yeoman

UK: /ˈjəʊmən/ US: /ˈjoʊmən/ ,(yō′mən)

Inflections of 'yeoman' (n): npl: yeomen

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

yeo•man /ˈyoʊmən/   n., pl. -men, adj. 
n. [countable]

1. Military a naval petty officer whose duties are chiefly clerical.
2. British Terms a farmer who cultivates his own land.
3. World History (formerly, in England) a member of a class of people who owned and cultivated land, but were ranked below the gentry.

adj. 

4. World History of or relating to yeomen.
5. performed in a loyal, steadfast manner:
   [before a noun] did yeoman service in caring for the sick.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

yeo•man  (yō′mən), n., pl. -men, adj. 
n. 

1. Military a petty officer in a navy, having chiefly clerical duties in the U.S. Navy.
2. British Terms a farmer who cultivates his own land.
3. World History [Hist.] one of a class of lesser freeholders, below the gentry, who cultivated their own land, early admitted in England to political rights.
4. World History [Archaic.]
   • a servant, attendant, or subordinate official in a royal or other great household.
   • a subordinate or assistant, as of a sheriff or other official or in a craft or trade.

adj. 

5. World History of, pertaining to, composed of, or characteristic of yeomen:
   the yeoman class.
6. performed or rendered in a loyal, valiant, useful, or workmanlike manner, esp. in situations that involve a great deal of effort or labor:
   He did a yeoman job on the problem.

• 1300–50; Middle English yeman, yoman, probably reduced forms of yengman, yongman, yungman, with similar sense; see young, man¹

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

yeoman / ˈjəʊmən/ noun ( -men)

1. a member of a class of small freeholders of common birth who cultivated their own land
2. an attendant or lesser official in a royal or noble household
3. (in Britain) another name for yeoman of the guard
4. (modifier) characteristic of or relating to a yeoman
5. a petty officer or noncommissioned officer in the Royal Navy or Marines in charge of signals

Etymology: 15th Century: perhaps from yongman young man