noun
woman
WUHM-uhn/ˈwʊmən/
An adult female human.
A woman in everyday clothes stands in a sunlit garden.
Etymology
The compound joined wif, “woman,” with man in its broader sense “human being.” It therefore meant “female human,” preserving a use of man that did not specify a male.
In context
a young woman came to see me and she was in her sophomore year she was 19.
More examples
- Two women run the neighborhood bakery.
- She is the first woman to lead the team.
- The exhibit explores the changing roles of women.
Forms
woman · women
womanhood noun — The state of being an adult woman.