yeoman

Meaning

1. 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).
2. A dependable, diligent, or loyal worker or someone who does a great service.
3. A former class of small freeholders who farm their own land; a commoner of good standing.
4. A subordinate, deputy, aide, or assistant.
5. A Yeoman Warder.
6. A clerk in the US Navy, and US Coast Guard.
7. In a vessel of war, the person in charge of the storeroom.
8. A member of the Yeomanry Cavalry, officially chartered in 1794 originating around the 1760s.
9. A member of the Imperial Yeomanry, officially created in 1890s and renamed in 1907.
10. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Cirrochroa, of Asia and Australasia.

Synonyms

peasant

beefeater

yeoman of the guard

auxiliary

bodyguard

churl

aid

farmer

🧑‍🌾

help

helper

minder

subordinate

deputy

aide

assistant

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈjəʊ.mən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: yoman

Inherited from Old English: *ġēamann

Cognate with Old Frisian: gāman

Cognate with Middle Dutch: goymann

Cognate with Western Frisian: gea

Cognate with Dutch: gouw

Cognate with German: Gau

In summary

From Middle English yoman, yeman, from Old English *ġēamann, from Proto-West Germanic *gauwjamann (compare Old Frisian gāman (“villager”), Middle Dutch goymann (“arbiter”)), 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”).