yeoman
/ˈjoʊ.mən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.71 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An official providing honorable service in a royal or high noble household, ranking between a squire and a page. Especially, a yeoman of the guard, a member of a ceremonial bodyguard to the UK monarch (not to be confused with a Yeoman Warder).
British usage
noun
A former class of small freeholders who farm their own land; a commoner of good standing.
noun
A subordinate, deputy, aide, or assistant.
noun
noun
A clerk in the US Navy, and US Coast Guard.
noun
A member of the Yeomanry Cavalry, officially chartered in 1794 originating around the 1760s.
Example Sentences
- "This model of production costs might alternatively be derived from a yeoman farmer model, in which households supply goods directly[.]"
Etymology
From Middle English yeman, yoman, of disputed etymology: * From Old English *ġēamann, from Proto-West Germanic *gawamann, variant of *gauwjamann (compare Old Frisian gāman (“villager”), Middle High German göuman (“peasant”)), compound of Proto-West Germanic *gawi (“shire, district”) (compare Old English -ġē, -ġēa (“district, region”) (in ælġē, Sūþriġēa), West Frisian gea, goa, Dutch gouw, German Gau) + *mann (“man”). * A contraction of yong man; compare dialectal yeomath (“aftermath”) for a possible parallel.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈjoʊ.mən/
- British English: /ˈjəʊ.mən/
Usage
- British usage
- American usage
- Countable
- Uncountable
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
chief yeoman of the signals
common yeoman
good yeoman service
king's yeoman
navigator's yeoman
queen's yeoman
traveling yeoman
yeoman archer