me [] -n

(variant of i)

  1. the 9th letter of the English alphabet
  2. a graphic representation of this letter
  3. a speech counterpart of orthographic i
  4. one
  5. a graphic device for reproducing the letter i
  6. one designated iesp. as the ninth in order or class
  7. something shaped like the letter I
  8. a unit vector parallel to the x-axis
  9. a grade rating a student's work as incomplete
  10. one graded or rated with an I
  11. I formation
  12. industrial
  13. initial
  14. intelligence
  15. intensity
  16. interlaced
  17. intransitive
  18. island; isle
  19. imaginary unit

Me -abbr

  1. methyl

ME -abbr

  1. Maine
  2. managing editor
  3. mechanical engineer
  4. medical examiner

mea cul·pa [,mā-ə-'ku̇l-pə, ,mā-ä-, -'ku̇l-(,)pä] -n

  1. a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error

mead ['mēd] -n

  1. a fermented beverage made of water and honey, malt, and yeast
  2. meadow

mead·ow ['me-(,)dō] -n, adj

  1. land in or predominantly in grass
  2. a tract of moist low-lying usu. level grassland

meadow beauty -n

  1. any of a genus ( Rhexiaof the family Melastomaceae, the meadow-beauty family) of perennial No. American herbs with showy solitary or cymose flowers

meadow fescue -n

  1. a tall vigorous broad-leaved European fescue grass ( Festuca pratensis) cultivated for forage and hay

mead·ow·foam ['me-(,)dō-,fōm] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Limnanthesof the family Limnanthaceae) of annual herbs of the Pacific coast of No. America having white or yellow flowers and including some (as L. alba) grown for their seeds which yield an oil used chiefly as an industrial lubricant and in cosmetics

meadow grass -n

  1. any of various grasses (as of the genus Poa) that thrive in the presence of abundant moisture
  2. kentucky bluegrass

mead·ow·land ['me-dō-,land, -də-] -n

  1. land that is or is used for meadow

mead·ow·lark ['me-dō-,lärk, -də-] -n

  1. any of several American songbirds (genus Sturnellaof the family Icteridae) that are streaked brown above and in northernmost forms have a yellow breast marked with a black crescent

meadow mushroom -n

  1. a common edible brown-spored agaric ( Agaricus campestris) that occurs in moist open organically rich soil and is often cultivated

meadow nematode -n

  1. any of numerous plant-parasitic nematodes (esp. genus Pratylenchus) that are destructive to plant roots

meadow rue -n

  1. any of a genus ( Thalictrum) of widely distributed perennial herbs of the buttercup family growing in typically damp areas

meadow saffron -n

  1. autumn crocus

meadow spittlebug -n

  1. a widely distributed spittlebug ( Philaenus spumarius) that does severe damage esp. to grasses

mead·ow·sweet ['me-dō-,swēt, -də-] -n

  1. any of several spireas
  2. a No. American native or naturalized spirea (as Spiraea albaand S. latifolia)
  3. any of a genus ( Filipendula) of herbs closely related to the spireas

meadow vole -n

  1. any of various voles (genus Microtus) that frequent open fields
  2. one ( M. pennsylvanicus) that is widespread in No. America called also meadow mouse

mea·ger ['mē-gər] -adj, adv, n

  1. having little flesh : thin
  2. lacking desirable qualities (as richness or strength)
    • leading a meager life
  3. deficient in quality or quantity
    • a meager diet

meal ['mēl] -n

  1. an act or the time of eating a portion of food to satisfy appetite
  2. the portion of food eaten at a meal
  3. the usu. coarsely ground and unbolted seeds of a cereal grass or pulse
  4. cornmeal
  5. a product resembling seed meal esp. in particle size or texture

mea·lie ['mē-lē] -n

  1. indian corn
  2. an ear of Indian corn

mealsonwheels -n pl but sing in constr

  1. a service that delivers daily hot meals to the homes of elderly or disabled people

meal ticket -n

  1. one that serves as the ultimate source of one's income
    • an advanced degree was his meal ticket

meal·time ['mēl-,tīm] -n

  1. the usual time for serving a meal

meal·worm [-,wərm] -n

  1. the larva of a darkling beetle (esp. genus Tenebrio) that infests grain products but is often raised as food for insectivorous animals, for laboratory use, or as fishing bait

mealy ['mē-lē] -adj

  1. containing meal : farinaceous
  2. soft, dry, and friable
  3. covered with meal or with fine granules
  4. flecked with another color
  5. spotty, uneven
  6. pallid, blanched
    • a mealy complexion
  7. mealymouthed

mealy·bug ['mē-lē-,bəg] -n

  1. any of a family (Pseudococcidae) of scale insects that have a white cottony or waxy covering and are destructive pests esp. of fruit trees

mealy·mouthed ['mē-lē-,mau̇thd, -,mau̇tht] -adj

  1. not plain and straightforward : devious
    • a mealymouthed politician

mean ['mēn] -vb, n

  1. to have in the mind as a purpose : intend
    • she mean s to win
    sometimes used interjectionally with I, chiefly in informal speech for emphasis
    • he throws, I mean, hard
    or to introduce a phrase restating the point of a preceding phrase
    • we try to answer what we can, but I mean we're not God -- Bobbie Ann Mason
  2. to design for or destine to a specified purpose or future
    • I was meant to teach
  3. to serve or intend to convey, show, or indicate : signify
    • a red sky mean s rain
  4. to have importance to the degree of
    • health mean s everything
  5. to direct to a particular individual
  6. to have an intended purpose
    • he mean s well
  7. lacking distinction or eminence : humble
  8. lacking in mental discrimination : dull
  9. of poor shabby inferior quality or status
    • mean city streets
  10. worthy of little regard : contemptible often used in negative constructions as a term of praise
    • no mean feat
  11. lacking dignity or honor : base
  12. penurious, stingy
  13. characterized by petty selfishness or malice
  14. causing trouble or bother : vexatious
  15. excellent, effective
    • plays a mean trumpet
    • a lean, mean athlete
  16. ashamed
  17. occupying a middle position : intermediate in space, order, time, kind, or degree
  18. occupying a position about midway between extremes
  19. being the mean of a set of values : average
    • the mean temperature
  20. serving as a means : intermediary
  21. something intervening or intermediate
  22. a middle point between extremes
  23. : a value that lies within a range of values and is computed according to a prescribed law: as
  24. arithmetic mean
  25. expected value
  26. either of the middle two terms of a proportion
  27. something useful or helpful to a desired end
  28. resources available for disposal
  29. material resources affording a secure life

me·an·der [mē-'an-dər] -n, adj

  1. a winding path or course
  2. labyrinth
  3. a turn or winding of a stream

meander [-d(ə-)riŋ] -vi

  1. to follow a winding or intricate course
  2. to wander aimlessly or casually without urgent destination : ramble

mean deviation -n

  1. the mean of the absolute values of the numerical differences between the numbers of a set (as statistical data) and their mean or median

mean distance -n

  1. the arithmetical mean of the maximum and minimum distances of an orbiting celestial object from its primary

mean free path -n

  1. the average distance traversed between collisions by particles (as molecules of a gas or free electrons in metal) in a system of agitated particles

mean·ie ['mē-nē] -n

  1. a mean or spiteful person

mean·ing ['mē-niŋ] -n, adj, adv

  1. the thing one intends to convey esp. by language : purport
  2. the thing that is conveyed esp. by language : import
  3. something meant or intended : aim
    • a mischievous meaning was apparent
  4. significant quality
  5. implication of a hidden or special significance
    • a glance full of meaning
  6. the logical connotation of a word or phrase
  7. the logical denotation or extension of a word or phrase

mean·ing·ful [-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a meaning or purpose
  2. full of meaning : significant
    • a meaningful life
  3. having an assigned function in a language system
    • meaningful propositions

mean·ing·less ['mē-niŋ-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having no meaning
  2. lacking any significance
  3. having no assigned function in a language system

mean·ly ['mēn-lē] -adv

  1. fairly well : moderately

meanly -adv

  1. : in a mean manner: as
  2. in a lowly manner : humbly
  3. in an inferior manner : badly
  4. in a base or ungenerous manner

mean proportional -n

  1. geometric mean
  2. the square root (as x) of the product of two numbers (as aand b) when expressed as the means of a proportion (as a/x x/b)

mean solar day -n

  1. the interval between successive transits of a given meridian by the mean sun

meanspir·it·ed ['mēn-'spir-ə-təd, ,mēn-] -adj, n

  1. exhibiting or characterized by meanness of spirit

mean square -n

  1. the mean of the squares of a set of values

mean square deviation -n

  1. variance
  2. standard deviation

means test ['mēnz-] -n, adj

  1. an examination into the financial state of a person to determine eligibility for public assistance

mean sun -n

  1. a fictitious sun used for timekeeping that moves uniformly along the celestial equator and maintains a constant rate of apparent motion equal to the average rate of apparent motion of the real sun

mean·time ['mēn-,tīm] -n

  1. the intervening time

meantime -adv

  1. meanwhile

mean time -n

  1. time that is based on the motion of the mean sun called also mean solar time

mean value theorem -n

  1. a theorem in differential calculus: if a function of one variable is continuous on a closed interval and differentiable on the interval minus its endpoints there is at least one point where the derivative of the function is equal to the slope of the line joining the endpoints of the curve representing the function on the interval
  2. a theorem in integral calculus: if a function of one variable is continuous on a closed interval and differentiable on the interval minus its endpoints, there is at least one point in the interval where the product of the value of the function and the length of the interval is equal to the integral of the function over the interval

mean·while ['mēn-,hwī(-ə)l, -,wī(-ə)l] -n

  1. meantime

meanwhile -adv

  1. during the intervening time
  2. at the same time

meas -abbr

  1. measure

mea·sle ['mē-zəl] -n

  1. a cysticercus tapeworm larva
  2. one found in the muscles of a domesticated mammal

mea·sles ['mē-zəlz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. an acute contagious disease that is caused by a morbillivirus (species Measles virus) and is marked esp. by an eruption of distinct red circular spots called also rubeola
  2. any of various eruptive diseases (as German measles)
  3. infestation with or disease caused by larval tapeworms in the muscles and tissues

mea·sly ['mēz-lē, 'mē-zə-] -adj

  1. infected with measles
  2. containing larval tapeworms
  3. infested with trichinae
  4. contemptibly small

mea·sure ['me-zhər, 'mā-] -n

  1. an adequate or due portion
  2. a moderate degree
  3. moderation, temperance
  4. a fixed or suitable limit : bounds
    • rich beyond measure
  5. the dimensions, capacity, or amount of something ascertained by measuring
  6. an estimate of what is to be expected (as of a person or situation)
  7. a measured quantity
  8. amount, degree
  9. an instrument or utensil for measuring
  10. a standard or unit of measurement
  11. a system of standard units of measure
    • metric measure
  12. the act or process of measuring
  13. melody, tune
  14. dance
  15. a slow and stately dance
  16. : rhythmic structure or movement : cadence: as
  17. poetic rhythm measured by temporal quantity or accent
  18. meter
  19. musical time
  20. a grouping of a specified number of musical beats located between two consecutive vertical lines on a staff
  21. a metrical unit : foot
  22. an exact divisor of a number
  23. a basis or standard of comparison
    • wealth is not a measure of happiness
  24. a step planned or taken as a means to an end
  25. a proposed legislative act

measure ['me-zhə-riŋ, 'mā-; 'mezh-riŋ, 'māzh-] -vb, n, adj, adv

  1. to choose or control with cautious restraint : regulate
    • measure his acts
  2. to regulate by a standard : govern
  3. to allot or apportion in measured amounts
    • measure out three cups
  4. to lay off by making measurements
  5. to ascertain the measurements of
  6. to estimate or appraise by a criterion
    • measure s his skill against his rival
  7. to travel over : traverse
  8. to serve as a means of measuring
    • a thermometer measure s temperature
  9. to take or make a measurement
  10. to have a specified measurement

measured -adj, adv

  1. marked by due proportion
  2. marked by rhythm : regularly recurrent
    • a measured gait
  3. metrical
  4. deliberate, calculated
    • a measured response

mea·sure·less [-zhər-ləs] -adj

  1. having no observable limit : immeasurable
    • the measureless universe
  2. very great
    • had measureless energy

