yeoman

Meanings

1. 1nouncountableold-fashioned

   In earlier centuries, a man who owned and farmed a modest piece of land, ranking below the gentry.

   Grammar: Historical term; the plural is yeomen.

   Patterns

   • a yeoman farmer

   Her ancestors were yeoman farmers in the English countryside.

   The yeoman worked his own fields and paid his taxes.

   Many yeomen supported the king in the early part of the war.

2. 2nouncountablemilitary

   A junior officer in the navy who handles clerical and signaling work, or a member of the ceremonial guard in the British monarch's service.

   Grammar: Capital Y is used in some titles: Yeoman Warder.

   Patterns

   • a yeoman in the navy

   A navy yeoman keeps records on the ship.

   The Yeomen Warders guard the Tower of London.

   The yeoman delivered the captain's messages.

Word forms

Common combinations

yeoman farmer

His great-grandfather was a yeoman farmer.

yeoman service

The old bicycle has done yeoman service.

Yeoman Warder

A Yeoman Warder led our tour.

yeomen of the guard

The yeomen of the guard wear red uniforms.

yeoman's service

The old bicycle has done yeoman's service for years.

Synonyms and how they differ

smallholder

Smallholder is a modern word for someone farming a small plot, whereas yeoman carries historical rank.

freeholder

Freeholder stresses legal ownership of land, while yeoman suggests social standing as well.

farmer

Farmer is the general everyday word without the historical class meaning of yeoman.

petty officer

Petty officer is the broader naval rank, and yeoman is a particular job within it.

Opposites

Word family

yeomanry noun

yeomen as a class, or a volunteer cavalry force

yeomanly adjective

like a yeoman, sturdy and reliable

yeomen noun

the plural of yeoman

Commonly confused: yeoman or yoeman?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “yeoman”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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