noun.
The people employed by or active in an organization, business, or service.
noun.
The department of human resources in an organization.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
noun.
The body of persons employed in any service, especially a public service, as the army, navy, etc., in contradistinction to the matériel, or material, which consists of guns, stores, tools, machines, etc.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
noun.
The body of persons employed in some public service, as the army, navy, etc.; -- distinguished from matériel.