man alive! Definition

man
noun men

1. An adult male human being. Opposite of woman. Also as adj.

Example: men friends
Example: man child
2. A male person associated with a specified activity.

Example: postman
Example: businessman
3. A male person who was born in, or lives in, a specified country or place.

Example: Yorkshireman
4. Human beings as a whole or as a genus (see homo¹); the human race. Also called mankind.

Example: when man first walked the Earth
Thesaurus: Homo sapiens, mankind, humankind, humanity, human beings, mortals.
5a. Any subspecies of, or type of creature belonging to, the human genus Homo;

Example: Neanderthal man
Example: modern man
5b. An individual member of such a group; a hominid.

Example: Java man
6. A human being; a person. Often in compounds.

Example: the right man for the job
Example: Time waits for no man
Example: manhunt
Example: man-made
Example: a two-man job
7a. An ordinary employee, worker or member of the armed forces, as distinguished from a manager or officer. Compare staff noun 1b;

Example: The new boss gets on well with the men


Example: man-hours
8. An adult male human being displaying typical or expected masculine qualities, such as strength and courage.

Example: Stand up and be a man
Example: He's a real man
9. sport etc.
A male member of a team, group, etc.
10. In various board games, eg draughts and chess: one of the movable pieces.
11. colloq
A husband or boyfriend.
Example: Her man left her
12. colloq
Used as a form of address to an adult male, in various contexts, eg indicating impatience.
Example: Damn it, man!
Example: Just get on with it, man
13. old use
Any male servant, especially a valet.
14. colloq
The perfect thing or person, especially for a specified job or purpose.
Example: If you need a good mechanic, David's your man
Example: When you're feeling down, a pint of plain's your man

verb manned, manning

1. To provide (eg a ship, industrial plant, fortress, etc) with men, ie workers, operators, defenders, especially male ones. Also in compounds.

Example: overmanning
Example: undermanned
Example: We are fully-manned today
2. To operate (a piece of equipment, etc) or to make it ready for action.

Example: man the pumps

exclamation

(especially US)
1. colloq
Used to intensify a statement that follows it
Example: Man, is she gorgeous!

Derivative: manful

See separate entries.

Derivative: manned
adj

Said of a ship, machine, spacecraft, etc: provided with men, operators, crew, etc.

Derivative: mannish

See separate entry.

Idiom: as one man

Simultaneously; all together.

Idiom: be one's own man

To be independent, not relying on or controlled by anyone else.
Thesaurus: be free, be independent, stand alone.

Idiom: be someone's man

To be exactly the person they are looking for to do a particular job.
Example: You're my man

Idiom: make a man of someone

To cause him to acquire some or all of the stereotypical adult male qualities, such as strength, toughness, courage, self-sufficiency.

Idiom: man alive!

(hiefly US)
An expression of surprise.

Idiom: man and boy

From childhood to manhood; for all of someone's life.

Idiom: man to man

Openly or frankly; as one man to another.

Idiom: sort out the men from the boys (separate the men from the boys)

colloq
To serve as a test that will prove someone's ability, calibre, quality, etc or otherwise.
Example: It's a climb that will surely separate the men from the boys

Idiom: to a man

slightly formal or old use
Without exception.
Example: The board accepted my decision to a man

Idiom: men in grey suits

Unseen establishment figures holding the ultimate power in an organization, political party, etc.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon mann.