A yeoman was a farmer in medieval and early modern England who owned his own land. Unlike peasants who worked land belonging to nobles, a yeoman owned enough property to support his family comfortably. Yeomen weren't wealthy aristocrats, but they weren't poor either: they occupied that important middle ground between the very rich and the very poor.

Yeomen were respected members of their communities. They worked their own fields, made their own decisions, and often served as local officials or soldiers when needed. In wartime, English yeomen were famous as skilled archers: the longbowmen who won major battles like Agincourt were typically yeomen who had practiced archery since childhood.

The word survives today in several phrases. Yeoman's work or yeoman service means solid, dependable effort: if your lab partner does yeoman's work on your science project, they're doing their share reliably and well, without fanfare. The U.S. Navy still uses yeoman as a job title for sailors who handle administrative duties. When something does yeoman service, it serves its purpose faithfully over time, like a sturdy backpack that lasts through years of school without falling apart.