mea·sure·ment ['me-zhər-mənt, 'mā-] -n

  1. the act or process of measuring
  2. a figure, extent, or amount obtained by measuring : dimension
  3. measure

measurement ton -n

  1. ton

measure up -vi

  1. to have necessary or fitting qualifications often used with to
  2. to be the equal (as in ability) used with to

measuring worm -n

  1. looper

meat ['mēt] -n, adj

  1. food
  2. solid food as distinguished from drink
  3. the edible part of something as distinguished from its covering (as a husk or shell)
  4. : animal tissue considered esp. as food:
  5. flesh
  6. flesh of a mammal as opposed to fowl or fish
  7. flesh
  8. flesh of domesticated animals
  9. meal
  10. dinner
  11. the core of something : heart
  12. pith
    • a novel with meat
  13. favorite pursuit or interest

meatandpotatoes -adj

  1. of fundamental importance : basic
  2. concerned with or emphasizing the basic aspects of something
  3. unpretentious, simple
    • a real meatandpotatoes guy
  4. providing or preferring simple food (as meat and potatoes)

meat and potatoes -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. the most interesting or fundamental part : meat

meatax ['mēt-,aks] -n

  1. cleaver
  2. an extreme or heavy-handed method of cutting or altering something

meat·ball [-,bȯl] -n

  1. a small ball of chopped or ground meat often mixed with bread crumbs and spices

meat·head [-,hed] -n

  1. a stupid or bungling person

meat loaf -n

  1. a dish of ground meat seasoned and baked in the form of a loaf

meat market -n

  1. a depersonalizing environment in which people are treated as sexual or economic resources

meat·pack·ing ['mēt-,pa-kiŋ] -n

  1. the wholesale meat industry

me·a·tus [mē-'ā-təs] -n

  1. a natural body passage

meaty ['mē-tē] -adj, n

  1. full of meat
  2. having the character of meat
  3. rich esp. in matter for thought : substantial
    • actors looking for meaty roles

mec·a·myl·amine [,me-kə-'mi-lə-,mēn] -n

  1. a drug that is used orally in the form of its hydrochloride C 11H 21NHCl as a ganglionic blocking agent to effect a rapid lowering of severely elevated blood pressure

mec·ca ['me-kə] -n

  1. a place regarded as a center for a specified group, activity, or interest
    • a mecca for shoppers

mech -abbr

  1. mechanic; mechanical

mechan- -comb form

  1. mechanical
    • mechano receptor

me·chan·ic [mi-'ka-nik] -adj

  1. of or relating to manual work or skill
  2. mechanical

mechanic -n

  1. a manual worker : artisan
  2. machinist
  3. one who repairs machines

me·chan·i·cal [mi-'ka-ni-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to machinery or tools
    • mechanical applications of science
    • a mechanical genius
    • mechanical aptitude
  2. produced or operated by a machine or tool
    • mechanical power
    • a mechanical refrigerator
    • a mechanical saw
  3. of or relating to manual operations
  4. of or relating to artisans or machinists
    • the mechanical trades
  5. done as if by machine : seemingly uninfluenced by the mind or emotions : automatic
  6. of or relating to technicalities or petty matters
  7. relating to, governed by, or in accordance with the principles of mechanics
    • mechanical energy
  8. relating to the quantitative relations of force and matter
    • mechanical pressure of wind on a tower
  9. caused by, resulting from, or relating to a process that involves a purely physical as opposed to a chemical or biological change or process
    • mechanical erosion of rock

mechanical -n

  1. mechanic
  2. a piece of finished copy consisting typically of type proofs and artwork positioned and mounted for photomechanical reproduction

mechanical advantage -n

  1. the advantage gained by the use of a mechanism in transmitting force
  2. the ratio of the force that performs the useful work of a machine to the force that is applied to the machine

mechanical drawing -n

  1. drawing done with the aid of instruments
  2. a drawing made with instruments

mechanical engineering -n

  1. a branch of engineering concerned primarily with the industrial application of mechanics and with the production of tools, machinery, and their products

mech·a·ni·cian [,me-kə-'ni-shən] -n

  1. mechanic, machinist

me·chan·ics [mi-'ka-niks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a branch of physical science that deals with energy and forces and their effect on bodies
  2. the practical application of mechanics to the design, construction, or operation of machines or tools
  3. mechanical or functional details or procedure
    • the mechanics of the brain

mech·a·nism ['me-kə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. a piece of machinery
  2. a process, technique, or system for achieving a result
  3. mechanical operation or action : working
  4. a doctrine that holds natural processes (as of life) to be mechanically determined and capable of complete explanation by the laws of physics and chemistry
  5. the fundamental processes involved in or responsible for an action, reaction, or other natural phenomenon

mech·a·nist [-nist] -n

  1. mechanic
  2. an adherent of the doctrine of mechanism

mech·a·nis·tic [,me-kə-'nis-tik] -adj, adv

  1. mechanically determined
  2. of or relating to a mechanism or the doctrine of mechanism
  3. mechanical

mech·a·nize ['me-kə-,nīz] -vt, adj, n

  1. to make mechanical
  2. to make automatic or routine
  3. to equip with machinery esp. to replace human or animal labor
  4. to equip with armed and armored motor vehicles
  5. to provide with mechanical power
  6. to produce by or as if by machine

mech·a·no·chem·is·try [,me-kə-nō-'ke-mə-strē] -n, adj

  1. chemistry that deals with the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical work (as in the contraction of a muscle)

mech·a·no·re·cep·tor [-ri-'sep-tər] -n, adj

  1. a neural end organ (as a tactile receptor) that responds to a mechanical stimulus (as a change in pressure)

Mech·lin ['me-klən] -n

  1. a delicate bobbin lace used for dresses and millinery

mec·li·zine ['me-klə-,zēn] -n

  1. a drug C 25H 27ClN 2used usu. in the form of its hydrochloride to treat vertigo and nausea (as in motion sickness)

me·co·ni·um [mi-'kō-nē-əm] -n

  1. a dark greenish mass that accumulates in the bowel during fetal life and is discharged shortly after birth

med ['med] -adj

  1. medical
    • med school
  2. medication usu. used in pl.
    • took pain med s
  3. medicine
  4. medieval
  5. medium

Med -abbr

  1. Mediterranean

MEd -abbr

  1. master of education

me·da·ka [mə-'dä-kə] -n

  1. a small Japanese freshwater fish ( Oryzias latipes) usu. silvery brown in the wild but from pale yellow to deep red in aquarium strains

med·al ['me-dᵊl] -n

  1. a small usu. metal object bearing a religious emblem or picture
  2. a piece of metal often resembling a coin and having a stamped design that is issued to commemorate a person or event or awarded for excellence or achievement

medal ['med-liŋ, 'me-dᵊl-iŋ] -vi

  1. to win a medal
    • medal ed in figure skating

Medal for Merit

  1. a U.S. decoration awarded to civilians for highly meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services

med·al·ist ['me-dᵊl-ist] -n

  1. a designer, engraver, or maker of medals
  2. a recipient of a medal as an award

me·dal·lic [mə-'da-lik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or shown on a medal

me·dal·lion [mə-'dal-yən] -n

  1. a large medal
  2. something resembling a large medal
  3. a tablet or panel in a wall or window bearing a figure in relief, a portrait, or an ornament
  4. a small round or oval serving (as of meat)

Medal of Freedom

  1. a U.S. decoration awarded to civilians for meritorious achievement in any of various fields

Medal of Honor

  1. a U.S. military decoration awarded in the name of the Congress for conspicuous intrepidity at the risk of life in action with an enemy

medal play -n

  1. stroke play

med·dle ['me-dᵊl] -vi, n

  1. to interest oneself in what is not one's concern : interfere without right or propriety

med·dle·some ['me-dᵊl-səm] -adj, n

  1. given to meddling

Mede ['mēd] -n

  1. a native or inhabitant of ancient Media in Persia

Me·dea [mə-'dē-ə] -n

  1. an enchantress noted in Greek mythology for helping Jason gain the Golden Fleece and for repeatedly resorting to murder to gain her ends

med·e·vac ['me-də-,vak, -dē-] -n

  1. emergency evacuation of the sick or wounded (as from a combat area)
  2. a helicopter used for medevac

medevac -vt

  1. to transport in a medevac helicopter

med·fly ['med-,flī] -n

  1. mediterranean fruit fly

me·dia ['mē-dē-ə] -n

  1. a voiced stop
  2. the middle coat of the wall of a blood or lymph vessel consisting chiefly of circular muscle fibers

media -n

  1. a medium of cultivation, conveyance, or expression
  2. medium
  3. mass media
  4. members of the mass media

me·di·ad ['mē-dē-,ad] -adv

  1. toward the median line or plane of a body or part

media event -n

  1. a publicity event staged for coverage by the news media

me·dia·gen·ic [,mē-dē-ə-'je-nik] -adj

  1. attractive or well-suited to the communications media

me·di·al ['mē-dē-əl] -adj, n, adv

  1. mean, average
  2. being or occurring in the middle
  3. extending toward the middle
  4. lying or extending toward the median axis of the body
  5. situated between the extremes of initial and final in a word or morpheme

medial collateral ligament -n

  1. a ligament of the inner knee that connects medial parts of the femur and tibia and helps to stabilize the knee joint called also MCL

me·di·an ['mē-dē-ən] -n

  1. a medial part (as a vein or nerve)
  2. a value in an ordered set of values below and above which there is an equal number of values or which is the arithmetic mean of the two middle values if there is no one middle number
  3. a vertical line that divides the histogram of a frequency distribution into two parts of equal area
  4. a value of a random variable for which all greater values make the cumulative distribution function greater than one half and all lesser values make it less than one half
  5. a line from a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side
  6. a line joining the midpoints of the nonparallel sides of a trapezoid
  7. median strip

median -adj, adv

  1. being in the middle or in an intermediate position : medial
  2. lying in the plane dividing a bilateral animal into right and left halves
  3. relating to or constituting a statistical median
  4. produced without occlusion along the lengthwise middle line of the tongue

median nerve -n

  1. a nerve that arises by two roots from the brachial plexus and passes down the middle of the front of the arm

median strip -n

  1. a paved or planted strip dividing a highway into lanes according to direction of travel

me·di·ant ['mē-dē-ənt] -n

  1. the third tone of a major or minor scale

me·dia·scape ['mē-dē-ə-,skāp] -n

  1. the melange of mass media within an area
  2. the various images, sounds, and programs presented by the mass media

me·di·as·ti·num [,mē-dē-ə-'stī-nəm] -n, adj

  1. the space in the chest between the pleural sacs of the lungs that contains all the tissues and organs of the chest except the lungs and pleurae
  2. this space with its contents

me·di·ate ['mē-dē-ət] -adj, n, adv

  1. occupying a middle position
  2. acting through an intervening agency
  3. exhibiting indirect causation, connection, or relation
  4. to bring accord out of by action as an intermediary
  5. to effect by action as an intermediary
  6. to act as intermediary agent in bringing, effecting, or communicating : convey
  7. to transmit as intermediate mechanism or agency
  8. to interpose between parties in order to reconcile them
  9. to reconcile differences

me·di·a·tion [,mē-dē-'ā-shən] -n, adj

  1. the act or process of mediating
  2. intervention between conflicting parties to promote reconciliation, settlement, or compromise

me·di·a·tor ['mē-dē-,ā-tər] -n

  1. one that mediates
  2. one that mediates between parties at variance
  3. a mediating agent in a physical, chemical, or biological process

me·di·a·trix [-'ā-triks] -n

  1. a woman who is a mediator

med·ic ['me-dik] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Medicago) of leguminous herbs (as alfalfa)

medic -n

  1. one engaged in medical work or study
  2. corpsman

med·i·ca·ble ['me-di-kə-bəl] -adj

  1. curable, remediable

Med·ic·aid ['me-di-,kād] -n

  1. a program of medical aid designed for those unable to afford regular medical service and financed by the state and federal governments

med·i·cal ['me-di-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or concerned with physicians or the practice of medicine
  2. requiring or devoted to medical treatment

medical examiner -n

  1. a public officer who conducts autopsies on bodies to find the cause of death

med·i·cal·ize ['me-di-kə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to view or treat as a medical concern, problem, or disorder
    • those who seek to dispose of social problems by medicalizing them -- Liam Hudson

