manhood
n. uncountablen. the state of being an adult man, or the qualities that people think a man should have. It is also sometimes used as a funny way to talk about a man's private parts.
n. the state or period of being an adult male; also refers to the collective qualities traditionally associated with being a man. In informal or humorous contexts, it serves as a euphemism for the male genitalia.
He felt he had finally reached manhood after starting his first job.
The novel explores the protagonist's difficult journey from a sheltered childhood into the responsibilities of manhood.
Traditional rites of passage often serve to demarcate the boundary between adolescence and manhood, reinforcing the social expectations placed upon adult males within the community.
From Middle English manhode, also manhede (> obsolete English manhead), equivalent to man + -hood. Cognate with Middle Dutch manheit (“manhood”), Middle Low German manheit (whence German Low German Mannheit (“manhood”)), German Mannheit (“manhood”).
Uncountable when referring to the state of being a man; occasionally used with a possessive pronoun in its euphemistic sense.