manna

[ man-uh ]

noun

1. (in the Bible) the food miraculously supplied to the ancient Israelites in the wilderness.
2. any sudden or unexpected help, advantage, or aid to success.
3. divine or spiritual food.
4. the exudation of the ash Fraxinus ornus and related plants: source of mannitol.

manna

/ ˈmænə /

noun

1. Old Testament the miraculous food which sustained the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:14–36)
2. any spiritual or divine nourishment
3. a windfall; an unexpected gift (esp in the phrase manna from heaven )
4. a sweet substance obtained from various plants, esp from an ash tree, Fraxinus ornus ( manna or flowering ash ) of S Europe, used as a mild laxative

Word History and Origins

Origin of manna¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English, from Late Latin, from Greek mánna, from Hebrew mān, possibly meaning “gift, favor”

Word History and Origins

Origin of manna¹

Old English via Late Latin from Greek, from Hebrew mān

Example Sentences

When I got home, I flung myself onto the couch, basking in the AC’s icy coolness as if it were manna from heaven.

From Los Angeles Times

Turns out, an intermittent schedule of reinforcement — occasional pellets of counterfeit love dispensed like unpredictable manna — proves most effective to keep us pressing.

From Salon

"As soon as you are able to obfuscate the true nature of a URL, that is manna for scammers," he says.

From BBC

"I can think of three people specifically at this moment in time who it will be manna from heaven to get their debts cleared without having to find the £90 fee."

From BBC

Through the lens of “Try That in a Small Town,” “Rich Men North of Richmond” seemed to many to be conservative manna, with its allusions to Jeffrey Epstein conspiracies and commentary on the welfare state.

From New York Times