me·di·ca·ment [mi-'di-kə-mənt, 'me-di-kə-] -n, adj

  1. a substance used in therapy

Medi·care ['me-di-,ker] -n

  1. a government program of medical care esp. for the aged

med·i·cate ['me-də-,kāt] -vt

  1. to treat medicinally
  2. to impregnate with a medicinal substance
    • medicated soap

med·i·ca·tion [,me-də-'kā-shən] -n

  1. the act or process of medicating
  2. a medicinal substance : medicament

me·dic·i·na·ble [mi-'dis-nə-bəl, -'di-sə-nə-; in Shak 'med-sə-nə-] -adj

  1. medicinal

me·dic·i·nal [mə-'dis-nəl, -'di-sᵊn-əl; in Shak & Milton ,me-di-'sī-nᵊl & 'med-sə-nəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain
  2. salutary

medicinal leech -n

  1. a large European freshwater leech ( Hirudo medicinalis) that is a source of hirudin, is sometimes used to drain blood (as from newly grafted tissue), and was formerly used to bleed patients thought to have excess blood

med·i·cine ['me-də-sən, Brit usu 'med-sən] -n, vt

  1. a substance or preparation used in treating disease
  2. something that affects well-being
  3. the science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease
  4. the branch of medicine concerned with the nonsurgical treatment of disease
  5. a substance (as a drug or potion) used to treat something other than disease
  6. an object held in traditional American Indian belief to give control over natural or magical forces
  7. magical power or a magical rite

medicine ball -n

  1. a heavy usu. large ball used esp. in conditioning and strengthening exercises

medicine dropper -n

  1. dropper

medicine man -n

  1. a priestly healer or sorcerer esp. among the American Indians : shaman

medicine show -n

  1. a traveling show using entertainers to attract a crowd among which remedies or nostrums are sold

med·i·co ['me-di-,kō] -n

  1. physician
  2. a medical student

med·i·co·le·gal [,me-di-kō-'lē-gəl] -adj

  1. of or relating to both medicine and law

me·di·e·val [,mē-'dē-vəl, mi-, ,me-, -dē-'ē-vəl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Middle Ages
  2. having a quality (as cruelty) associated with the Middle Ages
  3. extremely outmoded or antiquated

medieval -n

  1. a person of the Middle Ages

me·di·e·val·ism [-və-,li-zəm] -n

  1. medieval quality, character, or state
  2. devotion to the institutions, arts, and practices of the Middle Ages

me·di·e·val·ist [-'dēv-list, -'dē-və-, -dē-'ēv-, -dē-'ē-və-] -n

  1. a specialist in medieval history and culture
  2. a connoisseur or devotee of medieval arts and culture

Medieval Latin -n

  1. the Latin used esp. for liturgical and literary purposes from the 7th to the 15th centuries inclusive

med·i·gap ['me-də-,gap] -n

  1. supplemental health insurance that covers costs (as of medical care or a hospital stay) not covered by Medicare

me·di·na [mə-'dē-nə] -n

  1. the non-European part of a northern African city

me·di·o·cre [,mē-dē-'ō-kər] -adj

  1. of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance : ordinary, so-so

me·di·oc·ri·ty [,mē-dē-'ä-krə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being mediocre
  2. moderate ability or value
  3. a mediocre person

med·i·tate ['me-də-,tāt] -vb, n

  1. to engage in contemplation or reflection
  2. to engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness
  3. to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over
  4. to plan or project in the mind : intend, purpose

med·i·ta·tion [,me-də-'tā-shən] -n

  1. a discourse intended to express its author's reflections or to guide others in contemplation
  2. the act or process of meditating

med·i·ta·tive ['me-də-,tā-tiv] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by or conducive to meditation
  2. disposed or given to meditation

Med·i·ter·ra·nean [,me-də-tə-'rā-nē-ən, -nyən] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Mediterranean Sea
  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of the peoples, lands, or cultures bordering the Mediterranean Sea
  3. enclosed or nearly enclosed with land
  4. of or relating to a group or physical type of the Caucasian race characterized by medium or short stature, slender build, dolichocephaly, and dark complexion

Mediterranean flour moth -n

  1. a small largely gray and black nearly cosmopolitan pyralid moth ( Anagasta kuehniella) whose larva destroys processed grain products

Mediterranean fruit fly -n

  1. a small widely distributed yellowish-brown dipteran fly ( Ceratitis capitata) with a banded abdomen whose larva lives and feeds in ripening fruit called also medfly

me·di·um ['mē-dē-əm] -n

  1. something in a middle position
  2. a middle condition or degree : mean
  3. : a means of effecting or conveying something: as
  4. a substance regarded as the means of transmission of a force or effect
  5. a surrounding or enveloping substance
  6. the tenuous material (as gas and dust) in space that exists outside large agglomerations of matter (as stars)
    • interstellar medium
  7. a channel or system of communication, information, or entertainment
  8. a publication or broadcast that carries advertising
  9. a mode of artistic expression or communication
  10. something (as a magnetic disk) on which information may be stored
  11. go-between, intermediary
  12. an individual held to be a channel of communication between the earthly world and a world of spirits
  13. material or technical means of artistic expression
  14. a condition or environment in which something may function or flourish
  15. a nutrient system for the artificial cultivation of cells or organisms and esp. bacteria
  16. a fluid or solid in which organic structures are placed (as for preservation or mounting)
  17. a liquid with which pigment is mixed by a painter

medium -adj

  1. intermediate in quantity, quality, position, size, or degree

medium frequency -n

  1. a radio frequency between high frequency and low frequency

me·di·um·is·tic [,mē-dē-ə-'mis-tik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or having the qualities of a spiritualistic medium

medium of exchange

  1. something commonly accepted in exchange for goods and services and recognized as representing a standard of value

me·di·um·ship ['mē-dē-əm-,ship] -n

  1. the capacity, function, or profession of a spiritualistic medium

medivac ['me-də-,vak, -dē-] -n

(variant of medevac)

  1. emergency evacuation of the sick or wounded (as from a combat area)
  2. a helicopter used for medevac

med·lar ['med-lər] -n

  1. a small deciduous Eurasian tree ( Mespilus germanica) of the rose family whose fruit resembles a crab apple and is used in preserves
  2. its fruit

med·ley ['med-lē] -n

  1. melee
  2. a diverse assortment or mixture
  3. hodgepodge
  4. a musical composition made up of a series of songs or short pieces

medley -adj

  1. mixed, motley

medley relay -n

  1. a relay race in swimming in which each member of a team uses a different stroke

Me·doc [mā-'däk, -'dȯk] -n

  1. a Bordeaux wine made in the Medoc district of France

me·dul·la [mə-'də-lə] -n

  1. bone marrow
  2. medulla oblongata
  3. the inner or deep part of an animal or plant structure
    • the adrenal medulla
  4. myelin sheath

medulla ob·lon·ga·ta [-,ä-,blȯŋ-'gä-tə] -n

  1. the part of the vertebrate brain that is continuous posteriorly with the spinal cord and that contains the centers controlling involuntary vital functions

med·ul·lary ['me-də-,ler-ē, 'me-jə-; mə-'də-lə-rē] -adj

  1. of or relating to the pith of a plant
  2. of or relating to a medulla and esp. the medulla oblongata

medullary ray -n

  1. a primary tissue composed of radiating bands of parenchyma cells extending between the vascular bundles of herbaceous dicotyledonous stems and connecting the pith with the cortex
  2. vascular ray

medullary sheath -n

  1. myelin sheath

med·ul·lat·ed ['me-də-,lā-təd, 'me-jə-] -adj

  1. myelinated
  2. having a medulla used of fibers other than nerve fibers

me·dul·lo·blas·to·ma [mə-,də-lō-,blas-'tō-mə] -n

  1. a malignant tumor of the central nervous system arising in the cerebellum esp. in children

me·du·sa [mi-'dü-sə, -'dyü-, -zə] -n, adj or n

  1. a mortal Gorgon who is slain when decapitated by Perseus
  2. jellyfish

meed ['mēd] -n

  1. an earned reward or wage
  2. a fitting return or recompense

meek ['mēk] -adj, adv, n

  1. enduring injury with patience and without resentment : mild
  2. deficient in spirit and courage : submissive
  3. not violent or strong : moderate

meer·kat ['mir-,kat] -n

  1. any of several African mongooses
  2. a burrowing highly social primarily insectivorous mammal ( Suricata suricatta) of southern Africa that is chiefly grayish with faint black markings and lives in usu. large colonies

meer·schaum ['mir-shəm, -,shȯm] -n

  1. a fine light white clayey mineral that is a hydrous magnesium silicate found chiefly in Asia Minor and is used esp. for tobacco pipes
  2. a tobacco pipe of meerschaum

meet ['mēt] -vb, n

  1. to come into the presence of : find
  2. to come together with esp. at a particular time or place
    • I'll meet you at the station
  3. to come into contact or conjunction with : join
  4. to appear to the perception of
  5. to encounter as antagonist or foe : oppose
  6. to enter into conference, argument, or personal dealings with
  7. to conform to esp. with exactitude and precision
    • a concept to meet all requirements
  8. to pay fully : settle
  9. to cope with
    • was able to meet every social situation
  10. to provide for
    • enough money to meet our needs
  11. to become acquainted with
  12. encounter, experience
  13. to receive or greet in an official capacity
  14. to come face-to-face
  15. to come together for a common purpose : assemble
  16. to come together as contestants, opponents, or enemies
  17. to form a junction or confluence
    • the lines meet in a point
  18. to occur together
  19. the act of assembling for a hunt or for competitive sports
  20. a competition in which individuals match skills
  21. precisely adapted to a particular situation, need, or circumstance : very proper

meet and greet -n

  1. a reception at which a public figure (as a politician or rock star) socializes with press members and other guests

meeting -n

  1. : an act or process of coming together: as
  2. an assembly for a common purpose (as worship)
  3. a session of horse or dog racing
  4. a permanent organizational unit of the Society of Friends
  5. intersection, junction

meet·ing·house [-,hau̇s] -n

  1. a building used for public assembly and esp. for Protestant worship

meeting of minds

  1. agreement, concord

mef·e·nam·ic acid [,me-fə-'na-mik-] -n

  1. a drug C 15H 15NO 2used as an anti-inflammatory agent

mef·lo·quine ['mef-lə-,kwīn] -n

  1. an antimalarial drug C 17H 16F 6N 2O similar to quinine that is administered in the form of its hydrochloride

meg ['meg] -n

  1. megabyte
  2. megohm

MEG -abbr

  1. magnetoencephalography

mega ['me-gə] -adj

  1. vast
    • a mega electronics store
  2. of the highest level of rank, excellence, or importance
    • a number one hit made her mega

mega- -comb form

  1. great : large
    • mega spore
  2. greatly surpassing others of its kind
    • mega hit
  3. million (10 6)
    • meg ohm
    • mega cycle

mega·bar ['me-gə-,bär] -n

  1. a unit of pressure equal to one million bars

mega·bit [-,bit] -n

  1. one million bits

mega·buck [-,bək] -n

  1. one million dollars
  2. an indeterminately large sum of money usu. used in pl.

