man

man1 [ mæn ] (plural men [ men ] ) noun ***

▸ 1 adult male human

▸ 2 people in general

▸ 3 someone strong and brave

▸ 4 from particular place

▸ 5 man who likes something

▸ 6 husband/boyfriend etc.

▸ 7 in the military

▸ 8 man who does work

▸ 9 for talking to man/boy

▸ 10 powerful man

▸ 11 small object for game

▸ 12 servant

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) count an adult male human:

an ambitious young man

a jury of nine men and three women

a man's overcoat

a man of 64

a ) a man of something a man with a particular quality or ability:

a man of great charm/integrity

a man of action/honor

=> MAN OF THE HOUSE, MAN OF THE PEOPLE

b ) a man OLD-FASHIONED used by a man for referring to himself:

A man likes to have some time to himself.

=> MAN IN THE MOON

2. ) count OLD-FASHIONED a person of either sex. Some people do not like to use this word in this way because they consider it offensive to women:

All men are created equal.

a ) uncount people in general:

He always maintained his belief in the goodness of man.

the evolution of man

b ) prehistoric/modern etc. man the people who lived at a particular period in history:

Inactivity is a disease of modern man.

3. ) count someone who is strong and brave, as a man is traditionally expected to be:

be a man!: Come on! Be a man!

a ) be man enough (to do something/for something) to be strong and brave enough to do something difficult or dangerous:

Are you man enough for the job?

b ) make a man (out) of someone to give a boy or young man the qualities that a man is traditionally expected to have:

The army will soon make a man out of you.

4. ) count a man who is connected with a particular place:

a city man

The truck was driven by a 28-year-old Rochester man.

a ) a man who has been to a particular university:

a Harvard man

5. ) count INFORMAL a man who takes part in a particular activity or who likes a particular thing:

I'm not really a football man. I prefer tennis.

6. ) count a husband, boyfriend, or sexual partner:

Have you met Jessica's new man?

7. ) count usually plural a man of low rank in the military:

General Hoge ordered his men to take the bridge.

8. ) count a man of low status who works in a factory, on a farm, or in industry:

The men were threatening to go on strike.

a ) a man who comes to your house to do a piece of work or provide a service, especially to repair something:

the dishwasher man

the gas man

They sent a man around to look at the sink.

b ) a man who works for a particular company or organization, or who does a particular type of work:

He eyed the two CIA men suspiciously.

a medical/military man

our man in something: Our man in Brazil has been watching the situation.

=> MAN OF GOD, MAN OF LETTERS, MAN OF THE CLOTH

9. ) count INFORMAL used for talking to a man or boy:

Hey man, how are you doing?

a ) INFORMAL OLD-FASHIONED used for talking to a man when you are annoyed or upset:

Just get on with it, man!

10. ) the man INFORMAL someone with power and authority over other people

11. ) count one of the small objects used for playing a game such as CHESS

12. ) count OLD-FASHIONED a servant

be someone's man

to be the right person for something:

If you want a cheap ticket, Burton is your man.

be your own man

to not let yourself be influenced or controlled by other people

every man for himself

used for saying that everyone needs to take care of themselves and not worry about anyone else:

In this business it's every man for himself.

hit/kick a man when he's down INFORMAL

to treat someone badly when they are already in a weak position

man and wife

two people who are married to each other:

pronounce someone man and wife: The judge pronounced them man and wife.

man cannot live by bread alone

used for saying that people need more than food, money, and possessions in order to have a good life

the man for the job

the right person to do something

the man of the moment/hour

the man who is most popular or successful at a particular time

man's best friend OFTEN HUMOROUS

a dog

a man's man

a man who likes spending time with other men and doing things that men traditionally enjoy

my man INFORMAL

used for addressing a man you like

to a man/to the last man LITERARY

used for saying that all the men in a group do or are something:

The entire committee opposed him, to a man.

=> SEPARATE 2, STREET, WORLD

man

man 2 [ mæn ] verb transitive

to provide a place, machine, or system with the people needed to operate it. Some people avoid using this word because they consider it offensive to women, and they use staff or crew instead:

We need someone to man the switchboard.

man

man 3 [ mæn ] interjection INFORMAL

used for expressing surprise, admiration, anger, etc.:

Man! That was pretty scary!