\Good"man\, n. [Good + man]
1. A familiar appellation of civility, equivalent to ``My
   friend'', ``Good sir'', ``Mister;'' -- sometimes used
   ironically. [Obs.]

         With you, goodman boy, an you please. --Shak.

2. A husband; the master of a house or family; -- often used
   in speaking familiarly. [Archaic] --Chaucer.

         Say ye to the goodman of the house, . . . Where is
         the guest-chamber ?                   --Mark xiv.
                                               14.



Note: In the early colonial records of New England, the term
      goodman is frequently used as a title of designation,
      sometimes in a respectful manner, to denote a person
      whose first name was not known, or when it was not
      desired to use that name; in this use it was nearly
      equivalent to Mr. This use was doubtless brought with
      the first settlers from England.