member
pronunciation
How to pronounce member in British English:
UK [ˈmembə(r)]
How to pronounce member in American English:
US [ˈmembər]
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- Noun:
- one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participates in a group organization)
- an organization that is a member of another organization (especially a state that belongs to a group of nations)
- an external body part that projects from the body
- anything that belongs to a set or class
- the male organ of copulation (`member' is a euphemism)
Word Origin
- member
- member: [13] Latin membrum originally meant ‘part of the body, limb, organ’ (it has been connected tentatively with various words in other Indo-European languages meaning ‘flesh, meat’, including Sanskrit māmsám and Gothic mimz). But it was early broadened out metaphorically to ‘part of anything, one that belongs’, and brought that meaning with it via Old French membre into English.The original sense still survives, though, particularly with reference to the ‘penis’ (an application that originated in Latin – membrōsus denoted ‘having a large penis’). Derived from Latin membrum was the adjective membrānus. Its feminine form membrāna was used as a noun meaning ‘skin covering an organ or limb’ – whence English membrane [16].=> membrane
- member (n.)
- late 13c., "sex organ" (compare Latin membrum virile, but in English originally of women as well as men), also, "body part or organ" (in plural, "the body"), from Old French membre "part, portion; topic, subject; limb, member of the body; member" (of a group, etc.)," 11c., from Latin membrum "limb, member of the body, part," probably from PIE *mems-ro, from root *mems- "flesh, meat" (cognates: Sanskrit mamsam "flesh;" Greek meninx "membrane," meros "thigh" (the "fleshy part"); Gothic mimz "flesh"). In English, sense of "person belonging to a group" is first attested early 14c., from notion of "constituent part of a complex structure." Meaning "one who has been elected to parliament" is from early 15c.
Example
- 1. I projected my frustrations on a completely innocent team member .
- 2. An ex-microsoftie suggests a quasi-outsider , yammer ceo david sacks , a card-carrying member of the paypal mafia .
- 3. Back then , the project had just one official member — facebook .
- 4. Georgiadis also is listed as a board member of apparel retailer jones group .
- 5. If it doesn 't want to be a member of the euro , it should also be out .