Word
mane
US/ˈmeɪn/
UK/mˈeɪn/
Definitions
01animal hair
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. the long, thick hair that grows on the neck of animals like horses or male lions.
n. the long and heavy hair growing about the neck and head of certain mammals, such as the lion or the horse.
“The male lion shook his thick mane as he stood up to roar.”
“The groom spent nearly an hour brushing the horse's mane until it shone in the afternoon sun.”
02thick human hair
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary · Humorous
n. a person's long, thick, or messy hair.
n. a person's head of hair, especially when remarkably thick, long, or unruly.
“She spent all morning trying to brush her wild mane of curls into place.”
“After weeks in the wilderness without a haircut, he returned with a tangled mane that shocked his family.”
03slang for man
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Slang · Dialect
n. a way of saying 'man' or 'friend' in some specific local accents.
n. a dialectal or eye-dialect spelling of 'man', typically used as a term of address or to refer to a male individual.
“What's going on, mane? I haven't seen you in weeks.”
“The lyrics featured the word 'mane' frequently, reflecting the specific regional dialect of the Southern hip-hop scene.”
Usage
Commonly used in African American Vernacular English, particularly in the Southern United States.
Teaching tip
Learners should recognize this as a regional pronunciation of 'man' rather than a separate vocabulary word in standard English.
Etymology
From Middle English mane, mayne, from Old English manu (“mane”), from Proto-West Germanic manu, from Proto-Germanic manō (“mane”), from Proto-Indo-European mony-, mon- (“neck”). Cognate with Dutch maan, manen (“mane”), German Mähne (“mane”), Danish man (“horse's mane”), Swedish man (“horse's mane”), Icelandic mön (“mane”).
Dialectal rendering of man, as used in African-American Vernacular English.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/mane