Noun

; a body of human beings considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons.

:

*ca. 1607: XXII people was in this parrish drownd. (Plaque recording the )

*

*, chapter=12

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people . From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs,

*{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers), title=(A Cuckoo in the Nest)

, chapter=1 citation , passage=“[…] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people' do send to other ' people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes like
  Here's rattling good luck and roaring good cheer, / With lashings of food and great hogsheads of beer.

*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838, page=11, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= Towards the end of poverty , passage=But poverty’s scourge is fiercest below $1.25 (the average of the 15 poorest countries’ own poverty lines, measured in 2005 dollars and adjusted for differences in purchasing power): people below that level live lives that are poor, nasty, brutish and short.}}

*{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=72-3, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= A punch in the gut , passage=Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.}}

(plural peoples ) Persons forming or belonging to a particular group, such as a nation, class, ethnic group, country, family, etc; folk; community.

A group of persons regarded as being employees, followers, companions or subjects of a ruler.

*1611, (Old Testament), , 2 (w) 8:15:

*:And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people .[http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=Kjv2Sam.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=8&division=div1]

*1952, (Old Testament), (Revised Standard Version) , Thomas Nelson & Sons, (w) 1:3:

*:The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people does not understand.

One's colleagues or employees.

*2001 , Vince Flynn, Transfer of Power , p.250:

*:Kennedy looked down at Flood's desk and thought about the possibilities. "Can you locate him?" "I already have my people checking on all [it]."

*2008 , Fern Michaels, Hokus Pokus? , p.184:

*:Can I have one of my people' get back to your ' people , Mr. President?" She tried to slam the phone back into the base and failed.

A person's ancestors, relatives or family.

:

The mass of a community as distinguished from a special class (elite); the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd; the citizens.

:

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-21, author=(Oliver Burkeman)

, volume=189, issue=2, page=27, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= The tao of tech , passage=The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about

Noun

(en noun)

Male servant.

# (now, rare) A male servant, in general senses.

# (historical, now, offensive) A non-white male servant, as used especially by whites in a colonial settlement etc.

When the 'dipenda' (independence movement) in Belgian Congo turned violent, the white colonisers' often materially privileged black domestic boys were mistrusted and often abused as collaborators.

# (now, offensive) A non-white male.

(obsolete) A lower-class or disreputable man; a worthless person.

* 1608 , (William Shakespeare), (King Lear) , Act I Scene 4:

Dost thou call me fool, boy ?

A young male human; a male child or young adult.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author= Ian Sample

, volume=189, issue=6, page=34, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains , passage=Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits.  ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys , but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.}}

A son.

* (Walter Scott)

My only boy fell by the side of great Dundee.

A man of any age, used as a friendly diminutive, or of a man who is merely younger than the speaker.

* 1977 , (Bert Newton), to (Mohammed Ali) at the 1977 Logie Awards:^{[http://www.abc.net.au/thingo/txt/s1088100.htm]}

I like the boy .

(colloquial) A male friend or fellow of some group, community etc. (mainly used in the plural).

(US, slang) Heroin.