woman

wo-man · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    An adult female human being.

  2. 2.

    A female worker or employee.

  3. 3.

    Women in general.

  4. 4.

    A female partner or wife.

Forms

plural: women

Related words

Antonyms: man
See also: female, lady, man, women
Synonyms: female, lady

Etymology

From Old English "wifman" meaning "woman, female servant," literally "woman-person," a compound of "wif" (woman) + "man" (person). Over time, the "f" was lost and the vowel changed. The irregular plural "women" preserves an older pronunciation where the first syllable vowel changed in the plural.