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woman

Syllabification: (wom·an)
Pronunciation: /ˈwo͝omən/
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Definition of woman

noun (plural women /ˈwimin/)

  • an adult human female.
  • a female worker or employee.
  • a wife, girlfriend, or lover:he wondered whether Billy had his woman with him
  • [with adjective or noun modifier] a female person associated with a particular place, activity, or occupation:a young American woman
  • [in singular] female adults in general:woman is intuitive
  • a female paid to clean someone’s house and carry out general domestic duties.
  • a peremptory form of address to a woman:don’t be daft, woman

Phrases

be one's own woman

see own.

the little woman

a condescending way of referring to a man’s wife.

my good woman

British dated a patronizing form of address to a woman:you’re mistaken, my good woman

woman of letters

a female scholar or author.

woman of the streets

dated used euphemistically to refer to a prostitute.

woman of the world

see world.

woman to woman

in a direct and frank way between two women.

Derivatives

womanless

adjective

womanlike

Pronunciation: /-ˌlīk/
adjective

Origin:

Old English wīfmon, -man (see wife, man), a formation peculiar to English, the ancient word being wife

woman in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of woman in the British & World English dictionary
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