Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Archaic A sweetheart; a lover.
- n. Archaic A mistress.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. One who is dear; a person beloved.
- n. A sweetheart of either sex; a gallant or a mistress: often in a bad sense; a paramour.
Wiktionary
- n. A lover, sweetheart, especially a secret lover or mistress.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A sweetheart, of either sex; a gallant, or a mistress; -- usually in a bad sense.
Etymologies
- Middle English leofman, lemman : leof, dear (from Old English lēof; see leubh- in Indo-European roots) + man, man; see man.
Examples
“For the truth of the history is, that Master Elisabat, of whom the madman spoke, was very prudent, and a man of a sound judgment, and served the queen as her tutor and physician; but to think that she was his leman is a madness worthy the severest punishment; and to the end thou mayst see that Cardenio knew not what he said, thou must understand that when he spoke it he then was wholly beside himself.”
“In fact, the female next to whom she had sat on the previous day had refused to share a seat with "a gen'leman's bit o 'fluff.”
Ungrateful Governess
“Tom! "he called," yo 'take the gen'leman's horse to the stable, rub him down with a wisp, an' give him some hay.”
“Grandfer's sons would like the gen'leman's reasons.”
“If, however, he has reason to believe that 'a nice quiet gen'leman 'is really hard-up, then he is very sorry, and will reduce the rate of hire by so much as half.”
“Usually, however, not wishing to go into the matter so thoroughly -- having come in contact with outsiders chiefly when they have been on holiday and least economical -- he considers a tip merely as the outflowing of a gen'leman's abundance.”
“Nothing like it in the county -- a gen'leman's site, and you don't get that offered you every day.”
“When a gen'leman'sh invited b 'th' lady 'f th' house t 'partake' f refreshmen '----”
“Dar don't seem to be nothin 'else for a gen'leman's sons to do but to kyore people or go to law for' em.”
“That's the only proper sort o 'dignity a gen'leman's son need ever be partic'ler about, to make people recognise him for what he is; and, with this feeling and eddication, you'll take your proper place in the world, never fear!”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘leman’.
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Gene Wolfe
Please contribute your favorite words from any of Gene Wolfe’s books to this prize-winning list.
In case you come across words in this list which are too commonplace to fit in, please ...gallipot, roost, badelaire, oblesque, execration, dhole, amschaspand, arctother, chalcedony, penitence, asimi, autarch and 839 more...
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Let Me Call You Sweetheart
Or honey, or baby, or ...
(A Valentine's Day list.)amoret, bonnilasse, ladybird, leikin, leman, love-lass, Phyllis, pout, sweetness, munchkin, darling, sayang and 83 more...
jinglebelljosie a sweetheart or lover; Middle English origin Feb 28, 2009