Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
manual [man-yoo-uh l] ExamplesWord Origin adjective
- done, operated, worked, etc., by the hand or hands rather than by an electrical or electronic device: a manual gearshift.
- involving or using human effort, skill, power, energy, etc.; physical: manual labor.
- of or relating to the hand or hands: manual deformities.
- of the nature of a manual or handbook: manual instructions.
noun
- a small book, especially one giving information or instructions: a manual of mathematical tables.
- a nonelectric or nonelectronic typewriter; a typewriter whose keys and carriage may be powered solely by the typist’s hands.
- Military. the prescribed drill in handling a rifle: the manual of arms.
- Music. a keyboard, especially one of several belonging to a pipe organ.
- Automotive. manual transmission.
Origin of manual 1375–1425; Latin manuālis (adj.), manuāle (noun) (something) that can be held in the hand (manu(s) hand + -ālis, -āle -al1, -al2); replacing late Middle English manuel Middle French Latin, as aboveRelated formsman·u·al·ly, adverbnon·man·u·al, adjectivenon·man·u·al·ly, adverbun·man·u·al, adjectiveun·man·u·al·ly, adverb Examples from the Web for manually Contemporary Examples of manually
For the first year and a half of operation, they bottled only eighty cases per day, manually.
House of the Witch: The Renegade Craft Brewers of Panama
Jeff Campagna
November 30, 2014
What about allowing a school to manually or “mechanically” restrain students?
Bill Maher Finds the Worst Congressman in America
Ana Marie Cox
October 8, 2014
Much of this makes sense since the oil helps to manually remove bacteria and reduce inflammation.
Oil Pulling: Miracle Cure or Oily Mess?
DailyBurn
March 28, 2014
The firemen found they also had to manually install the pump that would deliver water from the sea.
A Japanese Firefighter Talks Surviving the Nuclear Reactors
Lennox Samuels
April 3, 2011
So they did it manually—unfurling the 164-foot, 220-pound hose and carrying it on their shoulders.
A Japanese Firefighter Talks Surviving the Nuclear Reactors
Lennox Samuels
April 3, 2011
Historical Examples of manually
And Watson’s eagerness for the subject itself made him forget to note whether the work was mechanically or manually executed.
Austin Hall
Practice the feeds by manually moving the tool holder, for surface cutting as well as for cross cutting.
J. S. Zerbe
The six Sense Switches allow the operator to manually select program options or cause a jump to another program in memory.
Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3)
Digital Equipment Corporation
Whether the tendons are manually stretched or not, splints should be adjusted to the affected members.
John Victor Lacroix
A push button is provided by means of which the keys may be manually released, if desired.
Cyclopedia of Telephony and Telegraphy, Vol. 2
Kempster Miller
British Dictionary definitions for manually manual adjective
- of or relating to a hand or hands
- operated or done by handmanual controls
- physical, as opposed to mental or mechanicalmanual labour
- by human labour rather than automatic or computer-aided means
- of, relating to, or resembling a manual
noun
- a book, esp of instructions or informationa car manual
- music one of the keyboards played by hand on an organ
- military the prescribed drill with small arms
Derived Formsmanually, adverbWord Origin for manual C15: via Old French from Latin manuālis, from manus hand Word Origin and History for manually adv.
late 15c., from manual (adj.) + -ly (2).
manual n.
early 15c., “service book used by a priest,” from Old French manuel “handbook” (also “plow-handle”), from Late Latin manuale “case or cover of a book, handbook,” noun use of neuter of Latin manualis (see manual (adj.)). Meaning “a concise handbook” of any sort is from 1530s.
manual adj.
c.1400, from Latin manualis “of or belonging to the hand; that can be thrown by hand,” from manus “hand, strength, power over; armed force; handwriting,” from PIE *man- (2) “hand” (cf. Old Norse mund “hand,” Old English mund “hand, protection, guardian,” German Vormund “guardian,” Greek mane “hand”).