yeoman

[ yoh-muh n ]
/ ˈyoʊ mən /

noun, plural yeo·men.

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

adjective

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

Origin of yeoman

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

Example sentences from the Web for yeoman

British Dictionary definitions for yeoman

yeoman
/ (ˈjəʊmən) /

noun plural -men

history
  1. a member of a class of small freeholders of common birth who cultivated their own land
  2. an assistant or other subordinate to an official, such as a sheriff, or to a craftsman or trader
  3. an attendant or lesser official in a royal or noble household
(in Britain) another name for yeoman of the guard
(modifier) characteristic of or relating to a yeoman
a petty officer or noncommissioned officer in the Royal Navy or Marines in charge of signals

Word Origin for yeoman

C15: perhaps from yongman young man