mega·byte [-,bīt] -n

  1. 1024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes
  2. one million bytes

mega·city [-,si-tē] -n

  1. megalopolis

mega·cor·po·ra·tion [,me-gə-,kȯr-pə-'rā-shən] -n

  1. a huge and powerful corporation

mega·cy·cle ['me-gə-,sī-kəl] -n

  1. one million cycles
  2. megahertz

mega·deal [-,dēl] -n

  1. a business deal involving a lot of money

mega·death [-,deth] -n

  1. one million deaths usu. used as a unit in reference to nuclear warfare

mega·dose [-,dōs] -n

  1. a large dose (as of a vitamin)

mega·fau·na [-,fȯ-nə, -,fä-] -n, adj

  1. animals (as bears, bison, or mammoths) of particularly large size
  2. fauna consisting of individuals large enough to be visible to the naked eye

mega·ga·mete [,me-gə-'ga-,mēt also -gə-'mēt] -n

  1. macrogamete

mega·ga·me·to·phyte [-gə-'mē-tə-,fīt] -n

  1. the female gametophyte produced by a megaspore

mega·hertz ['me-gə-,hərts, -,herts] -n

  1. a unit of frequency equal to one million hertz abbr. MHz

mega·hit [-,hit] -n

  1. something (as a motion picture) that is extremely successful

mega·kar·yo·cyte [,me-gə-'ka-rē-ō-,sīt] -n, adj

  1. a large cell that has a lobulated nucleus, is found esp. in the bone marrow, and is the source of blood platelets

megal- -comb form

  1. large : of giant size
    • megalo polis
    : grandiose
    • megalo mania

mega·lith ['me-gə-,lith] -n, adj

  1. a very large usu. rough stone used in prehistoric cultures as a monument or building block

meg·a·lo·blast ['me-gə-lō-,blast] -n, adj

  1. a large erythroblast that appears in the blood esp. in pernicious anemia

meg·a·lo·ma·nia [,me-gə-lō-'mā-nē-ə, -nyə] -n, adj or n, adj, adv

  1. a mania for great or grandiose performance
  2. a delusional mental disorder that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur

meg·a·lop·o·lis [,me-gə-'lä-pə-ləs] -n, n or adj

  1. a very large city
  2. a thickly populated region centering in a metropolis or embracing several metropolises

mega·merg·er ['me-gə-,mər-jər] -n

  1. a merger of megacorporations

mega·par·sec [,me-gə-'pär-,sek] -n

  1. a unit of measure for distances in intergalactic space equal to one million parsecs

mega·phone ['me-gə-,fōn] -n, adj

  1. a cone-shaped device used to intensify or direct the voice

megaphone -vt

  1. to transmit or address through or as if through a megaphone
  2. to speak through or as if through a megaphone

mega·pixel ['me-gə-,pik-səl, -,sel] -n

  1. one million pixels

mega·plex [-,pleks] -n

  1. a large multiplex typically housing 16 or more movie theaters

mega·proj·ect [-,prä-,jekt, -jikt also -,prō-] -n

  1. a major project or undertaking (as in business or construction)

Me·gar·i·an [mə-'ga-rē-ən, me-] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to a Socratic school of philosophy founded by Euclid of Megara and noted for its subtle attention to logic

Me·gar·ic [-'ga-rik] -adj, n

  1. megarian

mega·scop·ic [,me-gə-'skä-pik] -adj, adv

  1. macroscopic
  2. based on or relating to observations made with the unaided eye

mega·spo·ran·gi·um [,me-gə-spə-'ran-jē-əm] -n

  1. a sporangium that develops only megaspores

mega·spore ['me-gə-,spȯr] -n, adj

  1. a spore in heterosporous plants giving rise to female gametophytes and usu. larger than a microspore

mega·spo·ro·gen·e·sis [,me-gə-,spȯr-ə-'je-nə-səs] -n

  1. the formation and maturation of a megaspore

mega·spo·ro·phyll [-'spȯr-ə-,fil] -n

  1. a sporophyll that develops only megasporangia

mega·star ['me-gə-,stär] -n

  1. superstar

mega·ton ['me-gə-,tən] -n

  1. an explosive force equivalent to that of one million tons of TNT

mega·ton·nage [-,tə-nij] -n

  1. the destructive capability esp. of a collection of nuclear weapons that is expressed in megatons

mega·vi·ta·min [,me-gə-'vī-tə-mən, Brit usu -'vi-] -adj

  1. relating to or consisting of very large doses of vitamins
    • megavitamin therapy

mega·vi·ta·mins [-mənz] -n pl

  1. a large quantity of vitamins

mega·watt ['me-gə-,wät] -n

  1. one million watts

me·gil·lah [mə-'gi-lə] -n

  1. a long involved story or account
    • the whole megillah

me·gilp [mə-'gilp] -n

  1. a gelatinous preparation commonly of linseed oil and mastic varnish that is used by artists as a vehicle for oil colors

MEGO -abbr

  1. my eyes glaze over

meg·ohm ['meg-,ōm] -n

  1. one million ohms

me·grim ['mē-grəm] -n

  1. migraine
  2. vertigo, dizziness
  3. fancy, whim
  4. low spirits

Mei·ji ['mā-(,)jē] -n

  1. the period of the reign (18681912) of Emperor Mutsuhito of Japan

meikle ['mi-kəl] -adj, adv

(variant of mickle)

  1. great, much

mei·ny -n

  1. retinue, company
  2. multitude

mei·o·sis [mī-'ō-səs] -n, adj, adv

  1. the presentation of a thing with underemphasis esp. in order to achieve a greater effect : understatement
  2. the cellular process that results in the number of chromosomes in gamete-producing cells being reduced to one half and that involves a reduction division in which one of each pair of homologous chromosomes passes to each daughter cell and a mitotic division

Meis·sen ['mī-sᵊn] -n

  1. a ceramic ware made at Meissen near Dresden
  2. a European porcelain developed under the patronage of the king of Saxony about 1715 and used for both ornamental and table wares called also Meissen china Meissen ware

meis·ter ['mīs-tər] -n

  1. one who is knowledgeable about something specified often used in combination
    • puzzle- meister

Meis·ter·sing·er ['mīs-tər-,siŋ-ər, -,ziŋ-] -n

  1. a member of any of various German guilds formed chiefly in the 15th and 16th centuries by workingmen and craftsmen for the cultivation of poetry and music

meit·ner·i·um [mīt-'nir-ē-əm, -'ner-] -n

  1. a short-lived radioactive element produced artificially

MEK -abbr

  1. methyl ethyl ketone

mel·a·leu·ca [,me-lə-'l(y)ü-kə] -n

  1. any of genus ( Melaleuca) of Australian and East Indian trees and shrubs of the myrtle family
  2. cajeput

mel·a·mine ['me-lə-,mēn] -n

  1. a white crystalline organic base C 3H 6N 6with a high melting point that is used esp. in melamine resins
  2. a melamine resin or a plastic made from such a resin

melamine resin -n

  1. a thermosetting resin made from melamine and an aldehyde and used esp. in molded or laminated products, adhesives, and coatings

melan- -comb form

  1. black : dark
    • melan ic
    • melan in
  2. melanin
    • melano phore

mel·an·cho·lia [,me-lən-'kō-lē-ə] -n

  1. a mental condition and esp. a manic-depressive condition characterized by extreme depression, bodily complaints, and often hallucinations and delusions

mel·an·chol·ic [,me-lən-'kä-lik] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or subject to melancholy : depressed
  2. of or relating to melancholia
  3. tending to depress the spirits : saddening

mel·an·choly ['me-lən-,kä-lē] -n

  1. an abnormal state attributed to an excess of black bile and characterized by irascibility or depression
  2. black bile
  3. melancholia
  4. depression of spirits : dejection
  5. a pensive mood

melancholy -adj

  1. suggestive or expressive of melancholy
    • sang in a melancholy voice
  2. causing or tending to cause sadness or depression of mind or spirit : dismal
    • a melancholy thought
  3. depressed in spirits : dejected, sad
  4. pensive

Mel·a·ne·sian [,me-lə-'nē-zhən, -shən] -n, adj

  1. a member of the dominant native group of Melanesia
  2. a language group consisting of the Austronesian languages of Melanesia

me·lange [mā-'läⁿzh, -'länj] -n

  1. a mixture often of incongruous elements

me·lan·ic [mə-'la-nik] -adj

  1. melanotic
  2. affected with, causing, or characterized by melanism

melanic -n

  1. a melanic individual

mel·a·nin ['me-lə-nən] -n

  1. any of various black, dark brown, reddish-brown, or yellow pigments of animal or plant structures (as skin or hair)

mel·a·nism ['me-lə-,ni-zəm] -n, adj

  1. an increased amount of black or nearly black pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, or hair) of an individual or kind of organism
  2. intense human pigmentation of the skin, eyes, and hair

mel·a·nite ['me-lə-,nīt] -n, adj

  1. a black andradite garnet

mel·a·nize ['me-lə-,nīz] -vt, n

  1. to convert into or infiltrate with melanin
  2. to make dark or black

me·la·no·blast [mə-'la-nə-,blast, 'me-lə-nō-] -n

  1. a cell that is a precursor of a melanocyte or melanophore

me·la·no·cyte [mə-'la-nə-,sīt, 'me-lə-nō-] -n

  1. an epidermal cell that produces melanin

melanocytestimulating hormone -n

  1. any of several vertebrate hormones of the pituitary gland that darken the skin by stimulating melanin dispersion in pigment-containing cells

me·la·no·gen·e·sis [mə-,la-nə-'je-nə-səs, ,me-lə-nō-] -n

  1. the formation of melanin

mel·a·no·ma [,me-lə-'nō-mə] -n

  1. a tumor containing dark pigment
  2. a highly malignant tumor that starts in melanocytes of normal skin or moles and metastasizes rapidly and widely

me·la·no·phore [mə-'la-nə-,fȯr, 'me-lə-nə-] -n

  1. a melanin-containing cell esp. of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles

me·la·no·some [-,sōm] -n

  1. a melanin-producing granule in a melanocyte

mel·a·not·ic [,me-lə-'nä-tik] -adj

  1. having or characterized by black pigmentation

mel·a·to·nin [,me-lə-'tō-nən] -n

  1. a vertebrate hormone that is derived from serotonin, is secreted by the pineal gland esp. in response to darkness, and has been linked to the regulation of circadian rhythms

mel·ba toast ['mel-bə-] -n

  1. very thin crisp toast

Mel·chite ['mel-,kīt] -n

  1. an Eastern Christian chiefly of Syria and Egypt adhering to Chalcedonian orthodoxy in preference to Monophysitism
  2. a member of a Uniate body derived from the Melchites

Mel·chiz·e·dek [mel-'ki-zə-,dek] -n

  1. a priest-king of Jerusalem who prepared a ritual meal for Abraham and received tithes from him

Melchizedek -adj

  1. of or relating to the higher order of the Mormon priesthood

meld ['meld] -vb

  1. to declare or announce (a card or combination of cards) for a score in a card game esp. by placing face up on the table
  2. to declare a card or combination of cards as a meld
  3. a card or combination of cards that is or can be melded in a card game
  4. merge, blend
  5. blend, mixture

me·lee ['mā-,lā, mā-'] -n

  1. a confused struggle
  2. a hand-to-hand fight among several people

mel·ic ['me-lik] -adj

  1. of or relating to song : lyric
  2. of or relating to Greek lyric poetry of the seventh and sixth centuries b.c.

mel·i·lot ['me-lə-,lät] -n

  1. sweet clover
  2. a yellow-flowered sweet clover ( Melilotus officinalis)

me·lio·rate ['mēl-yə-,rāt, 'mē-lē-ə-] -vb, n, adj

  1. ameliorate

me·lio·rism ['mēl-yə-,ri-zəm, 'mē-lē-ə-] -n, adj or n, adj

  1. the belief that the world tends to improve and that humans can aid its betterment

me·lis·ma [mi-'liz-mə] -n, adj

  1. a group of notes or tones sung on one syllable in plainsong
  2. melodic embellishment
  3. cadenza

mell ['mel] -vb

  1. mix

mel·lif·lu·ent [me-'li-flə-wənt] -adj, adv

  1. mellifluous

mel·lif·lu·ous [me-'li-flə-wəs, mə-] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a smooth rich flow
    • a mellifluous voice
  2. filled with something (as honey) that sweetens

mel·lo·phone ['me-lə-,fōn] -n

  1. a valved brass instrument similar in form and range to the French horn

mel·lo·tron ['me-lə-,trän] -n

  1. an electronic keyboard instrument programmed to produce the tape-recorded sounds usu. of orchestral instruments

mel·low ['me-(,)lō] -adj, adv, n

  1. tender and sweet because of ripeness
  2. well aged and pleasingly mild
  3. made gentle by age or experience
  4. rich and full but free from garishness or stridency
  5. warmed and relaxed by or as if by liquor
  6. pleasant, agreeable
  7. laid-back
  8. having a soft and loamy consistency

mellow -vt

  1. to make mellow
  2. to become mellow often used with out

me·lo·de·on [mə-'lō-dē-ən] -n

  1. a small reed organ in which a suction bellows draws air inward through the reeds

me·lo·di·ous [mə-'lō-dē-əs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having a pleasing melody
  2. of, relating to, or producing melody

mel·o·dist ['me-lə-dist] -n

  1. singer
  2. a composer of melodies

mel·o·dize ['me-lə-,dīz] -vb, n

  1. to compose a melody
  2. to make melodious : set to melody

melo·dra·ma ['me-lə-,drä-mə, -,dra-] -n

  1. a work (as a movie or play) characterized by extravagant theatricality and by the predominance of plot and physical action over characterization
  2. the genre of dramatic literature constituted by such works
  3. something resembling a melodrama esp. in having a sensational or theatrical quality

melo·dra·mat·ic [,me-lə-drə-'ma-tik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of melodrama
  2. appealing to the emotions : sensational

melo·dra·mat·ics [-tiks] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. melodramatic conduct or writing

melo·dra·ma·tise [,me-lə-'dra-mə-,tīz, -'drä-] -vt, n

(variant of melodramatize)

