Meanings
- Someone (possibly implied male) who is an expert in an area or who takes part in an activity.
horse + -man → horseman
1 more example
sports + -man → sportsman
- Someone (possibly implied male) who is employed or holds a position in an area.
law + -man → lawman
1 more example
news + -man → newsman
- Someone (possibly implied male) who has special characteristics relating to a topic or area.
ice + -man → iceman
2 more examples
free + -man → freeman
super + -man → superman
- Someone (possibly implied male) who has a particular nationality.
Scots + -man → Scotsman
3 more examples
Dutch + -man → Dutchman
China + -man → Chinaman
Yorkshire + -man → Yorkshireman
- A man whose name begins with the preceding letter.
J + -man → J-man (“man whose name starts with an J”)
1 more example
H + -man → H-man (“man whose name starts with H, e.g. Harry”)
- A ship which has special characteristics relating to a trade or area.
merchant + -man → merchantman
4 more examples
Guinea + -man → Guineaman (“ship of the West African slave trade”)
East India + -man → East Indiaman
Greenland + -man → Greenlandman (“a whaling ship”)
China + -man → Chinaman (“sailing ship engaged in the Old China Trade”)
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*mon-
- Proto-Germanic*mann-
- Proto-West Germanic*mann
- Old Englishmann
- Middle Englishman
- English-man
From Middle English -man, from the noun man.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
-man. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-man
“-man.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-man. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-man,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-man.
Source: -man on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.