mensch

Etymology

From Yiddish מענטש (mentsh, “an honorable person”), from Middle High German mensch, mensche, mennische, from Old High German mennisko (“man, human being”), from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). The spelling mensch was influenced by German Mensch; compare the alternative spellings. Doublet of mennish and mensk; compare also mense. For the semantics, compare Latin humanē (“kindly, courteously”), English humane.

noun

1. A person (chiefly male) of strength, integrity, and honor or compassion.
   Doctor Dreyfuss [to C. C. Baxter]: Be a mensch! 1960, Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond, The Apartment
   Where have all the mensches gone? The character of the administration reflects the character of the man at its head. 2006-02-20, Paul Krugman, “The Mensch Gap”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
   Olie Kolzig: Goalie for the Washington Capitals who spent most of 16 seasons between the pipes for the team until being released in 2008. Had the longest career of any Capital. Now plays for Tampa Bay. The ultimate mensch, in my book. December 28, 2008, George Solomon, “My Little Red Book”, in The Washington Post, page D01
   She was an Amerindian, and stout. She was a real mensch, […] a hard working person, who took pride in her job, which was to spray from an aerosol can a particular base. 2008, Dwight S. Huggins, Into the Greenhouse Vol. VI: Dreams
2. A gentleman.