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wom·an

(wmən)

n. pl. wom·en(wĭmĭn)

1. An adult female human.

2. Women considered as a group; womankind: “Woman feels the invidious distinctions of sex exactly as the black man does those of color” (Elizabeth Cady Stanton).

3. An adult female human belonging to a specified occupation, group, nationality, or other category. Often used in combination: an Englishwoman; congresswoman; a saleswoman.

4. A female servant or subordinate.

5. Informal

a. A wife.

b. A female lover or sweetheart. See Usage Notes at chairman, female, lady, man.

Idioms:

(one's) own woman

Independent in judgment or action: She has always been her own woman.

to a woman

Without exception.

[Middle English, from Old English wimman, variant of wīfman : wīf, woman + man, person; see MAN.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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