manna

/ˈmænə/

/ˈmænə/

Other forms: mannas

Use the noun manna when you talk about the miraculous supply of food that the Bible describes God providing. In Exodus, the desperate Israelites received manna just when they most needed it.

While the meaning of manna comes from the Old Testament of the Bible, you can use it to describe something unexpected, especially if it feels like a miracle. You might, for example, say, "The doughnuts my coworker brought in this morning were like manna from heaven." Manna has a Greek root that comes from the Hebrew man, and although it literally means "substance exuded by the tamarisk tree," it's almost always used to refer to God's nourishment in the Bible.

Definitions of manna

1. noun

   (Old Testament) food that God gave the Israelites during the Exodus
   synonyms: manna from heaven, miraculous food

   type of:

   food, nutrient

   any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
2. noun

   hardened sugary exudation of various trees
   type of:

   sap

   a watery solution of sugars, salts, and minerals that circulates through the vascular system of a plant