  1. to make melodramatic
    • melodramatize a situation
  2. to make a melodrama of (as a novel)

melo·dra·ma·tize [,me-lə-'dra-mə-,tīz, -'drä-] -vt, n

  1. to make melodramatic
    • melodramatize a situation
  2. to make a melodrama of (as a novel)

mel·o·dy ['me-lə-dē] -n, adj, adv

  1. a sweet or agreeable succession or arrangement of sounds : tunefulness
  2. a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole

mel·on ['me-lən] -n

  1. any of various typically sweet gourds (as a muskmelon or watermelon) usu. eaten raw as fruits
  2. : something rounded like a melon: as
  3. the rounded organ in the front of the head of some cetaceans
  4. large breasts
  5. a surplus of profits available for distribution to stockholders
  6. a financial windfall

melon baller -n

  1. a spoonlike utensil with a sharp edge used esp. for cutting ball-shaped pieces from the pulp of a fruit

mel·pha·lan ['mel-fə-,lan] -n

  1. an antineoplastic drug C 13H 18Cl 2N 2O 2

Mel·pom·e·ne [mel-'pä-mə-(,)nē] -n

  1. the Greek Muse of tragedy

melt ['melt] -vb, n, adj

  1. to become altered from a solid to a liquid state usu. by heat
  2. dissolve, disintegrate
    • the sugar melt ed in the coffee
  3. to disappear as if by dissolving
    • her anger melt ed at his kind words
  4. to become subdued or crushed (as by sorrow)
  5. to become mild, tender, or gentle
  6. to lose outline or distinctness : blend
  7. to reduce from a solid to a liquid state usu. by heat
  8. to cause to disappear or disperse
  9. to make tender or gentle : soften
  10. material in the molten state
  11. the mass melted at a single operation or the quantity melted during a specified period
  12. the action or process of melting or the period during which it occurs
    • the spring melt
  13. the condition of being melted
  14. a sandwich with melted cheese
    • a tuna melt
  15. spleen
  16. spleen of slaughtered animals for use as feed or food

melt·down ['melt-,dau̇n] -n

  1. the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor
  2. a rapid or disastrous decline or collapse
  3. a breakdown of self-control (as from fatigue or overstimulation)

melt down -vi

  1. to suffer a meltdown : collapse

melt·ing ['mel-tiŋ] -adj, adv

  1. tender, delicate
    • a love song's melting lyric

melting point -n

  1. the temperature at which a solid melts

melting pot -n, adj

  1. a place where a variety of races, cultures, or individuals assimilate into a cohesive whole
  2. the population of such a place
  3. a process of blending that often results in invigoration or novelty

mel·ton ['mel-tᵊn] -n

  1. a heavy smooth woolen fabric with short nap

melt·wa·ter ['melt-,wȯ-tər, -,wä-] -n

  1. water derived from the melting of ice and snow

mem ['mem] -n

  1. the 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet
  2. member
  3. memoir
  4. memorial

mem·ber ['mem-bər] -n

  1. : a body part or organ: as
  2. limb
  3. penis
  4. a unit of structure in a plant body
  5. one of the individuals composing a group
  6. a person baptized or enrolled in a church
  7. : a part of a whole: as
  8. a syntactic or rhythmic unit of a sentence : clause
  9. one of the propositions of a syllogism
  10. one of the elements of a set or class
  11. either of the equated elements in a mathematical equation

mem·bered ['mem-bərd] -adj

  1. made up of or divided into members

mem·ber·ship ['mem-bər-,ship] -n

  1. the state or status of being a member
  2. the body of members
    • an organization with a large membership
  3. the relation between an element of a set or class and the set or class

mem·brane ['mem-,brān] -n, adj

  1. a thin soft pliable sheet or layer esp. of animal or plant origin
  2. a piece of parchment forming part of a roll

mem·bra·nous ['mem-brə-nəs] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or resembling membrane
  2. thin, pliable, and often somewhat transparent
    • membranous leaves
  3. characterized or accompanied by the formation of a usu. abnormal membrane or membranous layer
    • membranous croup

membranous labyrinth -n

  1. the sensory structures of the inner ear

meme ['mēm] -n

  1. an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture

me·men·to [mə-'men-(,)tō, ÷mō-] -n

  1. something that serves to warn or remind
  2. souvenir

me·men·to mo·ri [mə-'men-tō-'mȯr-ē] -n

  1. a reminder of mortality
  2. death's-head

Mem·non ['mem-,nän] -n

  1. an Ethiopian king slain by Achilles at a late stage of the Trojan War

memo ['me-(,)mō] -n

  1. memorandum

mem·oir ['mem-,wär, -,wȯr] -n

  1. an official note or report : memorandum
  2. a narrative composed from personal experience
  3. autobiography usu. used in pl.
  4. biography
  5. an account of something noteworthy : report
  6. the record of the proceedings of a learned society

mem·o·ra·bil·ia [,me-mə-rə-'bi-lē-ə, -'bē-lē-ə, -'bil-yə] -n pl

  1. things that are remarkable and worthy of remembrance
  2. things that stir recollection or are valued or collected for their association with a particular field or interest : mementos
    • baseball memorabilia

mem·o·ra·bil·i·ty [-'bi-lə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being easy to remember or worth remembering

mem·o·ra·ble ['mem-rə-bəl, 'mə-mə-rə-, 'me-mər-] -adj, n, adv

  1. worth remembering : notable
    • a memorable occasion

mem·o·ran·dum [,me-mə-'ran-dəm] -n

  1. an informal record
  2. a written reminder
  3. an informal written note of a transaction or proposed instrument
  4. an informal diplomatic communication
  5. a usu. brief communication written for interoffice circulation
  6. a communication that contains directive, advisory, or informative matter

me·mo·ri·al [mə-'mȯr-ē-əl] -adj, adv

  1. serving to preserve remembrance : commemorative
  2. of or relating to memory

memorial -n

  1. : something that keeps remembrance alive: as
  2. monument
  3. something (as a speech or ceremony) that commemorates
  4. keepsake, memento
  5. record, memoir
    • language and literature...the memorial s of another age -- J. H. Fisher
  6. memorandum, note
  7. a legal abstract
  8. a statement of facts addressed to a government and often accompanied by a petition or remonstrance

Memorial Day -n

  1. May 30 formerly observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S. in remembrance of war dead
  2. the last Monday in May observed as a legal holiday in most states of the U.S.
  3. confederate memorial day

me·mo·ri·al·ise [-,līz] -vt, n

(variant of memorialize)

  1. to address or petition by a memorial
  2. commemorate

me·mo·ri·al·ist [mə-'mȯr-ē-ə-list] -n

  1. a person who writes or signs a memorial
  2. a person who writes a memoir

me·mo·ri·al·ize [-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to address or petition by a memorial
  2. commemorate

memorial park -n

  1. cemetery

me·mo·ri·ter [mə-'mȯr-ə-,ter, -'mär-] -adj

  1. marked by emphasis on memorization

mem·o·rise ['me-mə-,rīz] -vt, adj, n

(variant of memorize)

  1. to commit to memory : learn by heart

mem·o·rize ['me-mə-,rīz] -vt, adj, n

  1. to commit to memory : learn by heart

mem·o·ry ['mem-rē, 'me-mə-] -n

  1. the power or process of reproducing or recalling what has been learned and retained esp. through associative mechanisms
  2. the store of things learned and retained from an organism's activity or experience as evidenced by modification of structure or behavior or by recall and recognition
  3. commemorative remembrance
    • erected a statue in memory of the hero
  4. the fact or condition of being remembered
    • days of recent memory
  5. a particular act of recall or recollection
  6. an image or impression of one that is remembered
    • fond memories of her youth
  7. the time within which past events can be or are remembered
  8. a device (as a chip) or a component of a device in which information esp. for a computer can be inserted and stored and from which it may be extracted when wanted
  9. ram
  10. capacity for storing information
    • 512 megabytes of memory
  11. a capacity for showing effects as the result of past treatment or for returning to a former condition used esp. of a material (as metal or plastic)

memory foam -n

  1. a dense polyurethane foam that becomes more pliable when in contact with heat

memory lane -n

  1. an imaginary path through the nostalgically remembered past usu. used in such phrases as a walk down memory lane

memory trace -n

  1. engram

mem·sa·hib ['mem-,sä-,(h)ib, -,säb] -n

  1. a white foreign woman of high social status living in India
  2. the wife of a British official

men ['man, in compounds ,man or mən] -n, adj

(variant of man)

  1. an individual human
  2. an adult male human
  3. a man belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation) usu. used in combination
    • council man
  4. husband
  5. lover
  6. the human race : humankind
  7. a bipedal primate mammal ( Homo sapiens) that is anatomically related to the great apes but distinguished esp. by notable development of the brain with a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning, is usu. considered to form a variable number of freely interbreeding races, and is the sole living representative of the hominid family
  8. any living or extinct hominid
  9. one possessing in high degree the qualities considered distinctive of manhood
  10. the quality or state of being manly : manliness
  11. fellow, chap used as mode of familiar address
  12. used interjectionally to express intensity of feeling
    • man, what a game
  13. individual, person
    • a man could get killed there
  14. the individual who can fulfill or who has been chosen to fulfill one's requirements
    • she's your man
  15. a feudal tenant : vassal
  16. an adult male servant
  17. the working force as distinguished from the employer and usu. the management
  18. one of the distinctive objects moved by each player in various board games
  19. one of the players on a team
  20. an alumnus of or student at a college or university
    • a Bowdoin man
  21. the compound idea of infinite Spirit : the spiritual image and likeness of God : the full representation of Mind
  22. police
    • when I heard the siren, I knew it was the Man -- Amer. Speech
  23. the white establishment : white society
    • surprise that any black...should take on so about The Man -- Peter Goldman
  24. one extremely fond of or devoted to something specified
    • strictly a vanilla ice cream man
  25. to supply with people (as for service)
    • man a fleet
  26. to station members of a ship's crew at
    • man the capstan
  27. to serve in the force or complement of
    • man the ticket booth
  28. to accustom (as a hawk) to humans and the human environment
  29. to furnish with strength or powers of resistance : brace
  30. manual

men- -comb form

  1. menstruation
    • meno rrhagia

men·ace ['me-nəs] -n

  1. a show of intention to inflict harm : threat
  2. one that represents a threat : danger
  3. an annoying person

menace [-nə-siŋ-lē] -vb, adv

  1. to make a show of intention to harm
  2. to represent or pose a threat to : endanger
  3. to act in a threatening manner

men·a·di·one [,me-nə-'dī-,ōn, -dī-'] -n

  1. a yellow crystalline compound C 11H 8O 2with the biological activity of natural vitamin K

me·nage [mā-'näzh, mə-] -n

  1. a domestic establishment : household
  2. housekeeping

me·nage a trois [-ä-'t(r)wä] -n

  1. an arrangement in which three persons (as a married pair and the lover of one of the pair) share sexual relations esp. while living together

me·nag·er·ie [mə-'naj-rē, -'na-jə- also -'nazh-rē, -'na-zhə-] -n

  1. a place where animals are kept and trained esp. for exhibition
  2. a collection of wild or foreign animals kept esp. for exhibition
  3. a varied mixture
    • a menagerie of comedians -- TV Guide

men·ar·che ['me-,när-kē] -n, adj

  1. the beginning of the menstrual function
  2. the first menstrual period of an individual

mend ['mend] -vb, adj, n

  1. : to free from faults or defects: as
  2. to improve in manners or morals : reform
  3. to set right : correct
  4. to put into good shape or working order again : patch up : repair
  5. to improve or strengthen (as a relationship) by negotiation or conciliation used chiefly in the phrase mend fences
    • spends the weekend mend ing political fences -- E. O. Hauser
  6. to restore to health : cure
  7. to make amends or atonement for
    • least said, soonest mend ed
  8. to improve morally : reform
  9. to become corrected or improved
  10. to improve in health
  11. heal
  12. an act of mending : repair
  13. a mended place

men·da·cious [men-'dā-shəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth
    • mendacious tales of his adventures

men·dac·i·ty [men-'da-sə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being mendacious
  2. lie

