Definition of man

What does the word man mean?

• part of speech: verb transitive

  Furnish (fort, ship, &c.) with men for service or defence; (Naut.) place men at (part of ship); fill (post); fortify spirits or courage of (esp. oneself). [old English]

• part of speech: noun

  (pl. men). Human being; (in indefinite or general application) person, as any, no, m., some, few, men; the human race, asm. wants but little here below; inner, outer, m., spiritual, material, parts of m., (facet.) interior, esp. stomach, exterior, of m.; new, old, m.; adult male. opp. to woman, boy, or both; m. & boy (adv.), from boyhood upwards; (as impatient or lively vocative) nonsense, m.!, hurry up, m. (alive)!; (jocular or endearing) little m., young boy; one, as what can a m. do in such a case?; individual (male) person, as m. for m., between m. & m., 5/- per m.; as a m., viewed simply in regard to his personal character; if you want noise, he is your m. (can supply you); be one\'s own m., be free to act, (also) be in full possession of one\'s faculties, senses, &c.; every m. jack; (in comb., denoting one who follows profession, uses implement, trades in article, &c.) clergym., post m., brake-m., pen m., rag-&-bone-m.; best, handy, m.; m. eminently endowed with manly qualities, as be a, play the, m.; husband, in m. & wife; (Hist.) vassal; manservant, valet; workman, as the masters locked out the men; (usu. pl.) soldiers, esp. common soldiers; piece in game of chess, draughts, &c.; m. of straw; (in comb.) ship, as m.-of-war, armed ship belonging to a country\'s navy, india m., MERCHANT m.; m. of the world; m. Friday, servile follower, factotum, (name given by Robinson Crusoe to his servant); m.-at-arms, soldier, esp. heavy armed& mounted; m.- (male) child; m.-eater, cannibal, biting horse, m. -eating shark or tiger; m.-handle, move by force of man alone, (slang) handle roughly; m.-hole, opening in floor, sewer, &c., for m. to pass through; m. in the moon, semblance of m. in moon, esp. a type of imaginary person; m.-milliner; manslaughter, slaughter of human beings, (Law) criminal homicide without malice aforethought; m.-trap (for catching men, esp. trespassers). Hence manless a. [old English]

• part of speech: noun

  (all) to a m., all without exception (were killed to a m.); a m. & a brother, a fellow man (w. ref. to the anti-slavery motto \'Am 1 not a m. & a b.?\'); the m. in the street, the ordinary m. (esp. as opp. experts on the matter in question).