Gen"tle*man (?), n.; pl.
Gentlemen (#). [OE. gentilman nobleman;
gentil noble + man man; cf. F. gentilhomme.]
1. A man well born; one of good family; one
above the condition of a yeoman.
2. One of gentle or refined manners; a well-
bred man.
3. (Her.) One who bears arms, but has
no title.
4. The servant of a man of rank.
The count's gentleman, one
Cesario.
Shak.
5. A man, irrespective of condition; -- used
esp. in the plural (= citizens; people), in addressing men in popular
assemblies, etc.
&fist; In Great Britain, the term gentleman is applied in a
limited sense to those having coats of arms, but who are without a
title, and, in this sense, gentlemen hold a middle rank
between the nobility and yeomanry. In a more extended sense, it
includes every man above the rank of yeoman, comprehending the
nobility. In the United States, the term is applied to men of
education and good breeding of every occupation.
Gentleman commoner, one of the highest class
of commoners at the University of Oxford. -- Gentleman
usher, one who ushers visitors into the presence of a
sovereign, etc. -- Gentleman usher of the black
rod, an usher belonging to the Order of the Garter,
whose chief duty is to serve as official messenger of the House of
Lords. -- Gentlemen-at-arms, a band of
forty gentlemen who attend the sovereign on state occasions; formerly
called gentlemen pensioners. [Eng.]
