Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
People
Peo′ple
(pē′p’l)
, Noun.
1.
The body of persons who compose a community, tribe, nation, or race; an aggregate of individuals forming a whole; a community; a nation.
Unto him shall the gathering of the
people
be. Gen. xlix. 10.
The ants are a
people
not strong. Prov. xxx. 25.
Before many
peoples
, and nations, and tongues. Rev. x. 11.
Earth’s monarchs are her
peoples
. Whitter.
A government of all the
people
, by all the people
, for all the people
. T. Parker.
☞ Peopleis a collective noun, generally construed with a plural verb, and only occasionally used in the plural form (peoples), in the sense of nations or races.
2.
Persons, generally; an indefinite number of men and women; folks; population, or part of population;
as, country
; – sometimes used as an indefinite subject or verb, like on in French, and man in German; people
as,
. people
in adversityPeople
were tempted to lend by great premiums. Swift.
People
have lived twenty-four days upon nothing but water. Arbuthnot.
3.
The mass of community as distinguished from a special class; the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd;
as, nobles and
. people
And strive to gain his pardon from the
people
. Addison.
4.
With a possessive pronoun: (a)
One's ancestors or family; kindred; relations;
as, my
. people
were English(b)
One's subjects; fellow citizens; companions; followers.
“You slew great number of his people.” Shak.
When speaking of a state, we use people for the mass of the community, as distinguished from their rulers, and nation for the entire political body, including the rulers. In another sense of the term, nation describes those who are descended from the same stock; and in this sense the Germans regard themselves as one nation, though politically subject to different forms of government.
Peo′ple
(pē′p’l)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Peopled
(pē′p’ld)
p. pr. & vb. n.
; Peopling
(pē′p’lĭng)
.] To stock with people or inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate.
“Peopled heaven with angels.” Dryden.
As the gay motes that
people
the sunbeams. Milton.
Webster 1828 Edition
People
PEOPLE
,Noun.
1.
The body of persons who compose a community, town, city or nation. We say, the people of a town; the people of London or Paris; the English people. In this sense, the word is not used in the plural, but it comprehends all classes of inhabitants, considered as a collective body, or any portion of the inhabitants of a city or country.2.
The vulgar; the mass of illiterate persons. The knowing artist may judge better than the people.
3.
The commonalty, as distinct from men of rank. Myself shall mount the rostrum in his favor,
And strive to gain his pardon from the people.
4.
Persons of a particular class; a part of a nation or community; as country people.5.
Persons in general; any persons indefinitely; like on in French, and man in Saxon. People were tempted to lend by great premiums and large interest.
6.
A collection or community of animals. The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer. Prov.30.
7.
When people signified a separate nation or tribe, it has the plural number. Thou must prophesy again before many peoples. Rev.10.
8.
In Scripture, fathers or kindred. Gen.25.9.
The Gentiles. --To him shall the gathering of the people be. Gen.49.
PEOPLE
,Verb.
T.