manipulator (n.) Look up manipulator at Dictionary.com
1804, from manipulate with Latin agent noun ending. Perhaps formed on model of French manipulateur (1783).
Manitoba Look up Manitoba at Dictionary.com
Canadian province, named for the lake, which was named for an island in the lake; from Algonquian manitou "great spirit."
manitou (n.) Look up manitou at Dictionary.com
also manito, "spirit, deity, supernatural being," 1690s, from a word found throughout the Algonquian languages (Delaware manutoow, Ojibwa manidoo), first in English from Unami Delaware /manet:u/.
mankiller (n.) Look up mankiller at Dictionary.com
also man-killer, early 15c., from man (n.) + killer. Old English words for this were manslaga, manslieht.
mankind (n.) Look up mankind at Dictionary.com
"the human race," c. 1300, earlier man-kende (early 13c.), from man (n.) + kind (n.). Replaced Old English mancynn "human race." Also used occasionally in Middle English for "male persons" (late 14c.), but otherwise preserving the original gender neutrality of man (n.). For "menfolk, the male sex," menkind (late 14c.) and menskind (1590s) have been used.
manliness (n.) Look up manliness at Dictionary.com
late 14c., from manly + -ness.
manly (adj.) Look up manly at Dictionary.com
c. 1200, "human; characteristic of human beings," from man (n.) + -ly (1). Sense of "possessing virtues proper to a male person" (resoluteness, steadfastness, reliability) is from early 13c. Meaning "masculine" is attested from late 14c. Old English had werlic "male, masculine, manly."
manmade (adj.) Look up manmade at Dictionary.com
also man-made, c. 1718, from man (n.) + made. In early use typically of institutions, etc., and opposed to what is natural or god-made. Of fibers, foodstuffs, etc., from mid-20c.
manna (n.) Look up manna at Dictionary.com
Old English borrowing from Late Latin manna, from Greek manna, from Hebrew man, probably literally "substance exuded by the tamarisk tree," but used in Greek and Latin specifically with reference to the substance miraculously supplied to the Children of Israel during their wandering in the Wilderness (Ex. xvi:15). Meaning "spiritual nourishment" is attested from late 14c. Generalized sense of "something provided unexpectedly" is from 1590s.
mannequin (n.) Look up mannequin at Dictionary.com
1902, "model to display clothes," from French mannequin (15c.), from Dutch manneken (see manikin). A French form of the same word that yielded manikin, and sometimes mannequin was used in English in a sense "artificial man" (especially in translations of Hugo). Originally of persons, in a sense where we might use "model."
A mannequin is a good-looking, admirably formed young lady, whose mission is to dress herself in her employer's latest "creations," and to impart to them the grace which only perfect forms can give. Her grammar may be bad, and her temper worse, but she must have the chic the Parisienne possesses, no matter whether she hails from the aristocratic Faubourg St. Germain or from the Faubourg Montmartre. ["The Bystander," Aug. 15, 1906]
Later (by 1939) of artificial model figures to display clothing.
manner (n.) Look up manner at Dictionary.com
c. 1200, "kind, sort, variety," from Anglo-French manere, Old French maniere "fashion, method, manner, way; appearance, bearing; custom" (12c., Modern French manière), from Vulgar Latin *manaria (source of Spanish manera, Portuguese maneira, Italian maniera), from fem. of Latin manuarius "belonging to the hand," from manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)). The French word also was borrowed by Dutch (manier), German (manier), Swedish (maner).

Meaning "customary practice" is from c. 1300. Senses of "way of doing something; a personal habit or way of doing; way of conducting oneself toward others" are from c. 1300. Meaning "specific nature, form, way something happens" is mid-14c. Of literature from 1660s. Most figurative meanings derive from the original sense "method of handling" which was extended when the word was used to translate Latin modus "method." Phrase manner of speaking is recorded from 1530s. To the manner born ("Hamlet" I iv.15) generally is used incorrectly and means "destined by birth to be subject to the custom."
mannered (adj.) Look up mannered at Dictionary.com
mid-15c., "having manners" of one kind or another, from manner. Later, especially, "well-mannered." Compare mannerable "well-mannered" (late 15c.).
mannerism (n.) Look up mannerism at Dictionary.com
"excessive use of distinctive methods in art or literature," 1803, from manner + -ism. Meaning "an instance of mannerism, habitual peculiarity" is from 1819. Related: Mannerisms.
mannerist (n.) Look up mannerist at Dictionary.com
1690s in the artistic sense; see mannerism + -ist.
mannerly (adj.) Look up mannerly at Dictionary.com
"well-mannered, seemly, modest," late 14c., from manner (n.) + -ly (1). As an adverb, "in accord with custom; becomingly" (mid-14c.); later "in accord with good manners" (c. 1400). Related: Mannerliness.
manners (n.) Look up manners at Dictionary.com
"external behavior (especially polite behavior) in social intercourse," late 14c., plural of manner.
