yeoman

American  

[yoh-muhn] / ˈyoʊ mən /

noun

yeomen plural

1. a petty officer in a navy, having chiefly clerical duties in the U.S. Navy.

2. British. a farmer who cultivates his own land.

3. History/Historical. one of a class of lesser freeholders, below the gentry, who cultivated their own land, early admitted in England to political rights.

4. Archaic.

   1. a servant, attendant, or subordinate official in a royal or other great household.

   2. a subordinate or assistant, as of a sheriff or other official or in a craft or trade.

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adjective

1. of, pertaining to, composed of, or characteristic of yeomen.

   the yeoman class.

2. performed or rendered in a loyal, valiant, useful, or workmanlike manner, especially in situations that involve a great deal of effort or labor.

   He did a yeoman job on the problem.

yeoman British  

/ ˈjəʊmən /

noun

1. history

   1. a member of a class of small freeholders of common birth who cultivated their own land

   2. an assistant or other subordinate to an official, such as a sheriff, or to a craftsman or trader

   3. an attendant or lesser official in a royal or noble household

2. (in Britain) another name for yeoman of the guard

3. (modifier) characteristic of or relating to a yeoman

4. a petty officer or noncommissioned officer in the Royal Navy or Marines in charge of signals

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• yeomen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of yeoman

1300–50; Middle English yeman, yoman, probably reduced forms of yengman, yongman, yungman, with similar sense; see young, man

Explanation

A yeoman was a farmer who owned and worked his own land — not to be confused with "yo, man!" Although experts aren't entirely sure of the origin of yeoman, they speculate that it is a shortened version of young man. Yeoman is now just a historic term and it is unlikely to be used to describe a landowning farmer today. There are modern uses for the word, however, including in the U.S. Navy, the Royal Navy, a Yeoman of the Guard, and similar military terms.

Example Sentences

The state opening will begin at 09:30 when the royal bodyguards, known as the Yeoman of the Guard, conduct a ceremonial search of the cellars of the Palace of Westminster for explosives.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

And in a story about fantastical possibilities, he and his longtime collaborators, including the cinematographer Robert Yeoman and the production designer Adam Stockhausen, employ a beguilingly primitive form of movie magic.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2023

Collaborating with Adam Stockhausen, Anderson’s production designer, and Robert Yeoman, the cinematographer, Sami — whose official title is key grip, the head of his department — has an unusual amount of input.

From New York Times • Jun. 21, 2023

Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, who calls himself “Harpy Daniels,” announced in November he had been picked by the Navy as part of outreach efforts to encourage more young people to enlist.

From Washington Times • May 3, 2023

Adam the Yeoman came bursting into the Hall, so hurried with ill news that he scarcely stopped to bob his head before speaking.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli