woman

Etymology

From Middle English womman, wimman, wifman, from Old English wīfmann (“woman”, literally “female person”), a compound of wīf (“woman, female”, whence English wife) + mann (“person, human being”, whence English man); thus equivalent to wife + man. For details on the pronunciation and spelling history, see the usage notes below. Cognate with Scots woman, weman (“woman”), Saterland Frisian Wieuwmoanske (“female person, female human, woman”). Similar constructions can be found in West Frisian frommes (“woman, girl”) (from frou and minske, literally "woman human"). A few alternative spellings (see below) respell the term so as not to contain man.

noun

1. An adult female human.
   But this woman is a nice German woman that fell on the ice and sprained her ankle last winter, and we saw to her well as we could till she got better. 1887, Helen Campbell, Prisoners of poverty: their trades and their lives, page 120
   Dr. J. H. Vincent, the great lecturer, says that a man's greatness consists in his courage; his inherent nobleness; his noble deeds, great exploits, and benefits to the world; but that behind every great man is a great woman - his mother. 6 Sept 1888, Michigan School Moderator, page 402, column 3
   Cause I'm every woman / It's all in me 1978, Ashford & Simpson (lyrics and music), “I’m Every Woman”, in Chaka, performed by Chaka Khan
   During World War II, many women worked as blacksmiths in the shipbuilding industry and found they liked the challenging, independent work. 1979, Muriel Lederer, Blue-collar jobs for women, page 59
   There is nothing wrong with Melissa or the way she was raised. She is a sweet, kind, intelligent woman with a generous heart and more love for her child than you and Mother ever showed for either of your children. 2012, Kate Welsh, Substitute Daddy
2. (collective) All female humans collectively; womankind.
   I am Woman, hear me roar / In numbers too big to ignore 1972, Helen Reddy, I Am Woman, first line
   For if modern woman is so intent on keeping her surname alive, why not demand it be passed along to her children? 1997, Bob Grant, Let's Be Heard, page 42
   Unsurprisingly, if modern man is a sort of camera, modern woman is a picture. 2011, Eileen Gray and the Design of Sapphic Modernity: Staying In, page 109
3. A female person, usually an adult; a (generally adult) female sentient being, whether human, supernatural, elf, alien, etc.
   To be born a woman has been to be born, within an allotted and confined space, into the keeping of men. 2003, Amelia Jones, The Feminism and Visual Culture Reader, Psychology Press, page 37
   One of the elves, a woman with long auburn hair, was garbed identically to the two dwarves. 2007, Clifford B. Bowyer, The Siege of Zoldex, Silver Leaf Books, LLC, page 307
   Clearing a space between the tables, the men tested their prowess against one another with feats of wrestling and archery and bouts with quarterstaves. Two of the elves, a man and a woman, demonstrated their skill with swordplay—[…] 2008, Christopher Paolini, Brisingr: Or The Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular - Inheritance Book Three, page 549
   At the very dawn of religion, God was a woman. 2012, Merlin Stone, When God Was A Woman
   There was a pair of burly dwarves – a woman and a man – bearing the markings of the formidable Thane Guards. 2014, Oisin McGann, Kings of the Realm: Cruel Salvation, Penguin UK
4. A wife (or sometimes a fiancée or girlfriend).
   And then, when he lies with his woman, the man may concurrently be with God, and so get increase of his soul. 1914, D. H. Lawrence, Study of Thomas Hardy and Other Essays, chapter 7: "Of Being and Not-Being"
5. A female person who is extremely fond of or devoted to a specified type of thing. (Used as the last element of a compound.)
   Perhaps my problem is that I am a cat woman. I can't imagine any finicky feline (and they all are that at one time or another) slobbering over anyone, even a beloved owner, the way a dog does. 2004, Hyveth Williams, Secrets of a Happy Heart: A Fresh Look at the Sermon on the Mount, page 70
6. A female attendant or servant.

verb

1. To staff with female labor.
   […]he should prove, from the testimony of the most experienced seamen, that the vessel was, if not, strictly speaking, sufficiently manned, yet that she was sufficiently manned and womanned. The Gypsey was a vessel of 43 tons burden, and there were on board two able seamen and the Captain’s wife, who was a very good sailor; 1813, “Yorkshire Assizes. May a woman be deemed a sailor sufficient in manning a vessel? Case of Insurance.—Cook v. Thompson.”, in The Literary Panorama,[…], volume XIV, London: […]Cox and Baylis,[…]for C[harles] Taylor,[…], page 683
   Apparently the Sixty-ninth Street office of Bagby Answers, Inc., was being womaned for the day from other offices. 1956, Rex Stout, Three Witnesses, The Viking Press, page 54
   Gus Dinsmore, the public beach parking lot attendent, said he guessed that so many cars must be just stopped dead along the road that even those manned (or womaned) by able drivers would be unable to move. 1990, Stephen King, The stand: the complete & uncut edition
   The information desk is now manned (womaned) by someone whose main job is to help you reserve time slots for the computers or guide you through the arduous process of “logging on.” 2010, Julia Glass, The Widower's Tale, page 77
2. (transitive) To make effeminate or womanish.
3. (transitive) To furnish with, or unite to, a woman.
4. (transitive) To call (a person) "woman" in a disrespectful fashion.

adj

1. (particularly Nigeria, India, sometimes proscribed) Of or relating to a woman/women; female.
   But of course Britain since 1979 has had a woman prime minister, while no woman has ever come near to being president of the United States. 1985, Anthony King, The British Prime Minister, Duke University Press
   You can't spend months studying the history of the suffrage movement without gaining a new appreciation for the grit and gumption it takes to be a powerful woman leader. 2020-08-18, Veronica Chambers, The Staff of The New York Times, Finish The Fight!: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote, HarperCollins