superman

Meanings

1. An imagined superior type of human being representing a new stage of human development; an übermensch, an overman.
2. A man of extraordinary or seemingly superhuman powers.

1. A fictional comic-book superhero with superhuman strength and speed, X-ray vision, and the ability to fly.

1. Alternative letter-case form of superman: a man of extraordinary or seemingly superhuman powers.
2. A stunt in which the rider releases both hands from the handlebars in mid-air.
3. An exercise in which one lies prone and lifts one's arms and legs, with only the abdomen touching the ground.
4. A flavor of ice cream that is a mixture of blue moon ice cream, and other ice cream flavors that are colored red and yellow.

Etymology

A calque of German Übermensch; super- + man. The German word was introduced by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) in his work Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra, 1883), and rendered in English as superman by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) in the play Man and Superman (1903) and by Thomas Common (1850–1919) in his 1909 translation of Nietzsche’s work. Some scholars regard this word as not properly conveying the meaning of Übermensch, and prefer to use the German word or overman. The “person of extraordinary powers” sense was reinforced by the DC Comics’ character Superman, who first appeared in Action Comics #1 dated June 1938.