manual

Etymology 1

From Middle English manuel, from Old French manuel, from Late Latin manuāle (“handbook, manual”).

noun

1. A handbook.
2. A booklet that instructs on the usage of a particular machine or product.
   The dishwasher isn't working; can you remember where we put the manual?
3. (military) A drill in the use of weapons, etc.
4. (Christianity, historical) An old office-book like the modern Roman Catholic ritual.

Etymology 2

From Middle English manuel, from Anglo-Norman manuel, Old French manual, from Latin manuālis, from manus (“hand”).

adj

1. (of an activity) Performed with the hands.
2. (of a machine, device etc.) Operated by means of the hands.
3. Performed by a human rather than a machine.
   The teacher urged the students to do a manual check, because some errors aren't picked up by the spell checker.

noun

1. (countable) A device that is operated using the hands, or by a human rather than a machine.
   1. (automotive) A manual transmission; a gearbox, especially of a motorized vehicle, shifted by the operator.
   2. (by synecdoche) A vehicle with a manual transmission.
      I'm not used to automatics; I've always driven manuals.
   3. (music) A keyboard for the hands on a harpsichord, organ, or other musical instrument.
   4. A manual typewriter (as contrasted with an electronic one).
2. (countable) A procedure or operation that is done using the hands, or by a human rather than machine.
   1. (medicine, colloquial) Manual measurement of the blood pressure, done with a manual sphygmomanometer.
      do a manual
      give someone a quick manual
   2. A bicycle technique whereby the front wheel is held aloft by the rider, without the use of pedal force.
   3. A similar maneuver on a skateboard, lifting the front or back wheels while keeping the tail or nose of the board from touching the ground.
      In short tutorials, the player learns the basics of skating: reverts, manuals and the ollie […] 2007, Friedrich von Borries, Steffen P. Walz, Matthias Böttger, Space Time Play: Computer Games, Architecture and Urbanism, page 124
3. (uncountable) Manual control or operation.
   Put the controls to manual.
   Leave the system on manual.