Man (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Manned (?); p. pr. & vb. n.Manning.] 1. To supply with men; to furnish with a sufficient force or complement of men, as for management, service, defense, or the like; to guard; as, to man a ship, boat, or fort.
See how the surly Warwick mans the wall! Shak.
They man their boats, and all their young men arm. Waller.
2. To furnish with strength for action; to prepare for efficiency; to fortify. “Theodosius having manned his soul with proper reflections.” Addison.
3. To tame, as a hawk. Shak.
4. To furnish with a servant or servants. Shak.
5. To wait on as a manservant. Shak.
☞ In “Othello,” V. ii. 270, the meaning is uncertain, being, perhaps: To point, to aim, or to manage.
To man a yard(Naut.), to send men upon a yard, as for furling or reefing a sail. — To man the yards(Naut.), to station men on the yards as a salute or mark of respect.