Under bad manners, as under graver faults, lies very commonly an overestimate of our special individuality, as distinguished from our generic humanity. [Oliver W. Holmes, "The Professor at the Breakfast Table," 1858]
Earlier it meant "moral character" (early 13c.).
mannish (adj.) Look up mannish at Dictionary.com
Old English mennisc "human, human-like, natural," from Proto-Germanic *manniska- (source also of Old Saxon mannisc, Old High German mennisc, Gothic mannisks), from *manna- (see man (n.)). In some cases a new formation from man (n.) + -ish.

Sense of "masculine" is from late 14c.; in reference to women seen as masculine, from late 14c. Of adult males (opposed to childish) from 1520s. Related: Mannishly; mannishness. The Proto-Germanic adjective became, in some languages, a noun meaning "human" (such as German Mensch), and in Old English mannish also was used as a noun "mankind, folk, race, people."
mano a mano Look up mano a mano at Dictionary.com
1970s, Spanish, literally "hand-to-hand."
manoeuvre Look up manoeuvre at Dictionary.com
also manoeuver, alternative spelling of maneuver. Also see oe; -re. Related: manoeuvres; manoeuvred; manoeuvring.
manometer (n.) Look up manometer at Dictionary.com
1730, from French manomètre (1706), said to have been coined by French mathematician Pierre Varignon (1654-1722) from Greek manos "thin, rare; loose in texture, porous; scanty, few" (see mono-) + -mètre (see -meter). Related: Manometric.
manor (n.) Look up manor at Dictionary.com
late 13c., "mansion, habitation, country residence, principal house of an estate," from Anglo-French maner, Old French manoir "abode, home, dwelling place; manor" (12c.), noun use of maneir "to dwell," from Latin manere "to stay, abide," from PIE root *men- "to remain" (see mansion). As a unit of territorial division in Britain and some American colonies (usually "land held in demesne by a lord, with tenants") it is attested from 1530s.
manorial (adj.) Look up manorial at Dictionary.com
1785, from manor + -al (1).
manpower (n.) Look up manpower at Dictionary.com
1855, from man (n.) + power (n.). Proposed in 1824 as a specific unit of measure of power.
manque (adj.) Look up manque at Dictionary.com
1778, from French manqué (fem. manquée), past participle of manquer "to miss, be lacking" (16c.), from Italian mancare, from manco, from Latin mancus "maimed, defective," from PIE *man-ko- "maimed in the hand," from root *man- "hand" (see manual (adj.)).
mansard Look up mansard at Dictionary.com
1734, from French mansarde, short for toit à la mansarde, a corrupt spelling, named for French architect Nicholas François Mansart (1598-1666), who made use of them.
manse (n.) Look up manse at Dictionary.com
late 15c., "mansion house," from Medieval Latin mansus "dwelling house; amount of land sufficient for a family," noun use of masculine past participle of Latin manere "to remain" (see mansion).
manservant (n.) Look up manservant at Dictionary.com
also man-servant, 1550s, from man (n.) + servant.
mansion (n.) Look up mansion at Dictionary.com
mid-14c., "chief residence of a lord," from Old French mansion "stay, permanent abode, house, habitation, home; mansion; state, situation" (13c.), from Latin mansionem (nominative mansio) "a staying, a remaining, night quarters, station," noun of action from past participle stem of manere "to stay, abide," from PIE *men- "to remain, wait for" (source also of Greek menein "to remain," Persian mandan "to remain"). Sense of "any large and stately house" is from 1510s. The word also was used in Middle English as "a stop or stage of a journey," hence probably astrological sense "temporary home" (late 14c.).
manslaughter (n.) Look up manslaughter at Dictionary.com
mid-14c., " act, crime, or sin of killing another human being," in battle or not, from man (n.) + slaughter (n.). Replaced Old English mannslæht (Anglian), mannslieht (West Saxon), from slæht, slieht "act of killing" (see slay). Etymologically identical with homicide, but in legal use usually distinguished from murder and restricted to "simple homicide."
mansuetude (n.) Look up mansuetude at Dictionary.com
"tameness, gentleness, mildness," late 14c., from Latin mansuetudo "tameness, mildness, gentleness," noun of state from past participle stem of mansuescere "to tame," literally "to accustom to the hand," from manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)) + suescere "to accustom, habituate," from PIE *swdh-sko-, from *swedh- (see sodality), extended form of root *s(w)e- (see idiom).
manta (n.) Look up manta at Dictionary.com
very large ray (also called devilfish), 1760, from Spanish manta "blanket" (which is attested in English from 1748 in this sense, specifically in reference to a type of wrap or cloak worn by Spaniards), from Late Latin mantum "cloak," back-formation from Latin mantellum "cloak" (see mantle (n.)). The ray so called "for being broad and long like a quilt" [Jorge Juan and Antonio de Ulloa, "A Voyage to South America"].
manteau (n.) Look up manteau at Dictionary.com
"cloak, mantle," 1670s, from French manteau, from Old French mantel (see mantle).
mantel (n.) Look up mantel at Dictionary.com
c. 1200, "short, loose, sleeveless cloak," variant of mantle (q.v.). Sense of "movable shelter for soldiers besieging a fort" is from 1520s. Meaning "timber or stone supporting masonry above a fireplace" first recorded 1510s, a shortened form of Middle English mantiltre "mantletree" (late 15c.).