Men·de ['men-dē, -dā] -n

  1. a Mande language of southern Sierra Leone and eastern Liberia
  2. a member of a people speaking Mende

men·de·le·vi·um [,men-də-'lē-vē-əm, -'lā-] -n

  1. a radioactive metallic element produced artificially

Men·de·lian [men-'dē-lē-ən, -'dēl-yən] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or according with Mendel's laws or Mendelism

Mendelian factor -n

  1. gene

Mendelian inheritance -n

  1. inheritance of characters specif. transmitted by genes in accord with Mendel's laws called also particulate inheritance

Men·del·ism ['men-dᵊl-,i-zəm] -n, adj or n

  1. the principles or the operations of Mendel's laws
  2. Mendelian inheritance

Men·del's law ['men-dᵊlz-] -n

  1. a principle in genetics: hereditary units occur in pairs that separate during gamete formation so that every gamete receives but one member of a pair called also law of segregation
  2. a principle in genetics limited and modified by the subsequent discovery of the phenomenon of linkage: the different pairs of hereditary units are distributed to the gametes independently of each other, the gametes combine at random, and the various combinations of hereditary pairs occur in the zygotes according to the laws of chance called also law of independent assortment
  3. a principle in genetics proved subsequently to be subject to many limitations: because one of each pair of hereditary units dominates the other in expression, characters are inherited alternatively on an all-or-nothing basis called also law of dominance

men·di·can·cy ['men-di-kən(t)-sē] -n

  1. the condition of being a beggar
  2. the practice of begging

men·di·cant ['men-di-kənt] -n, adj

  1. beggar
  2. a member of a religious order (as the Franciscans) combining monastic life and outside religious activity and orig. owning neither personal nor community property : friar

men·dic·i·ty [men-'di-sə-tē] -n

  1. mendicancy

Men·e·la·us [,me-nə-'lā-əs] -n

  1. a king of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon, and husband of the abducted Helen of Troy

men·folk ['men-,fōk] -n pl

  1. men in general
  2. the men of a family or community

MEng -abbr

  1. master of engineering

men·ha·den [men-'hā-dᵊn, mən-] -n

  1. a marine fish ( Brevoortia tyrannus) of the herring family abundant along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. where it is used for bait or converted into oil and fertilizer
  2. any of several congeneric fishes

men·hir ['men-,hir] -n

  1. a single upright rough monolith usu. of prehistoric origin

me·nial ['mē-nē-əl, -nyəl] -n

  1. a person doing menial work
  2. a domestic servant or retainer

menial -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to servants : lowly
  2. appropriate to a servant : humble, servile
    • answered in menial tones
  3. lacking interest or dignity
    • a menial task

Me·niere's disease [mən-'yerz-, 'men-yərz-] -n

  1. a disorder of the membranous labyrinth of the inner ear that is marked by recurrent attacks of dizziness, tinnitus, and hearing loss called also Meniere's syndrome

mening- -comb form

  1. meninges
    • meningo coccus
    • mening itis
  2. meninges and
    • meningo encephalitis

men·in·ge·al [,me-nən-'jē-əl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or affecting the meninges

meninges ['mē-niŋ(k)s, 'me-] -n

(variant of meninx)

  1. any of the three membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord

me·nin·gi·o·ma [mə-,nin-jē-'ō-mə] -n

  1. a slow-growing encapsulated typically benign tumor arising from the meninges and often causing damage by pressing upon the brain and adjacent parts

men·in·gi·tis [,me-nən-'jī-təs] -n, adj

  1. inflammation of the meninges and esp. of the pia mater and the arachnoid
  2. a disease marked by inflammation of the meninges that is either a relatively mild illness caused by a virus (as various Coxsackie viruses) or a more severe life-threatening illness caused by a bacterium (as the meningococcus)

me·nin·go·coc·cus [mə-,niŋ-gə-'kä-kəs, -,nin-jə-] -n, adj

  1. the bacterium ( Neisseria meningitidis) that causes cerebrospinal meningitis

me·nin·go·en·ceph·a·li·tis [-gō-ən-,se-fə-'lī-təs, -jō-] -n, adj

  1. inflammation of the brain and meninges

me·ninx ['mē-niŋ(k)s, 'me-] -n

  1. any of the three membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord

me·nis·cus [mə-'nis-kəs] -n

  1. a crescent or crescent-shaped body
  2. a concavo-convex lens
  3. the curved upper surface of a column of liquid
  4. a fibrous cartilage within a joint esp. of the knee

Men·no·nite ['me-nə-,nīt] -n

  1. a member of any of various Protestant groups derived from the Anabaptist movement in Holland and characterized by congregational autonomy and rejection of military service

me·no mos·so [,mā-nō-'mȯ(s)-(,)sō] -adv

  1. less rapid used as a direction in music

men·o·pause ['me-nə-,pȯz, 'mē-] -n, adj

  1. the natural cessation of menstruation that usu. occurs between the ages of 45 and 55
  2. the period during which such cessation occurs called also climacteric
  3. cessation of menstruation from other than natural causes

me·no·rah [mə-'nȯr-ə] -n

  1. a candelabra with seven or nine lights that is used in Jewish worship

men·or·rha·gia [,me-nə-'rā-j(ē-)ə, -'rā-zhə; -'rä-jə, -zhə] -n

  1. abnormally profuse menstrual flow

men·sal ['men(t)-səl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or done at the table

mensch ['men(t)sh] -n, adj

  1. a person of integrity and honor

mense ['men(t)s] -n, adj

  1. propriety

men·ses ['men-(,)sēz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. the menstrual flow

Men·she·vik ['men(t)-shə-,vik, -,vēk] -n, n or adj

  1. a member of a wing of the Russian Social Democratic party before and during the Russian Revolution believing in the gradual achievement of socialism by parliamentary methods in opposition to the Bolsheviks

mens rea ['menz-'rē-ə, -'rā-ə] -n

  1. criminal intent

men's room -n

  1. a room equipped with one or more sinks, toilets, and usu. urinals for the use of men and boys

men·stru·al ['men(t)-strü-əl, -strəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to menstruation

menstrual cycle -n

  1. the cycle of physiological changes from the beginning of one menstrual period to the beginning of the next

men·stru·ate ['men(t)-strü-,wāt, 'men-,strāt] -vi

  1. to undergo menstruation

men·stru·a·tion [,men(t)-strü-'wā-shən, men-'strā-] -n

  1. a discharging of blood, secretions, and tissue debris from the uterus that recurs in nonpregnant breeding-age primate females at approximately monthly intervals and that is considered to represent a readjustment of the uterus to the nonpregnant state following proliferative changes accompanying the preceding ovulation
  2. period

men·stru·um ['men(t)-strü-əm, -strəm] -n

  1. a substance that dissolves a solid or holds it in suspension : solvent

men·su·ra·ble ['men(t)s-rə-bəl, 'men(t)sh-; 'men(t)-sə-rə-, -shə-] -adj, n

  1. capable of being measured : measurable
  2. mensural

men·su·ral ['men(t)s-rəl, 'men(t)sh-; 'men(t)-sə-rəl, -shə-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being polyphonic music originating in the 13th century with each note having a definite and exact time value
  2. of or relating to measure

men·su·ra·tion [,men(t)-sə-'rā-shən, -shə-] -n

  1. the act of measuring : measurement
  2. geometry applied to the computation of lengths, areas, or volumes from given dimensions or angles

mens·wear ['menz-,wer] -n

  1. clothing for men

men·tal ['men-tᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to the mind
  2. of or relating to the total emotional and intellectual response of an individual to external reality
    • mental health
  3. of or relating to intellectual as contrasted with emotional activity
  4. of, relating to, or being intellectual as contrasted with overt physical activity
  5. occurring or experienced in the mind : inner
    • mental anguish
  6. relating to the mind, its activity, or its products as an object of study : ideological
  7. relating to spirit or idea as opposed to matter
  8. of, relating to, or affected by a psychiatric disorder
    • a mental patient
  9. mentally disordered : mad, crazy
  10. intended for the care or treatment of persons affected by psychiatric disorders
    • mental hospitals
  11. of or relating to telepathic or mind-reading powers

mental -adj

  1. of or relating to the chin : genial

mental age -n

  1. a measure used in psychological testing that expresses an individual's mental attainment in terms of the number of years it takes an average child to reach the same level

mental deficiency -n

  1. mental retardation

mental health day -n

  1. a day that an employee takes off from work in order to relieve stress or renew vitality

men·tal·ist ['men-tə-list] -n

  1. mind reader

men·tal·is·tic [,men-tə-'lis-tik] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to any school of psychology or psychiatry that in contrast to behaviorism values subjective data (as those gained by introspection) in the study and explanation of behavior
  2. of or relating to mental phenomena

men·tal·i·ty [men-'ta-lə-tē] -n

  1. mental power or capacity : intelligence
  2. mode or way of thought : outlook
    • the imperialist mentality of the nineteenth century -- John Davies

mental retardation -n, adj

  1. subaverage intellectual ability equivalent to or less than an IQ of 70 that is accompanied by significant deficits in abilities (as in communication or self-care) necessary for independent daily functioning, is present from birth or infancy, and is manifested esp. by delayed or abnormal development, by learning difficulties, and by problems in social adjustment

men·ta·tion [men-'tā-shən] -n

  1. mental activity

men·tee [men-'tē] -n

  1. one who is being mentored : protege

men·thol ['men-,thȯl, -,thōl] -n

  1. a crystalline alcohol C 10H 20O that occurs esp. in mint oils and has the odor and cooling properties of peppermint
  2. mentholated cigarettes

men·tho·lat·ed ['men(t)-thə-,lā-təd] -adj

  1. containing or impregnated with menthol
    • a mentholated salve

men·tion ['men(t)-shən] -n

  1. the act or an instance of citing or calling attention to someone or something esp. in a casual or incidental manner
  2. formal citation for outstanding achievement

mention ['men(t)-sh(ə-)niŋ] -vt, adj, n

  1. to make mention of : refer to
  2. to cite for outstanding achievement

men·tor ['men-,tȯr, -tər] -n

  1. a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus' son Telemachus
  2. a trusted counselor or guide
  3. tutor, coach

mentor -vt

  1. to serve as a mentor for : tutor

men·tum ['men-təm] -n

  1. a median plate of the labium of an insect

menu ['men-(,)yü, 'mān-] -n

  1. a list of the dishes that may be ordered (as in a restaurant) or that are to be served (as at a banquet)
  2. a comparable list or assortment of offerings
    • a menu of television programs
  3. a list shown on the display of a computer from which a user can select the operation the computer is to perform
  4. the dishes available for or served at a meal
  5. the meal itself

me·nu·do [mə-'nü-dō, me-'nü-thō] -n

  1. a tripe stew seasoned with chili peppers

menudriv·en [-,dri-vən] -adj

  1. relating to or being a computer program in which options are offered to the user via menus

me·ow [mē-'au̇] -n, vi

  1. the cry of a cat
  2. a spiteful or malicious remark

MEP -abbr

  1. member of the European Parliament

me·per·i·dine [mə-'per-ə-,dēn] -n

  1. a synthetic narcotic drug C 15H 21NO 2used in the form of its hydrochloride as an analgesic, sedative, and antispasmodic

