goodman
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Alternative forms
- gomman (dialectal)
- gudeman
Etymology
From Middle English godeman, equivalent to good + man.
Noun
goodman (plural goodmen)
- (now rare, chiefly Scotland) A familiar appellation of civility for a man. [from 10th c.]
- (now Scotland or historical) A husband; the master of a house or family. [from 13th c.]
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 7:18-19:
- Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey.
- 1863, Anthony Trollope, Rachel Ray:
- ‘The gudeman,—he's done with t' paper, and you'll keep it for good and all.’
References
- “goodman”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
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