English

Noun

Englishman ‎(plural Englishmen)

1. A male native or inhabitant of England; a man who is English by birth, descent, or naturalisation. [from 7th c.]
   • c. 1541, The Chronicle of Calais, London 1846:

     the Ynglishe men had great vyctorye, for there was taken and slayne a greate nombar, and there was slayne the lorde Morley and Englishe man.

   • 1931, Noel Coward, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen":

     In Bangkok at twelve o'clock they foam at the mouth and run, / But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

   • 2003, Richard Schickel, "Sweet Agonies of Affection", Time, 3 Nov 2003:

     He has his dark -- well, darkish -- side under control. Which is to say that he is an Englishman, well practiced in masking pain and absurdity and descents into sheer goofiness with mannerly behavior, sly irony and stiff upper lips.

2. (Britain) The grey partridge (in opposition to the Frenchman, ie the red-legged partridge).

Coordinate terms

• (male native of England): Englishwoman, Irishman, Scotsman, Welshman, Briton

Translations