minute man
1
9.1
- noun
- /ˈmɪnɪt mæn/
- US
:
minuteman
- Wait a minute, man.
Examples
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The minute man stood on his hind legs he was terrified.
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Whatever, minute man.
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Wait a minute, man.
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The minute man!
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At this point, HBK isn't the 60-minute man he would one day become.
Blog text (14) -
During the American Revolution, the minute men were able to respond quickly to British advances.
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The town relied on the minute men to defend their homes against any sudden attacks.
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As a leader, she was known for being a minute man, always ready to tackle urgent challenges.
Synonyms
3
9.1
A colonial militia member ready to fight at a minute's notice during the American Revolution
1
7.3
A person who trains part time to defend their local community when needed
How Ready
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound literally combines 'minute' (a short time) and 'man' (a person), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer a general sense of 'a person prepared to act quickly.' However, the specific historical meaning (a colonial militia member in the American Revolution) is culturally specific and not directly predictable from the parts, making the item only partially transparent.
Etymology
Minute man comes from the time of the American Revolution, when local militia promised to be ready to fight at a minute's notice. So today calling someone a minute man means a person who is 'ready to act quickly'.