Manhode

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The condition of having reached adult maturity as a male person ; the bravery, strength and resolve traditionally associated with men
2. Adulthood as experienced by a male, the stage of life after boyhood ; the courage and firmness of character considered typical of men
3. Being a grown man in the full sense ; the valour and resolute spirit once regarded as the mark of a male

Etymology: The spelling "manhode" is a Middle English form of the word now written "manhood," built from "man" and the suffix "-hood." That suffix began as a separate Old English noun, "hād," meaning state, condition, or rank. The same element survives as "-head" in "godhead," so the older meaning of the suffix is still visible in those compounds. Because "-hood" originally meant a state or condition, "manhood" first named the condition of being a man, meaning adulthood and the status that came with it, rather than a physical trait. The same pattern produced "childhood," "priesthood," and "knighthood," each naming a state or rank.