(men, mans, manning, manned)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
A man is an adult male human being.
He had not expected the young man to reappear before evening...
I have always regarded him as a man of integrity.
...the thousands of men, women and children who are facing starvation.
N-COUNT
2.
Man and men are sometimes used to refer to all human beings, including both males and females. Some people dislike this use.
The chick initially has no fear of man...
N-VAR
3.
If you say that a man is, for example, a gambling man or an outdoors man, you mean that he likes gambling or outdoor activities.
Are you a gambling man, Mr Graham?...
N-COUNT: supp N
4.
If you say that a man is, for example, a London man or an Oxford man, you mean that he comes from London or Oxford, or went to university there.
...as the Stockport man collected his winnings...
N-COUNT: n-proper N
5.
If you refer to a particular company's or organization's man, you mean a man who works for or represents that company or organization. (JOURNALISM)
...the Daily Telegraph's man in Abu Dhabi.
N-COUNT: poss N
6.
Some people refer to a woman's husband, lover, or boyfriend as her man. (INFORMAL)
...if they see your man cuddle you in the kitchen or living room.
N-SING: poss N
7.
In very informal social situations, man is sometimes used as a greeting or form of address to a man.
Hey wow, man! Where d'you get those boots?
N-VOC [formulae]
8.
If you man something such as a place or machine, you operate it or are in charge of it.
...the person manning the phone at the complaints department...
The station is seldom manned in the evening.
VERB: V n, V n
9.
10.
If you say that a man is man enough to do something, you mean that he has the necessary courage or ability to do it.
I told him that he should be man enough to admit he had done wrong...
PHRASE: v-link PHR
11.
If you describe a man as a man's man, you mean that he has qualities which make him popular with other men rather than with women.
PHRASE: v-link PHR
12.
If you say that a man is his own man, you approve of the fact that he makes his decisions and his plans himself, and does not depend on other people.
Be your own man. Make up your own mind...
PHRASE: V inflects [approval]
13.
If you say that a group of men are, do, or think something to a man, you are emphasizing that every one of them is, does, or thinks that thing.
To a man, the surveyors blamed the government...
PHRASE: PHR with v [emphasis]
14.
A man-to-man conversation or meeting takes place between two men, especially two men who meet to discuss a serious personal matter.
He called me to his office for a man-to-man talk...
Me and Ben should sort this out man to man.
PHRASE: PHR n, PHR after v
15.
the man in the street: see
street
man of the world: see
world