Meph·is·toph·e·les [,me-fə-'stä-fə-,lēz] -n, adj

  1. a chief devil in the Faust legend

me·phit·ic [mə-'fi-tik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or resembling mephitis : foul-smelling
    • mephitic vapors

me·phi·tis [mə-'fī-təs] -n

  1. a noxious, pestilential, or foul exhalation from the earth
  2. stench

mep·ro·bam·ate [,me-prō-'ba-,māt] -n

  1. a bitter carbamate C 9H 18N 2O 4used as a tranquilizer

mer -abbr

  1. meridian

mer·bro·min [,mər-'brō-mən] -n

  1. a green crystalline mercurial compound C 20H 8Br 2HgNa 2O 6used as a topical antiseptic and germicide in the form of its red solution

merc ['mərk, 'mərs] -n

  1. mercenary

Mer·cal·li scale [mer-'kä-lē-, (,)mər-] -n

  1. a scale of earthquake intensity ranging from I for an earthquake detected only by seismographs to XII for one causing total destruction of all buildings

mer·can·tile ['mər-kən-,tēl, -,tī(-ə)l] -adj

  1. of or relating to merchants or trading
  2. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of mercantilism
    • mercantile system

mer·can·til·ism [-,tē-,li-zəm, -,tī-, -tə-] -n, n or adj, adj

  1. the theory or practice of mercantile pursuits : commercialism
  2. an economic system developing during the decay of feudalism to unify and increase the power and esp. the monetary wealth of a nation by a strict governmental regulation of the entire national economy usu. through policies designed to secure an accumulation of bullion, a favorable balance of trade, the development of agriculture and manufactures, and the establishment of foreign trading monopolies

mer·cap·tan [(,)mər-'kap-,tan] -n

  1. thiol

mer·cap·to·pu·rine [(,)mər-,kap-tə-'pyu̇r-,ēn] -n

  1. an antimetabolite C 5H 4N 4S that interferes esp. with the metabolism of purine bases and the biosynthesis of nucleic acids and that is sometimes used in the treatment of acute leukemia

Mer·ca·tor [(,)mər-'kā-tər] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or drawn on the Mercator projection

Mercator projection -n

  1. a conformal map projection of which the meridians are usu. drawn parallel to each other and the parallels of latitude are straight lines whose distance from each other increases with their distance from the equator

mer·ce·nary ['mər-sə-,ner-ē, -ne-rē] -n

  1. one that serves merely for wages
  2. a soldier hired into foreign service

mercenary [,mər-sə-'ner-ə-lē, -'ne-rə-] -adj, adv, n

  1. serving merely for pay or sordid advantage : venal
  2. greedy
  3. hired for service in the army of a foreign country

mer·cer ['mər-sər] -n

  1. a dealer in usu. expensive fabrics

mer·cer·ise ['mər-sə-,rīz] -vt, n

(variant of mercerize)

  1. to give (as cotton yarn) luster, strength, and receptiveness to dyes by treatment under tension with caustic soda

mer·cer·ize ['mər-sə-,rīz] -vt, n

  1. to give (as cotton yarn) luster, strength, and receptiveness to dyes by treatment under tension with caustic soda

mer·cery ['mərs-rē, 'mər-sə-] -n

  1. a mercer's wares, shop, or occupation

merch ['mərch] -n

  1. merchandise

mer·chan·dise ['mər-chən-,dīz, -,dīs] -n

  1. the occupation of a merchant : trade
  2. the commodities or goods that are bought and sold in business : wares
  3. to carry on commerce : trade
  4. to buy and sell in business
  5. to promote for or as if for sale
    • merchandise a movie star

merchandising -n

  1. sales promotion as a comprehensive function including market research, development of new products, coordination of manufacture and marketing, and effective advertising and selling

mer·chant ['mər-chənt] -n, adj

  1. a buyer and seller of commodities for profit : trader
  2. the operator of a retail business : storekeeper
  3. one that is noted for a particular quality or activity : specialist
    • a speed merchant on the base paths

merchant -vi

  1. to deal or trade as a merchant
  2. to deal or trade in

mer·chant·able ['mər-chən-tə-bəl] -adj, n

  1. of commercially acceptable quality : salable

merchant bank -n

  1. a bank that specializes in bankers' acceptances and in underwriting or syndicating equity or bond issues

mer·chant·man ['mər-chənt-mən] -n

  1. merchant
  2. a ship used in commerce

merchant marine -n

  1. the privately or publicly owned commercial ships of a nation
  2. the personnel of a merchant marine
  3. a member of a merchant marine

merchant ship -n

  1. merchantman

Mer·cian ['mər-sh(ē-)ən] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Mercia
  2. the Old English dialect of Mercia

mer·ci·ful ['mər-si-fəl] -adj, n

  1. full of mercy : compassionate
    • a merciful ruler
  2. providing relief
    • a merciful end

mer·ci·ful·ly [-f(ə-)lē] -adv

  1. in a merciful manner
  2. fortunately
    • mercifully we didn't have to attend the meeting

mer·ci·less ['mər-si-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having or showing no mercy : pitiless

mer·cu·ri·al [(,)mər-'kyu̇r-ē-əl] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or born under the planet Mercury
  2. having qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury or to the influence of the planet Mercury
  3. characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood
    • a mercurial temper
  4. of, relating to, containing, or caused by mercury

mercurial -n

  1. a pharmaceutical or chemical containing mercury

mer·cu·ric [(,)mər-'kyu̇r-ik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or containing mercury
  2. containing mercury with a valence of two

mercuric chloride -n

  1. a heavy crystalline poisonous compound HgCl 2used as a disinfectant and fungicide and in photography

Mer·cu·ro·chrome [(,)mər-'kyu̇r-ə-,krōm] -trademark

  1. used for merbromin

mer·cu·rous [(,)mər-'kyu̇r-əs, 'mər-kyə-rəs] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or containing mercury
  2. containing mercury with a valence of one

mercurous chloride -n

  1. calomel

mer·cu·ry ['mər-kyə-rē, -k(ə-)rē] -n

  1. a Roman god of commerce, eloquence, travel, cunning, and theft who serves as messenger to the other gods
  2. a bearer of messages or news or a conductor of travelers
  3. a silver-white poisonous heavy metallic element that is liquid at ordinary temperatures and is used esp. in batteries, in dental amalgam, and in scientific instruments called also quicksilver
  4. the column of mercury in a thermometer or barometer
  5. temperature
    • the mercury rose above 70 degrees
  6. the planet nearest the sun

mercury chloride -n

  1. : a chloride of mercury: as
  2. calomel
  3. mercuric chloride

mercuryvapor lamp -n

  1. an electric lamp in which the discharge takes place through mercury vapor called also mercury lamp

mer·cy ['mər-sē] -n, adj

  1. compassion or forbearance shown esp. to an offender or to one subject to one's power
  2. lenient or compassionate treatment
    • begged for mercy
  3. imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
  4. a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
  5. a fortunate circumstance
    • it was a mercy they found her before she froze
  6. compassionate treatment of those in distress
    • works of mercy among the poor

mercy killing -n

  1. euthanasia

merde ['merd] -n

  1. crap

mere ['mir] -n

  1. an expanse of standing water : lake, pool
  2. boundary
  3. landmark
  4. having no admixture : pure
  5. being nothing less than : absolute
  6. being nothing more than
    • a mere mortal
    • a mere hint of spice

me·ren·gue [mə-'reŋ-(,)gā] -n

  1. a ballroom dance of Haitian and Dominican origin in 2/4 time in which one foot is dragged on every step
  2. the music for a merengue

mer·e·tri·cious [,mer-ə-'tri-shəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. of or relating to a prostitute : having the nature of prostitution
    • meretricious relationships
  2. tawdrily and falsely attractive
    • the paradise they found was a piece of meretricious trash -- Carolyn See
  3. superficially significant : pretentious
    • scholarly names to provide fig-leaves of respectability for meretricious but stylish books -- Times Lit. Supp.

mer·gan·ser [(,)mər-'gan(t)-sər] -n

  1. any of various fish-eating diving ducks (esp. genus Mergus) with a slender bill hooked at the end and serrated along the margins and usu. a crested head

merge ['mərj] -vb, n

  1. to plunge or engulf in something : immerse
  2. to cause to combine, unite, or coalesce
  3. to blend gradually by stages that blur distinctions
  4. to become combined into one
  5. to blend or come together without abrupt change
    • merging traffic

merg·er ['mər-jər] -n

  1. the absorption of an estate, a contract, or an interest in another, of a minor offense in a greater, or of a cause of action into a judgment
  2. the act or process of merging
  3. absorption by a corporation of one or more others
  4. any of various methods of combining two or more organizations (as business concerns)

me·rid·i·an [mə-'ri-dē-ən] -n, adj

  1. the hour of noon : midday
  2. a great circle of the celestial sphere passing through its poles and the zenith of a given place
  3. a high point
  4. a great circle on the surface of the earth passing through the poles
  5. the half of such a circle included between the poles
  6. a representation of such a circle or half circle numbered for longitude on a map or globe
  7. any of the pathways along which the body's vital energy flows according to the theory behind acupuncture

me·rid·i·o·nal [mə-'ri-dē-ə-nᵊl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or situated in the south : southern
  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of people living in the south esp. of France
  3. of, relating to, or situated on or along a meridian

meridional -n

  1. a native or inhabitant of southern Europe and esp. southern France

me·ringue [mə-'raŋ] -n

  1. a dessert topping consisting of a baked mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar
  2. a shell made of meringue and filled with fruit or ice cream

me·ri·no [mə-'rē-(,)nō] -n, adj

  1. any of a breed of fine-wooled white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality
  2. a soft wool or wool and cotton clothing fabric resembling cashmere
  3. a fine wool and cotton yarn used for hosiery and knitwear

mer·i·stem ['mer-ə-,stem] -n, adj, adv

  1. a formative plant tissue usu. made up of small cells capable of dividing indefinitely and giving rise to similar cells or to cells that differentiate to produce the definitive tissues and organs

me·ris·tic [mə-'ris-tik] -adj, adv

  1. segmental
  2. involving modification in number or in geometrical relation of body parts
    • meristic variation in petals

mer·it ['mer-ət, 'me-rət] -n, adj

  1. reward or punishment due
  2. the qualities or actions that constitute the basis of one's deserts
  3. a praiseworthy quality : virtue
  4. character or conduct deserving reward, honor, or esteem
  5. achievement
  6. spiritual credit held to be earned by performance of righteous acts and to ensure future benefits
  7. the substance of a legal case apart from matters of jurisdiction, procedure, or form
  8. individual significance or justification

merit -vt

  1. to be worthy of or entitled or liable to : earn
  2. to be entitled to reward or honor
  3. deserve

mer·i·toc·ra·cy [,mer-ə-'tä-krə-sē] -n, adj

  1. a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement
  2. leadership selected on the basis of intellectual criteria

mer·it·o·crat ['mer-ə-tə-,krat] -n

  1. a person who advances through a meritocratic system

mer·i·to·ri·ous [,mer-ə-'tȯr-ē-əs] -adj, adv, n

  1. deserving of honor or esteem

merit system -n

  1. a system by which appointments and promotions in the civil service are based on competence rather than political favoritism

merle ['mər(-ə)l] -n

  1. blackbird
  2. a bluish or reddish gray mixed with splotches of black that is the color of the coats of some dogs

mer·lin ['mər-lən] -n

  1. a small compact falcon ( Falco columbarius) of the northern hemisphere having a broad dark terminal band on the tail and upperparts that are slate blue in males and brown in females

Mer·lin ['mər-lən] -n

  1. a prophet and magician in Arthurian legend

mer·lon ['mər-lən] -n

  1. any of the solid intervals between crenellations of a battlement

mer·lot [mer-'lō, mər-] -n

  1. a dry red wine made from a widely grown grape orig. used in the Bordeaux region of France for blending
  2. the grape itself

mer·maid ['mər-,mād] -n

  1. a fabled marine creature with the head and upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish

mer·man [-,man, -mən] -n

  1. a fabled marine creature with the head and upper body of a man and the tail of a fish

mero- -comb form

  1. part : partial
    • mero blastic

mer·o·blas·tic [,mer-ə-'blas-tik] -adj, adv

  1. characterized by incomplete cleavage as a result of the presence of a mass of yolk material

mer·o·crine ['mer-ə-krən, -,krīn, -,krēn] -adj

  1. producing a secretion that is discharged without major damage to the secretory cells
  2. produced by a merocrine gland

mer·o·mor·phic [,mer-ə-'mȯr-fik] -adj

  1. relating to or being a function of a complex variable that is analytic everywhere in a region except for singularities at each of which infinity is the limit and each of which is contained in a neighborhood where the function is analytic except for the singular point itself

mer·o·my·o·sin [,mer-ə-'mī-ə-sən] -n

  1. either of two structural subunits of myosin that are obtained esp. by tryptic digestion

