man
♦♦♦ man /m'æn/ (men mans manning manned)
1 [N-COUNT]
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.
2 [N-VAR]
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...
3 [N-COUNT] supp N
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?...
4 [N-COUNT] n-proper N
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...
5 [N-COUNT] poss N
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.
6 [N-SING] poss N
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.
7 [N-VOC]
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?
8 [VERB] V n, V n
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.
9
see also manned, ladies' man,
10 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
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...
11 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
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.
12 [PHRASE] V inflects
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...
13 [PHRASE] PHR with v
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...
14 [PHRASE] PHR n, PHR after v
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.
15
the man in the street: see street
man of the world: see worldbest man
[N-SING]
The best man at a wedding is the man who assists the bridegroom.con man (con men)
also conman
[N-COUNT]
A con man is a man who persuades people to give him their money or property by lying to them.
A few years ago she was the victim of a con man.con|fi|dence man (confidence men)
[N-COUNT]
A confidence man is a man who persuades people to give him their money or property by lying to them. (mainly AM)
= con manfami|ly man (family men)
1 [N-COUNT]
A family man is a man who is very fond of his wife and children and likes to spend a lot of time with them.
I'm very much a family man and need to be close to those I love.
2 [N-COUNT]
A family man is a man who has a wife and children.
I am a family man with a mortgage.front man (front men)
[N-COUNT] oft N for n
If you say that someone is a front man for a group or organization, you mean that their role is to represent and give a good impression of it to the public, especially when it is not very respectable or popular.
Tremaine is the company's front man in Washington.gar|bage man (garbage men)
[N-COUNT]
A garbage man is the same as a garbage collector. (AM)hatch|et man (hatchet men)
[N-COUNT]
You can refer to someone who makes changes in an organization by getting rid of lots of people as a hatchet man, especially if you think they do so in an unnecessarily harsh way. (INFORMAL)ladies' man
[N-SING] usu a N
If you say that a man is a ladies' man, you mean that he enjoys spending time socially with women and that women find him attractive. (OLD-FASHIONED)man man|age|ment
[N-UNCOUNT]
Man management involves controlling and organizing the people who work in a business or organization. (BUSINESS)
Team captains need to have effective man-management skills.new man (new men)
[N-COUNT]
A new man is a man who has modern ideas about the relations between men and women, and believes that men should share the work of looking after the home and caring for the children. (mainly BRIT)
Sarah says I only change nappies when we have visitors. It is easy to be a new man in public; in private it's hard work.odd-job man (odd-job men)
[N-COUNT]
An odd-job man is a man who is paid to do various jobs such as cleaning or repairing things, usually in someone's home.old man
[N-SING] the/poss N
Some people refer to their father, husband, or boyfriend as their old man. (INFORMAL)
Her old man left her a few million when he died...rag-and-bone man (rag-and-bone men)
[N-COUNT]
A rag-and-bone man is a person who goes from street to street in a vehicle or with a horse and cart buying things such as old clothes and furniture. (BRIT; in AM, use junkman, junk dealer)re|mov|al man (removal men)
[N-COUNT]
Removal men are men whose job is to move furniture or equipment from one building to another. (mainly BRIT; in AM, usually use movers)Re|nais|sance man (Renaissance men)
[N-COUNT]
If you describe a man as a Renaissance man, you mean that he has a wide range of abilities and interests, especially in the arts and sciences.right-hand man (right-hand men)
[N-COUNT] usu poss N
Someone's right-hand man is the person who acts as their chief assistant and helps and supports them a lot in their work.
He is Rupert Murdoch's right-hand man at News International.stunt man (stunt men)
also stuntman
[N-COUNT]
A stunt man is a man whose job is to do dangerous things, either for publicity, or in a film instead of an actor so that the actor does not risk being injured.
1 [N-COUNT]
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.
2 [N-VAR]
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...
3 [N-COUNT] supp N
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?...
4 [N-COUNT] n-proper N
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...
5 [N-COUNT] poss N
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.
6 [N-SING] poss N
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.
7 [N-VOC]
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?
8 [VERB] V n, V n
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.
9
see also manned, ladies' man,
10 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
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...
11 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
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.
12 [PHRASE] V inflects
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...
13 [PHRASE] PHR with v
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...
14 [PHRASE] PHR n, PHR after v
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.
15
the man in the street: see street
man of the world: see worldbest man
[N-SING]
The best man at a wedding is the man who assists the bridegroom.con man (con men)
also conman
[N-COUNT]
A con man is a man who persuades people to give him their money or property by lying to them.
A few years ago she was the victim of a con man.con|fi|dence man (confidence men)
[N-COUNT]
A confidence man is a man who persuades people to give him their money or property by lying to them. (mainly AM)
= con manfami|ly man (family men)
1 [N-COUNT]
A family man is a man who is very fond of his wife and children and likes to spend a lot of time with them.
I'm very much a family man and need to be close to those I love.
2 [N-COUNT]
A family man is a man who has a wife and children.
I am a family man with a mortgage.front man (front men)
[N-COUNT] oft N for n
If you say that someone is a front man for a group or organization, you mean that their role is to represent and give a good impression of it to the public, especially when it is not very respectable or popular.
Tremaine is the company's front man in Washington.gar|bage man (garbage men)
[N-COUNT]
A garbage man is the same as a garbage collector. (AM)hatch|et man (hatchet men)
[N-COUNT]
You can refer to someone who makes changes in an organization by getting rid of lots of people as a hatchet man, especially if you think they do so in an unnecessarily harsh way. (INFORMAL)ladies' man
[N-SING] usu a N
If you say that a man is a ladies' man, you mean that he enjoys spending time socially with women and that women find him attractive. (OLD-FASHIONED)man man|age|ment
[N-UNCOUNT]
Man management involves controlling and organizing the people who work in a business or organization. (BUSINESS)
Team captains need to have effective man-management skills.new man (new men)
[N-COUNT]
A new man is a man who has modern ideas about the relations between men and women, and believes that men should share the work of looking after the home and caring for the children. (mainly BRIT)
Sarah says I only change nappies when we have visitors. It is easy to be a new man in public; in private it's hard work.odd-job man (odd-job men)
[N-COUNT]
An odd-job man is a man who is paid to do various jobs such as cleaning or repairing things, usually in someone's home.old man
[N-SING] the/poss N
Some people refer to their father, husband, or boyfriend as their old man. (INFORMAL)
Her old man left her a few million when he died...rag-and-bone man (rag-and-bone men)
[N-COUNT]
A rag-and-bone man is a person who goes from street to street in a vehicle or with a horse and cart buying things such as old clothes and furniture. (BRIT; in AM, use junkman, junk dealer)re|mov|al man (removal men)
[N-COUNT]
Removal men are men whose job is to move furniture or equipment from one building to another. (mainly BRIT; in AM, usually use movers)Re|nais|sance man (Renaissance men)
[N-COUNT]
If you describe a man as a Renaissance man, you mean that he has a wide range of abilities and interests, especially in the arts and sciences.right-hand man (right-hand men)
[N-COUNT] usu poss N
Someone's right-hand man is the person who acts as their chief assistant and helps and supports them a lot in their work.
He is Rupert Murdoch's right-hand man at News International.stunt man (stunt men)
also stuntman
[N-COUNT]
A stunt man is a man whose job is to do dangerous things, either for publicity, or in a film instead of an actor so that the actor does not risk being injured.