Meanings
goodman1
plural goodmen · alternative gomman · alternative gudeman
- ScotlandhistoricalA husband; the master of a house or family.First known use 13th c.
‘The gudeman,—he's done with t' paper, and you'll keep it for good and all.’
1863, Anthony Trollope, Rachel Ray2 more examples
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 7:18-19The centre of the kitchen was the well-caumed fireside, the saut girnel in the jambs, the goodman's seat between the lowe and the candle, and pussy bawdrons not far from the warmth of the ace.
1899, Proceedings of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow, page 55
Goodman2
plural Goodmans
- A surname.
- A male given name transferred from the surname.
- A place in the United States:
- A town in Holmes County, Mississippi.
- A city in McDonald County, Missouri.
- A town and census-designated place therein, in Marinette County, Wisconsin.
Origin
goodman · noun
- Middle Englishgodeman
- Englishgoodman
From Middle English godeman, equivalent to good + man.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
goodman. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goodman
“goodman.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goodman. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “goodman,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goodman.
Source: goodman on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.