mantelpiece (n.) Look up mantelpiece at Dictionary.com
1680s, from mantel + piece (n.).
mantic (adj.) Look up mantic at Dictionary.com
1850, from Greek mantikos "prophetic, oracular, of or for a soothsayer," from mantis "prophet," literally "one touched by divine madness" (see mantis). Related: Mantical (1580s).
manticore (n.) Look up manticore at Dictionary.com
fabulous monster with the body of a lion, head of a man, porcupine quills, and tail or sting of a scorpion, c. 1300, from Latin manticora, from Greek mantikhoras, corruption of martikhoras, perhaps from Iranian compound *mar-tiya-khvara "man-eater;" first element represented by Old Persian maritya- "man" (from PIE *mar-t-yo-, from *mer- "to die," thus "mortal, human;" see mortal (adj.)); second element by Old Persian kvar- "to eat," from PIE root *swel- (1) "to eat, drink" (see swallow (v.)).
mantilla (n.) Look up mantilla at Dictionary.com
type of large veil, 1717, from Spanish mantilla, diminutive of manta (see manta).
mantis (n.) Look up mantis at Dictionary.com
1650s, "type of insect that holds its forelegs in a praying position" (especially the praying mantis, Mantis religiosa), Modern Latin, from Greek mantis, literally "one who divines, a seer, prophet," from mainesthai "be inspired," related to menos "passion, spirit" (see mania). The insect so called for its way of holding the forelimbs as if in prayer. Also used in Greek for some sort of grasshopper (Theocritus).
mantissa (n.) Look up mantissa at Dictionary.com
decimal part of a logarithm, 1865, from Latin mantisa "a worthless addition, makeweight," perhaps a Gaulish word introduced into Latin via Etruscan (compare Old Irish meit, Welsh maint "size").
mantle (n.) Look up mantle at Dictionary.com
Old English mentel "loose, sleeveless cloak," from Latin mantellum "cloak" (source of Italian mantello, Old High German mantal, German Mantel, Old Norse mötull), perhaps from a Celtic source. Reinforced and altered 12c. by cognate Old French mantel "cloak, mantle; bedspread, cover" (Modern French manteau), also from the Latin source. Figurative sense "that which enshrouds" is from c. 1300. Allusive use for "symbol of literary authority or artistic pre-eminence" is from Elijah's mantle [II Kings ii:13]. As a layer of the earth between the crust and core (though not originally distinguished from the core) it is attested from 1940.
mantle (v.) Look up mantle at Dictionary.com
"to wrap in a mantle," early 13c.; figurative use from mid-15c., from mantle (n.) or from Old French manteler. Related: Mantled; mantling.
mantra (n.) Look up mantra at Dictionary.com
1808, "that part of the Vedas which contains hymns," from Sanskrit mantra-s "sacred message or text, charm, spell, counsel," literally "instrument of thought," related to manyate "thinks," from PIE root *men- "to think" (see mind (n.)). Sense of "special word used for meditation" is first recorded in English 1956.
mantua (n.) Look up mantua at Dictionary.com
loose gown worn by women 17c.-18c., 1670s, from French manteau "cloak, mantle," from Old French mantel (see mantle); form influenced in English by Mantua, name of a city in Italy. Mantua-maker (1690s) became the general early 19c. term for "dressmaker."
manual (adj.) Look up manual at Dictionary.com
c. 1400, from Latin manualis "of or belonging to the hand; that can be thrown by hand," from manus "hand, strength, power over; armed force; handwriting," from PIE *man- (2) "hand" (source also of Old Norse mund "hand," Old English mund "hand, protection, guardian," German Vormund "guardian," Greek mane "hand").
manual (n.) Look up manual at Dictionary.com
early 15c., "service book used by a priest," from Old French manuel "handbook" (also "plow-handle"), from Late Latin manuale "case or cover of a book, handbook," noun use of neuter of Latin manualis (see manual (adj.)). Meaning "a concise handbook" of any sort is from 1530s.
manually (adv.) Look up manually at Dictionary.com
late 15c., from manual (adj.) + -ly (2).
manubrium (n.) Look up manubrium at Dictionary.com
"handle-like process," 1848 in anatomy and zoology, from Latin manubrium "handle, hilt," properly "that which is held in the hand," from manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)).
Manuel Look up Manuel at Dictionary.com
masc. proper name, short for Emmanuel.
manufacture (n.) Look up manufacture at Dictionary.com
1560s, "something made by hand," from Middle French manufacture, from Medieval Latin *manufactura (source of Italian manifattura, Spanish manufactura), from Latin manu, ablative of manus "hand" (see manual (adj.)) + factura "a working," from past participle stem of facere "to perform" (see factitious). Sense of "process of manufacturing" first recorded c. 1600. Related: Manufactures.
manufacture (v.) Look up manufacture at Dictionary.com
1680s, from manufacture (n.). Related: Manufactured; manufacturing; manufacturable.