WOMAN
What does "WOMAN" mean?
An adult human female.
Meanings
- An adult female human being. The woman beside me on the train was reading poetry.
- Women considered collectively; the female sex. A debate about the place of woman in ancient society. formal
Did you know?
- 'Woman' literally means 'female person': it began as Old English 'wifman', where 'wif' meant female and 'man' simply meant a human of any sex.
Word origin
From Old English 'wifman', a compound of 'wif' ('woman, female') and 'man' ('human being, person'); the 'f' assimilated over time and the first vowel rounded, giving the modern 'woman'. 'Man' originally meant any human, not specifically male.
Remember it
WOMAN contains 'wo' + 'man' - but historically the 'wo' is 'wif' (female) and 'man' just meant 'person'.
A little poem
She carries names she did not choose-
daughter, wife, the rooms men built-
and walks out wearing only her own.
tercet
What it teaches
Long before it marked a sex, 'man' meant anyone; remember how easily a word can shrink a whole half of the world.
Quick facts
What does WOMAN mean?
An adult human female.
Is WOMAN a valid word?
Yes — WOMAN is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is WOMAN?
WOMAN has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does WOMAN come from?
From Old English 'wifman', a compound of 'wif' ('woman, female') and 'man' ('human being, person'); the 'f' assimilated over time and the first vowel rounded, giving the modern 'woman'. 'Man' originally meant any human, not specifically male.
What can WOMAN teach us?
Long before it marked a sex, 'man' meant anyone; remember how easily a word can shrink a whole half of the world.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.