Word family noun man manhood mankind adjective manly ≠ unmanly manned ≠ unmanned mannish verb man adverb manfully
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmanman1 /mæn/ ●●● S1 W1 noun (plural men /men/) 1 male person [countable]MAN an adult male human → woman There were two men and a woman in the car. He’s a very kind man. a man’s watch Don’t keep Hansen waiting – he’s a busy man.2 strong/brave [countable usually singular]MAN a man who has the qualities that people think a man should have, such as being brave, strong etc Come on, be a man now. No more crying. He wasn’t man enough (=strong or brave enough) to face up to his responsibilities.make a man (out) of somebody (=make a boy or young man start behaving in a confident way) Running his own business has really made a man out of Terry.3 person [countable]PERSON/PEOPLE a person, either male or female – used especially in formal situations or in the past All men are equal in the eyes of the law. a man’s right to work4 people [uncountable]GROUP OF PEOPLE people as a group This is one of the worst diseases known to man. the evolution of manprehistoric/Stone Age/modern man (=people who lived at a particular stage of human development)5 workerWORKER a) [countable usually plural] a man who works for an employer Why were there no protests from the men at the factory? b) BO[countable] a man who does a job for you, especially repairing something Has the man been to fix the TV?gas man/rent man etc I waited all day for the gas man. c) the man from something a man who works for a particular company or organization Was that the man from the PR agency? 6 particular kind of man [countable] a) MANa man who comes from a particular place, does a particular kind of work, or is connected with a particular organization, especially a university or company I think she married a Belfast man. I’ve been a military man all my life. Even a Harvard man has a lot to learn about politics. b) LIKE somebody OR somethinga man who likes, or likes doing, a particular thing I’m more of a jazz man myself. Are you a betting man?7 → man!8 soldier [countable usually plural]PM a soldier or sailor who is under the authority of an officer The captain ordered his men to fire.9 husband [countable] informalSSF a woman’s husband or boyfriendsomebody’s man She spent five years waiting for her man to come out of prison.10 → the man11 → somebody’s your man12 → you da man!13 → our man14 → our man in/at something15 → men in (grey) suits16 → a man of his word17 → a man of few words18 → be your own man19 → the man of the moment/hour/year20 → it’s every man for himself21 → the man in the street22 → a man of the people23 → a man’s man24 → a ladies’ man25 → man and boy26 → man and wife27 → live as man and wife28 → as one man29 → to a man/to the last man30 → man-about-town31 → man of God/man of the cloth32 → my (good) man33 → my man34 → your/yer man35 servant [countable] old-fashionedBO a male servant My man will drive you to the station.36 game [countable]DGB one of the pieces you use in a game such as chess 37 → every man jack38 → kick/hit a man when he’s down39 → man’s best friend40 → the man of the house → best man, man-to-man, New Man, old man, → be a man/woman of the world at world1(21)THESAURUSman an adult male humana young manSir Edmund Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest.guy (also bloke/chap British English) informal a manShe’d arranged to meet a guy in the bar.Alex is a really nice bloke.gentleman formal a man – used as a very polite way of talking about a manan elderly gentlemanPlease could you serve this gentleman?boy a young male person, usually a child or a teenagera teenage boylad old-fashioned informal a boy or young manWhen I was a young lad, I wanted to join the army.youth a teenage boy or young man – used especially in news reports to show disapprovalGangs of youths roam the streets.male formal a man – used especially by the police or in science and research contexts. The adjective male is much more common than the nounWe are investigating the death of an unidentified male.The condition is usually found only in males.dude American English informal a man – a very informal useYou could tell there was something creepy going on with that dude.relating to menmale adjective a male teacher, singer etc is a man. Male jobs are the kind of jobs that men typically doMost science teachers are male.a male nurseWe are trying to recruit more women to do traditionally male jobs such as engineering.masculine considered to be more typical of a man than of a womanHe had a very masculine face.masculine aggressionmanly having the qualities that people expect and admire in a man, such as being brave and strongHe took off his shirt, revealing his manly chest.It isn’t considered manly to cry.In the portrait, the King looked manly and in control.He was bronzed and athletic, with manly features and a steady gaze.macho behaving in a way that is traditionally typical of men, for example by being strong and tough and not showing your feelings – used especially either humorously or to show disapprovalOn the outside he may seem to be very macho but inside he’s very sensitive.Stallone always plays macho men.He’s far too macho to drink mineral water. Examples from the Corpus
