Woman

Woman, woom′an, n. the female of man, an adult female of the human race: the female sex, women collectively: a female attendant:—pl. Women (wim′en).—v.t. to cause to act like a woman, to unite to a woman (both Shak.): to call a person 'woman' abusively.—n. Wom′an-bod′y (Scot.), a woman, used disparagingly.—adjs. Wom′an-born, born of woman; Wom′an-built, built by women.—adv. Wom′anfully, like a woman.—adj. Wom′an-grown, grown to womanhood.—ns. Wom′an-hāt′er, a misogynist; Wom′anhood, the state, character, or qualities of a woman.—adj. Wom′anish, having the qualities of a woman: feminine.—adv. Wom′anishly.—ns. Wom′anishness; Wom′ankind, Wom′enkind, women taken together: the female sex.—adj. Wom′an-like, like a woman.—n. Wom′anliness.—adj. Wom′anly, like or becoming a woman: feminine.—adv. in the manner of a woman.—ns. Wom′an-post (Shak.), a female messenger; Wom′an-quell′er, a killer of women; Wom′an-suff′rage, the exercise of the electoral franchise by women.—adjs. Wom′an-tired (Shak.), hen-pecked; Wom′an-vest′ed, wearing women's clothes.—Woman of the town, a whore; Woman of the world, a woman of fashion.—Women's rights, the movement of women towards personal and proprietary independence.—Play the woman, to give way to weakness. [A.S. wimman, wífman, a compound of wíf, a woman, man, man.]