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The state of being man as a human being, or man as distinguished from a child or a woman.

Tylor. Gitche Manito the mighty, The Great Spirit, the creator, Smiled upon his helpless children! Longfellow. Mitche Manito the mighty, He the dreadful Spirit of Evil, As a serpent was depicted. Longfellow.

Having qualities becoming to a man; not childish or womanish; manlike, esp. brave, courageous, resolute, noble. Let's briefly put on manly readiness. Shak. Serene and manly, hardened to sustain The load of life. Dryden.

n enveloping robe; a cloak. Hence, figuratively, a covering or concealing envelope. [The] children are clothed with mantles of satin. Bacon. The green mantle of the standing pool. Shak. Now Nature hangs her mantle green On every blooming tree. Burns.

A little ball of marble, or of some other hard substance, used as a plaything by children; or, in the plural, a child's game played with marbles.

Image; likeness; hence, those formed in one's image; children; descendants. [Obs.] "All the mark of Adam." Chaucer.

Figuratively, to unite in the closest and most endearing relation. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you. Jer. iii. 14. To marry ropes. (Naut.) (a) To place two ropes along side of each other so that they may be grasped and hauled on at the same time. (b) To join two ropes end to end s…

Of the male sex; not female. Thy masculine children, that is to say, thy sons. Chaucer.

A wife or a widow, especially, one who has borne children; a woman of staid or motherly manners. Your wives, your daughters, Your matrons, and your maids. Shak. Grave from her cradle, insomuch that she was a matron before she was a mother. Fuller.

To make a matron of; to make matronlike. Childbed matronizes the giddiest spirits. Richardson.

In a mean manner; unworthily; basely; poorly; ungenerously. While the heaven-born child All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies. Milton. Would you meanly thus rely On power you know I must obey Prior. We can not bear to have others think meanly of them [our kindred]. I. Watts.

A play of children, in swinging on ropes, or the like, till they are dizzy.

To cry, as a young child; to squall. [Written also meawl.] Shak.

A woman who assists other women in childbirth; a female practitioner of the obstetric art.

The art or practice of assisting women in childbirth; obstetrics.

employ one's self about; to attend to; as, to mind one's business. Bidding him be a good child, and mind his book. Addison.

One who minds, tends, or watches something, as a child, a machine, or cattle; as, a minder of a loom.

Full of mirth or merriment; merry; as, mirthful children.

ul; -- now often applied where the evil is done carelessly or in sport; as, a mischievous child. "Most mischievous foul sin." Shak. This false, wily, doubling disposition is intolerably mischievous to society. South.

To nurture or train wrongly; as, to misnurture children. Bp. Hall.