man• In an effort to prove his manhood he had taken to stealing cars and drinking alcohol.• Any other soldier would have told him to pull himself together and be a man.• You wouldn't understand how she feels -- you're a man!• I was getting ready to leave when a man opened the door.• You never see Fuller Brush men any more.• Prescriptions for men cost more than for women aged between 25 and 84 years.• If I were a gambling man, I'd put money on the Saints.• The gas man came by to read the meter.• Hey, what's happening, man?• If men alone had the vote, President Bob Dole would now be running for re-election.• Tania was at the party with her new man.• The Dutch reclamation of their land is a classic case of man's struggle against nature.• The grandeur of the mountains is a constant reminder of man's insignificance.• He's a meat-and-potatoes man.• A real man wouldn't be scared of commitment.• He had a very successful business and died a rich man.• When I arrived at the shelter, I found the right man.• It was a tall man with an aquiline nose and thick dark hair.• Ask the men to meet here at 11:00 for a briefing.• Many of the men said they would vote for the strike.• There the man held Sammler against the wall with his forearm.• They want to know, Who is this man?• Jericho is the oldest continuously inhabited city known to man.• Two men so different in appearance and manner, yet both prepared to sacrifice her feelings on the altar of their ambition.• Bush was a Yale man.• Are you man enough to admit that you've been lying?make a man (out) of somebody• But there was one thing about it - it made men of us.• You think it makes a man of you, holding a gun.• Micky Hazard was made man of the match.• Jim Magilton was made man of the match but for many United fans new keeper Phil Whitehead was the real hero.• Garth agrees to take him on, telling his wife that he will make a man of him.prehistoric/Stone Age/modern man• But it feels that the modern men have expanded comics, made them somehow more artistic.• During those sixty seconds of biological time, Modern Man has made a rubbish tip of Paradise.• One can write about the past, but from the point of view of a modern man.• The only sign of modern man from horizon to horizon is the road we followed in.• The private sphere becomes the natural home of modern man.• Some sites are astronomical calendars, others lunar observatories, showing the scientific abilities of prehistoric man.• Fire, then, may well have been the first enshrined divinity of prehistoric man.• But unlike prehistoric man, you have far fewer ways to release the energy produced by the stress response. man!man!spoken a) MANused when speaking to an adult male, especially when you are excited, angry etc Stop talking nonsense, man! b) MANused when speaking to someone, especially an adult male You look great, man! → manmanman2 ●○○ verb (manned, manning) [transitive] CONTROLto work at, use, or operate a system, piece of equipment etc A team of volunteers are manning the phones. the first manned spacecraft → man up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
man• In the early morning of May 18, police manning barricades were replaced by army paratroopers who opened fire with machine guns.• The booths are manned by customs officials.• On the Bulevard Republicii there are a number of road- blocks, formerly manned by militias and now by troops.• It's no wonder the counter isn't manned half the time.manman3 interjection especially American English EMPHASIZEused to emphasize what you are saying, especially when you are angry, surprised, disappointed etc Man, that was a lucky escape! Oh, man! I can hear the bullets.Examples from the Corpus
man• Man, your refrigerator makes a lot of noise.From Longman Business Dictionarymanman /mæn/ verb (manned, manning) [transitive] if a person or group mans a vehicle, place, or system, they work there or operate the systemHe has opened an office manned by two of his sons.Can you man the phones (=answer any telephone calls) for an hour?→ See Verb tableOrigin man1 Old English 