man in the moon

American  

noun

1. a fancied semblance of a human face in the disk of the full moon, so perceived because of variations in the moon's topography.

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man in the moon British  

noun

1. the moon when considered to resemble the face of a man

2. (in folklore and nursery rhyme) a character dwelling in the moon

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Etymology

Origin of man in the moon

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325

Example Sentences

This explains why some people say they see a Man in the Moon or a Moon rabbit — what do you spot?

From Space Scoop

"Happy Christmas," said the card that came with it, "and love from the Man in the Moon."

From BBC

Chalamet plays the Man in the Moon, who turns from supportive to disturbed as the story goes on.

From Los Angeles Times

The brightness difference between these two materials forms the familiar "man in the moon" face or "rabbit picking rice" image to the naked eye.

From Salon

In this view, the large craters that are characteristic of the moon’s early existence—such as those that formed the “Man in the Moon”—may have formed earlier than previously thought.

From Scientific American