Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Plural of man.
  • noun A Middle English variant of man in indefinite use.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • pronoun obsolete A man; one; -- used with a verb in the singular, and corresponding to the present indefinite one or they.
  • noun pl. of man.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Plural form of man.
  • noun collectively (The) people, humanity

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the force of workers available

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old English menn ("men, people, human beings collectively"), plural of mann ("man"). Cognate with German Männer ("men"), Danish mænd ("men"), Swedish män ("men"). More at man.

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Examples

  • Men objectify women in the same way I hear them objectifying men, and the same way Ive heard women objectify men\ others women.

    The icky vadge, now in video game format - Feministing 2008

  • But there are always those men who think that by not using condoms, they are being ‘real men’.

    Chapter 25 1997

  • But if God permitted men to hold _men_ as property, equally with oxen, the man-thief, could get men with whom to pay the penalty, as well as the ox-thief, oxen.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

  • We repeat it, -- public opinion made them slaves, and keeps them slaves; in other words, it sunk them from men to chattels, and now, forsooth, this same public opinion will see to it, that these _chattels_ are treated like _men!

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 3 of 4 American Anti-Slavery Society

  • But if God permitted men to hold _men_ as property, equally with

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

  • God permitted men to hold _men_ as property, equally with _oxen_, the man-thief could get men with whom to pay the penalty, as well as the ox-thief, oxen.

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

  • The men you like at sight, and who make friends wherever they go have developed in themselves _feelings of friendliness for all men_.

    Certain Success Norval A. Hawkins

  • Almost any large firm would put on ten first class men to-morrow, but they _can't find the men_.

    Tales of the Road

  • Of men -- of _men_ made you a god, and me, claimed me, set me apart and the song in my breast, yours, yours forever -- if I escape your evil heart.

    American Poetry, 1922 A Miscellany Various

  • We repeat it, -- public opinion made them slaves, and keeps them slaves; in other words, it sunk them from men to chattels, and now, forsooth, this same public opinion will see to it, that these _chattels_ are treated like _men!

    The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus American Anti-Slavery Society

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  • They hail you as their morning star

    Because you are the way you are.

    If you return the sentiment,

    They'll try to make you different;

    And once they have you, safe and sound,

    They want to change you all around.

    Your moods and ways they put a curse on;

    They'd make of you another person.

    They cannot let you go your gait;

    They influence and educate.

    They'd alter all that they admired.

    They make me sick, they make me tired.

    --Dorothy Parker

    July 2, 2007