yeoman
[ yoh-muhn ]
/ ˈyoʊ mən /
noun, plural yeo·men.
a petty officer in a navy, having chiefly clerical duties in the U.S. Navy.
British. a farmer who cultivates his own land.
History/Historical. one of a class of lesser freeholders, below the gentry, who cultivated their own land, early admitted in England to political rights.
Archaic.
- a servant, attendant, or subordinate official in a royal or other great household.
- a subordinate or assistant, as of a sheriff or other official or in a craft or trade.
adjective
of, pertaining to, composed of, or characteristic of yeomen: the yeoman class.
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.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for yeoman
British Dictionary definitions for yeoman
yeoman
/ (ˈjəʊmən) /
noun plural -men
history
- a member of a class of small freeholders of common birth who cultivated their own land
- an assistant or other subordinate to an official, such as a sheriff, or to a craftsman or trader
- an attendant or lesser official in a royal or noble household
(in Britain) another name for yeoman of the guard
(modifier) characteristic of or relating to a yeoman
a petty officer or noncommissioned officer in the Royal Navy or Marines in charge of signals
Word Origin for yeoman
C15: perhaps from yongman young man
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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