from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Goodman \Good"man\, n. [Good + man]
[1913 Webster]
1. A familiar appellation of civility, equivalent to "My
friend", "Good sir", "Mister;" -- sometimes used
ironically. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
With you, goodman boy, an you please. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. A husband; the master of a house or family; -- often used
in speaking familiarly. [Archaic] --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
Say ye to the goodman of the house, . . . Where is
the guest-chamber ? --Mark xiv.
14.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]