Man | Mean of man in English Dictionary

/ˈmæn/

• Noun
• an adult male human being
1. He was a shy boy, but he grew to be a strong and confident man.
2. He's a grown man now.
3. The movie is popular with men and women.
4. He's a man of great talent. = He's a very talented man.
5. a good/bad man
• a man or boy who shows the qualities (such as strength and courage) that men are traditionally supposed to have
1. Don't cry, little boy: be a man!
2. A few years in the army will make a (real) man (out) of you!
3. Are you man enough to meet the challenge?
• a woman's husband or boyfriend
1. Who's the new man in her life? = Who's her new man?
2. I now pronounce you man [=husband] and wife.

• an individual human being
1. Time waits for no man. [=for no one]
2. the differences between men [=people] and beasts/animals
3. He believes that all men are created equal.
• the human race
1. prehistoric man
2. It's not a fit night out for man or/nor beast. [=for people or animals]
3. the problems facing modern man [=the human race in modern times]
• a male worker who goes to people's homes
1. The furnace man came to repair the heater.
• a group of male workers, soldiers, etc.
1. The men have threatened to go on strike.
2. He led his men into battle against overwhelming odds.
• a man who does a particular kind of work
1. a medical/military man
• a man who has a specified job or position or who belongs to a specified category of worker
1. a councilman
2. Has the mailman come yet?
3. He's a shrewd businessman.
• a man who works for or represents a particular person or organization
1. our man in Washington
2. He spoke with the president's man.
• a male servant
1. My man will show you to your room.
• a male student or former student at a college or university
1. He's a Harvard man.
• a man who comes from or lives in a specified town, city, etc.
1. One of the accident victims has been identified as a Boston man.
• a man who likes something very much or who is known for some activity or interest
1. I'm strictly a vanilla ice cream man. [=I'm a man who likes vanilla ice cream]
• a person who can do what is needed
1. If you need someone to help organize the files, I'm/he's/she's your man! [=I'm/he's/she's the person you need for the job]
• the person someone (such as a police officer) is looking for
1. He matches the description, but I don't think he's our man.
2. a detective who always gets his man [=catches the criminal]
• one of the pieces in a game like chess or checkers
• as a group
1. The audience rose as one man [=everyone in the audience stood up] and cheered.
• to be or become a man who is not controlled by other people or who is able to support himself without the help of other people
1. He left home and moved to the city to become his own man.
• the police
1. He got in trouble with the Man and ended up in jail.
• the white people who are seen as having power in the U.S.
1. He got a job working for the Man.
• a man who is admired or respected as a leader or as the best man in a particular field, sport, etc.
1. The other players on the team all know that he's the man.
2. You're the man! = (very informal) You the man! = (very informal + humorous) You da man!
• the ordinary and average person
1. What does the man in the street think about it?
• until all the men in a group are killed, defeated, etc.
1. They vowed to fight to the last man.
• Verb
• to be the person who controls or is in charge of (something)
1. He stocked shelves while I manned the cash register.
2. We'll need someone to man the phones this evening.
3. No one was manning the front desk.
• to place people at or on (something) to do work
1. man the sails/lifeboats