man in the moon

noun

1. a fancied semblance of a human face in the disk of the full moon, so perceived because of variations in the moon's topography.

man in the moon

noun

1. the moon when considered to resemble the face of a man
2. (in folklore and nursery rhyme) a character dwelling in the moon

Word History and Origins

Origin of man in the moon¹

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325