manual
manuals
Something manual is operated by human hands. Before Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, picking cotton was a manual job. Nowadays, farmers might need to read a manual to know how to operate a cotton gin.
The word manual comes from Latin root words meaning "of the hand," and the adjective form of the word still maintains that meaning — "by hand or of the hands." The adjective definition is also extended a bit to mean something done by hand and not machine, and the implication is usually that it is physical work. As a noun, manual means "an instruction booklet or handbook."
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of or relating to the hands“manual dexterity”
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doing or requiring physical work“manual labor”“manual laborer”
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Synonyms:
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blue-collar
of or designating manual industrial work or workers
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blue-collar
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requiring human effort“a manual transmission”
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Synonyms:
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hand-operated, non-automatic
operated by hand
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Antonyms:
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automatic
operating with minimal human intervention; independent of external control
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autoloading, self-loading, semiautomatic
(of firearms) capable of automatic loading and firing continuously
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automated, machine-controlled, machine-driven
operated by automation
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self-acting, self-activating, self-moving, self-regulating
designed to activate or move or regulate itself
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self-locking
locking automatically when closed
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self-winding
designed so that manual winding is unnecessary
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semiautomatic
partially automatic
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smart
capable of independent and apparently intelligent action
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mechanical
using (or as if using) mechanisms or tools or devices
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hand-operated, non-automatic
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a small handbook
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types:
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consuetudinal, consuetudinary
a manual describing the customs of a particular group (especially the ceremonial practices of a monastic order)
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grimoire
a manual of black magic (for invoking spirits and demons)
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book of instructions, instruction manual, instructions, operating instructions
a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it
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reference manual
a manual containing information organized in a summary manner
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sex manual
a manual containing instruction in sexual techniques; intended to enhance the reader's sexual life
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type of:
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enchiridion, handbook, vade mecum
a concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location
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(military) a prescribed drill in handling a rifle
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synonyms:
manual of arms
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type of:
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drill, exercise, practice, practice session, recitation
systematic training by multiple repetitions
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drill, exercise, practice, practice session, recitation
Vocabulary lists containing manual
Eleven-year-old Rose Howard, who prefers rules and routines, struggles when a hurricane changes her life in a New York town.
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