woman

The definition of a woman is an adult female human.

(noun)

An example of a woman is Michelle Obama.

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See woman in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. women

    1. the female human being
    2. women collectively
  1. an adult female human being
  2. a female servant
    1. Dialectal a wife
    2. a sweetheart or a mistress
  3. womanly qualities or characteristics; femininity: the woman in her

Origin: ME wumman < OE wimmann < wifmann < wif, female, wife + mann, human being, man: rounding of vowel due to infl. of the initial w-

adjective

  1. of or characteristic of a woman or women; feminine
  2. female: a woman scientist

woman of a (specified) kind, in a (specified) activity, etc.: sometimes used in compounds to avoid the masculine implication of -man: pl. form -women

See woman in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. wom·en (wĭmˈĭn)
  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. Feminine quality or aspect; womanliness.
  5. A female servant or subordinate.
  6. Informal
    a. A wife.
    b. A female lover or sweetheart. See Usage Notes at lady, man, person.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English wimman

Origin: , variant of wīfman

Origin: : wīf, woman; see ghwībh- in Indo-European roots

Origin: + man, person; see man

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Related Forms:

  • womˈan·less adjective

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