to all manner of objects or people, you are talking about objects or people of many different kinds. Mr Winchester is impressively knowledgeable about all manner of things. PHRASE: PHR n 6. You say in a manner of speaking to indicate that what you have just said is true, but not absolutely or exactly true. An attorney is your employee, in a manner of speaking... = in a way PHRASE: PHR with cl [vagueness]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Method, mode, fashion, form, way, style. 2. Custom, habit, practice. 3. Degree, measure, extent. 4. [sing. and pl.] Sort, kind, sorts, kinds. 5. Behavior, carriage, deportment, air, mien, look, aspect, appearance, demeanor. 6. Mannerism, characteristic style, distinctive peculiarity. 7. Conduct, morals, habits, behavior. 8. Civility, ceremonious behavior, respectful deportment.

Moby Thesaurus

MO, action, actions, activity, acts, address, affectation, affectedness, air, algorithm, amenities, angle, appearance, approach, area, aspect, attack, attitude, bag, bearing, behavior, behavior pattern, behavioral norm, behavioral science, blood, bon ton, brand, breed, carriage, cast, ceremony, character, civility, clan, color, command of language, complexion, comportment, conduct, configuration, conformity, consuetude, convention, course, culture pattern, cup of tea, custom, decorum, demeanor, denomination, deportment, description, designation, doing, doings, effect, eidolon, established way, etiquette, exaggeration, expression of ideas, exteriority, externality, externalness, extrinsicality, facet, fashion, feather, feature, feeling for words, field, figure, folkway, foreignness, form, form of speech, formalities, forte, genre, genus, gestalt, gestures, goings-on, good form, grace of expression, grain, grandiloquence, guise, habit, habitude, idiosyncrasy, ilk, image, imago, impression, inflation, kidney, kin, kind, label, light, likeness, line, line of action, lineaments, lines, literary style, long suit, look, lot, main interest, maintien, make, manner of speaking, manner of working, mannerism, manners, mark, means, method, methodology, methods, metier, mien, mode, mode of expression, mode of operation, mode of procedure, modus, modus operandi, modus vivendi, mold, mores, motions, movements, moves, nature, niceties, number, observable behavior, observance, openness, order, outerness, outward appearance, outwardness, pattern, peculiarity, personal style, persuasion, pet subject, phase, phasis, phylum, poise, politeness, politesse, port, pose, posture, practice, praxis, prescription, presence, procedure, proceeding, process, proper thing, proprieties, protocol, pursuit, race, reference, regard, respect, rhetoric, ritual, routine, seeming, semblance, sense of language, shallowness, shape, side, simulacrum, slant, social code, social convention, social graces, social science, sort, specialism, speciality, specialization, specialty, species, stamp, standard behavior, standard usage, standing custom, strain, stripe, strong point, style, stylistic analysis, stylistics, superficiality, system, tack, tactics, technicality, technique, tenor, the drill, the grand style, the how, the like of, the likes of, the plain style, the sublime, the way of, thing, time-honored practice, tone, total effect, tradition, tribe, trick, turn, twist, type, usage, use, variety, vein, view, viewpoint, vocation, way, way of life, ways, weakness, what is done, wise, wont, wonting