Meanings
nounhandman (plural handmen)
plural handmen
- archaicrareA (male) servant; manservant
No one knew how many Oracles would show up at each ceremony, seeking replacements for their lieges' handmaidens or handmen.
2006, James Clemens, Shadowfall - mediaOne who assembles printing type by hand.
The handman reads copy and assembles type by hand, including straight composition, tables and display.
1918, The Industrial Education Survey of the City of New York, page 44
Origin
From hand + man, modelled after handmaiden, etc. For the printing sense, see by hand.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
handman. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handman
MLA
“handman.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handman. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “handman,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/handman.
Source: handman on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.