Norman

[nawr-muhn]

noun

1. a member of that branch of the Northmen or Scandinavians who in the 10th century conquered Normandy.

2. Also called Norman French. one of the mixed Scandinavian and French people who inhabited Normandy and conquered England in 1066.

3. a native or inhabitant of Normandy.

4. Norman French.

5. Jessye 1945–2019, U.S. operatic soprano.

6. a city in central Oklahoma.

7. a male given name.

adjective

1. of or relating to the Normans.

2. noting or pertaining to a variety of Romanesque architecture built by the Normans, especially in England after 1066.

Norman

¹

/ ˈnɔːmən /

noun

1. (in the Middle Ages) a member of the people of Normandy descended from the 10th-century Scandinavian conquerors of the country and the native French

2. a native or inhabitant of Normandy

3. another name for Norman French

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Normans, esp the Norman kings of England, the Norman people living in England, or their dialect of French

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of Normandy or its inhabitants

3. denoting, relating to, or having the style of Romanesque architecture used in Britain from the Norman Conquest until the 12th century. It is characterized by the rounded arch, the groin vault, massive masonry walls, etc

Norman

²

/ ˈnɔːmən /

noun

1. Greg. born 1955, Australian golfer: winner of the British Open (1986, 1993)

2. Jessye (ˈdʒɛsɪ). born 1945, US soprano: noted for her interpretations of Wagner and Mahler

Other Word Forms

• non-Norman noun
• pre-Norman adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Norman¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French Normant, from Old Norse Northmathr “Northman”

Example Sentences

The Bayeux Tapestry, which documents the Norman invasion of England in 1066, will be closed to the public in France from Monday as opposition mounts ahead of its move to London.

From BBC

As a teenager she worked as an au pair in India, and later lived in Hong Kong and Gibraltar with her husband Norman, a lieutenant colonel in the army.

From BBC

In an email, Norman Ornstein, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a prominent pro-democracy voice, offered a dose of realpolitik.

From Salon

Earlier this year, Norman Lear’s comedy “Clean Slate” depicted the Black church as a support system in the Alabama community where a father-daughter duo played by George Wallace and Laverne Cox live.

From Salon

He played Norman Philips in the ITV soap in the 1960s, and arrived in Albert Square 40 years later to portray Joe Macer, who infamously murdered his wife Pauline Fowler.

From BBC