man

I UK [mæn] / US noun
Word forms "man":
singular man plural men UK [men] / US
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Words that may cause offence: man:

Man and mankind are sometimes used to refer to humans in general, including both men and women. However, many people think that this use suggests that women are not included, or that men are more important than women. To avoid causing offence, you can use words and expressions such as humans, human beings, people, humanity, or the human race.

1)

a) [countable] an adult male human

an ambitious young man

a jury of nine men and three women

a man's overcoat

a man of 64 (= who is 64 years old)

b) a man

old-fashioned used by a man for referring to himself

A man likes to have some time to himself.

••

See:

the man in the moon

2)

a) [countable] old-fashioned a person of either sex. Some people do not like to use this word in this way because they think it is offensive to women

All men are created equal.

b) [uncountable] people in general

He always maintained his belief in the goodness of man.

the evolution of man

3) [countable] someone who is strong and brave, as a man is traditionally expected to be

be a man!:

Come on! Be a man!

4)

a) [countable] a man who is connected with a particular place

a city man

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

b) a man who has been to a particular university

an Oxford man

5) [countable] 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) [countable] a husband, boyfriend, or sexual partner

Have you met Jessica's new man?

7) [countable, usually plural] a man of low rank in the armed forces

General Hoge ordered his men to take the bridge.

8) [countable] 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 round 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.

••

See:

man of God, man of letters, man of the cloth

9)

a) [countable] informal used for talking to a man or a boy

Hey man, how are you doing?

b) informal old-fashioned used for talking to a man when you are annoyed or upset

Just get on with it, man!

10) the man

mainly American informal someone with power and authority over other people

11) [countable] one of the small objects used for playing a game such as chess

12) [countable] old-fashioned a servant

•

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?

hit/kick a man when he's down — informal to treat someone badly when they are already in a weak position

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.

the man of the moment/hour — the man who is most popular or successful at a particular time

the men in (grey) suits — the men who control an organization but whose names are not well known. This expression shows that you think people like this are boring or conservative

The men in grey suits vetoed the idea.

my (good/dear) man — British

old-fashioned used for talking to a man of a lower social class

prehistoric/modern etc man — the people who lived at a particular period in history

Inactivity is a disease of modern man.

to a man/to the last man — literary used for saying that all the men in a group do something

The entire committee opposed him, to a man.

- as one man

- be someone's man

- be your own man

- every man for himself

- man and boy

- man and wife

- man cannot live by bread alone

- the man for the job

- man's best friend

- a man of something

- a man's man

- my man

- your man

See:

separate II, street I, world

II UK [mæn] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "man":
present tense I/you/we/they man he/she/it mans present participle manning past tense manned past participle manned

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

We need someone to man the switchboard.

Phrasal verbs:

- man up

III UK [mæn] / US interjection informal

used for expressing surprise, admiration, anger etc

Man! That was pretty scary!