Mer·o·vin·gian [,mer-ə-'vin-j(ē-)ən] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to the first Frankish dynasty reigning from about a.d.500 to 751

mer·o·zo·ite [,mer-ə-'zō-,īt] -n

  1. a sporozoan trophozoite produced by schizogony that is capable of initiating a new sexual or asexual cycle of development

mer·ri·ment ['mer-i-mənt, 'me-ri-] -n

  1. lighthearted gaiety or fun-making : hilarity
  2. a lively celebration or party : festivity

mer·ry ['mer-ē, 'me-rē] -adj, adv, n

  1. giving pleasure : delightful
  2. full of gaiety or high spirits : mirthful
  3. marked by festivity or gaiety
  4. quick, brisk
    • a merry pace

mer·ryan·drew [,mer-ē-'an-(,)drü] -n

  1. a person who clowns publicly

mer·rygoround ['mer-ē-gō-,rau̇nd, -gə-] -n

  1. an amusement park ride with seats often in the form of animals (as horses) revolving about a fixed center
  2. a cycle of activity that is complex, fast-paced, or difficult to break out of
    • the corporate merrygoround

mer·ry·mak·er ['mer-ē-,mā-kər] -n

  1. reveler

mer·ry·mak·ing [-kiŋ] -n

  1. gay or festive activity : conviviality
  2. a convivial occasion : festivity

mer·ry·thought ['mer-ē-,thȯt] -n

  1. wishbone

merry widow -n

  1. a strapless corset or bustier usu. having garters attached

Mer·thi·o·late [(,)mər-'thī-ə-,lāt, -lət] -trademark

  1. used for thimerosal

mes- -comb form

  1. mid : in the middle
    • meso carp
  2. intermediate (as in size or type)
    • meso morph
    • mes on

me·sa ['mā-sə] -n

  1. an isolated relatively flat-topped natural elevation usu. more extensive than a butte and less extensive than a plateau
  2. a broad terrace with an abrupt slope on one side : bench

mes·al·liance [,mā-,zal-'yäⁿs, ,mā-zə-'lī-ən(t)s] -n

  1. a marriage with a person of inferior social position

mes·arch ['me-,zärk, 'mē-, -,särk] -adj

  1. having metaxylem developed both internal and external to the protoxylem

mes·cal [me-'skal, mə-] -n

  1. peyote
  2. a usu. colorless Mexican liquor distilled esp. from the central leaves of maguey plants
  3. a plant from which mescal is produced
  4. maguey

mescal button -n

  1. peyote button

Mes·ca·le·ro [,mes-kə-'ler-(,)ō] -n

  1. a member of an Apache people of Texas and New Mexico

mes·ca·line ['mes-kə-lən, -,lēn] -n

  1. a hallucinatory crystalline alkaloid C 11H 17NO 3that is the chief active principle in peyote buttons

mes·clun ['mes-klən] -n

  1. a mixture of young tender greens (as lettuces, arugula, and chicory)
  2. a salad made with mesclun

mesdames ['ma-dəm] -n

(variant of madam)

  1. lady used without a name as a form of respectful or polite address to a woman
  2. mistress used as a title formerly with the given name but now with the surname or esp. with a designation of rank or office
    • Madam Chairman
    • Madam President
  3. the female head of a house of prostitution
  4. the female head of a household : wife

mesdemoiselles [,mad-mwə-'zel, ,ma-də-, -mə-'zel, sometimes mam-'zel] -n

(variant of mademoiselle)

  1. an unmarried French girl or woman used as a title equivalent to Miss for an unmarried woman not of English-speaking nationality
  2. a French governess
  3. silver perch

me·seems [mi-'sēmz] -vb impersonal

  1. it seems to me

me·sem·bry·an·the·mum [mə-,zem-brē-'an(t)-thə-məm] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Mesembryanthemum) of chiefly southern African fleshy-leaved herbs or subshrubs of the carpetweed family

mes·en·ceph·a·lon [,me-,zen-'se-fə-,län, ,mē-, -zᵊn-, -,sen-, -sᵊn-, -lən] -n, adj

  1. midbrain

mes·en·chy·mal [mə-'zeŋ-kə-məl, -'seŋ-; ,me-zᵊn-'kī-məl, ,mē-, -sᵊn-] -adj

  1. of, resembling, or being mesenchyme

mes·en·chyme ['me-zᵊn-,kīm, 'mē-, -sᵊn-] -n

  1. loosely organized undifferentiated mostly mesodermal cells that give rise to such structures as connective tissues, blood, lymphatics, bone, and cartilage

mes·en·ter·on [(,)me-'zen-tə-,rän, ,mē-, -'sen-, -rən] -n

  1. the part of the alimentary canal that is developed from the archenteron and is lined with hypoblast

mes·en·tery ['me-zᵊn-,ter-ē, -sᵊn-] -n, adj

  1. one or more vertebrate membranes that consist of a double fold of the peritoneum and invest the intestines and their appendages and connect them with the dorsal wall of the abdominal cavity
  2. a fold of membrane comparable to a mesentery and supporting a viscus (as the heart) that is not a part of the digestive tract
  3. a support or partition in an invertebrate like the vertebrate mesentery

mesh ['mesh] -n, adj

  1. one of the openings between the threads or cords of a net
  2. one of the similar spaces in a network often used to designate screen size as the number of openings per linear inch
  3. the fabric of a net
  4. a woven, knit, or knotted material of open texture with evenly spaced holes
  5. an arrangement of interlocking metal links used esp. for jewelry
  6. a weblike pattern or construction
  7. web, snare usu. used in pl.
  8. working contact (as of the teeth of gears)
    • in mesh
  9. enmesh, entangle
  10. to catch in the openings of a net
  11. to cause to resemble network
  12. to cause (as gears) to engage
  13. to coordinate closely : interlock
  14. to become entangled in or as if in meshes
  15. to be in or come into mesh used esp. of gears
  16. to fit or work together properly

me·shuga [mə-'shu̇-gə] -adj

  1. crazy, foolish

me·shug·gen·er [-'shu̇-gə-nər] -n

  1. a foolish or crazy person

mesh·work ['mesh-,wərk] -n

  1. network
    • a vascular meshwork

me·si·al ['mē-zē-əl, -sē-] -adj, adv

  1. middle, median
  2. of, relating to, or being the surface of a tooth that is next to the tooth in front of it or that is closest to the middle of the front of the jaw

me·sic ['me-zik, 'mē-, -sik] -adj

  1. characterized by, relating to, or requiring a moderate amount of moisture
    • a mesic habitat
    • a mesic plant

mesic -adj

  1. of or relating to a meson

mes·mer·ic [mez-'mer-ik also mes-] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or induced by mesmerism
  2. fascinating, irresistible

mes·mer·ise [-mə-,rīz] -vt, n

(variant of mesmerize)

  1. to subject to mesmerism
  2. hypnotize
  3. spellbind

mes·mer·ism ['mez-mə-,ri-zəm also 'mes-] -n

  1. hypnotic induction held to involve animal magnetism
  2. hypnotism
  3. hypnotic appeal

mes·mer·ize [-mə-,rīz] -vt, n

  1. to subject to mesmerism
  2. hypnotize
  3. spellbind

mesne ['mēn] -adj

  1. intermediate, intervening used in law

mesne lord -n

  1. a feudal lord who holds land as tenant of a superior (as a king) but who is lord to his own tenant

me·so·carp ['me-zə-,kärp, 'mē-, -sə-] -n

  1. the middle layer of a pericarp

me·so·cy·clone [,me-zə-'sī-,klōn, ,mē-, -sə-'sī-] -n

  1. a rapidly rotating air mass within a thunderstorm that often gives rise to a tornado

me·so·derm ['me-zə-,dərm, 'mē-, -sə-] -n, adj

  1. the middle of the three primary germ layers of an embryo that is the source of many bodily tissues and structures (as bone, muscle, connective tissue, and dermis)
  2. tissue derived from this germ layer

me·so·glea [,me-zə-'glē-ə, ,mē-, -sə-] -n

  1. a gelatinous substance between the endoderm and ectoderm of sponges or coelenterates

Me·so·lith·ic [,me-zə-'li-thik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a transitional period of the Stone Age between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic

me·so·mere ['me-zə-,mir, 'mē-, -sə-] -n

  1. a blastomere of medium size
  2. an intermediate part of the mesoderm

me·so·morph ['me-zə-,mȯrf, 'mē-, -sə-] -n

  1. a mesomorphic body or person

me·so·mor·phic [,me-zə-'mȯr-fik, ,mē-, -sə-] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to the component in W. H. Sheldon's classification of body types that measures esp. the degree of muscularity and bone development
  2. having a husky muscular body build

me·son ['me-,zän, 'mā-, 'mē-, -,sän] -n, adj

  1. any of a group of fundamental particles (as the pion and kaon) made up of a quark and an antiquark that are subject to the strong force and have zero or an integer number of quantum units of spin

me·so·neph·ros [,me-zə-'ne-frəs, ,mē-, -sə-, -,fräs] -n, adj

  1. either member of the second and midmost of the three paired vertebrate renal organs that functions in adult fishes and amphibians but functions only in the embryo of reptiles, birds, and mammals in which it is replaced by a metanephros in the adult

me·so·pause ['me-zə-,pȯz, 'mē-, -sə-] -n

  1. the upper boundary of the mesosphere where the temperature of the atmosphere reaches its lowest point

me·so·pe·lag·ic [,me-zə-pə-'la-jik, ,mē-, -sə-] -adj

  1. of or relating to oceanic depths from about 600 feet to 3000 feet (200 to 1000 meters)

me·so·phyll ['me-zə-,fil, 'mē-, -sə-] -n, adj

  1. the parenchyma between the epidermal layers of a foliage leaf

me·so·phyte ['me-zə-,fīt, 'mē-, -sə-] -n, adj

  1. a plant that grows under medium conditions of moisture

me·so·scale ['me-zə-,skāl, 'mē-, -sə-] -adj

  1. of intermediate size
  2. of or relating to a meteorological phenomenon approximately 10 to 1000 kilometers in horizontal extent
    • mesoscale cloud pattern

me·so·some [-,sōm] -n

  1. an organelle of bacteria that appears as an invagination of the plasma membrane and functions either in DNA replication and cell division or excretion of exoenzymes

me·so·sphere [-,sfir] -n, adj

  1. the part of the earth's atmosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere in which temperature decreases with altitude to the atmosphere's absolute minimum

me·so·the·li·o·ma [,me-zə-,thē-lē-'ō-mə, ,mē-, -sə-] -n

  1. a usu. malignant tumor derived from mesothelial tissue (as that lining the peritoneum or pleura)

me·so·the·li·um [-'thē-lē-əm] -n, adj

  1. epithelium derived from mesoderm that lines the body cavity of a vertebrate embryo and gives rise to epithelia (as of the peritoneum, pericardium, and pleura), striated muscle, heart muscle, and several minor structures

me·so·tho·rac·ic [-thə-'ra-sik] -adj

  1. of or relating to the mesothorax

me·so·tho·rax [-'thȯr-,aks] -n

  1. the middle of the three segments of the thorax of an insect

me·so·tro·phic [,me-zə-'trō-fik, ,mē-, -sə-, -'trä-fik] -adj

  1. having a moderate amount of dissolved nutrients

Me·so·zo·ic [-'zō-ik] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or being an era of geological history comprising the interval between the Permian and the Tertiary or the corresponding system of rocks that was marked by the presence of dinosaurs, marine and flying reptiles, ammonites, ferns, and gymnosperms and the appearance of angiosperms, mammals, and birds

mes·quite [mə-'skēt, me-] -n

  1. any of several spiny leguminous trees or shrubs (genus Prosopisand esp. P. glandulosa) chiefly of the southwestern U.S. that often form extensive thickets and have sweet pods eaten by livestock
  2. the wood of the mesquite used esp. in grilling food

mess ['mes] -n

  1. : a quantity of food:
  2. food set on a table at one time
  3. a prepared dish of soft food
  4. a mixture of ingredients cooked or eaten together
  5. enough food of a specified kind for a dish or a meal
    • picked a mess of peas for dinner
  6. a group of persons who regularly take their meals together
  7. a meal so taken
  8. a place where meals are regularly served to a group : mess hall
  9. a disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant state or condition
    • your room is in a mess
  10. one that is disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant usu. because of blundering, laxity, or misconduct
    • the movie is a mess, as sloppy in concept as it is in execution -- Judith Crist
  11. a large quantity or number
  12. to provide with meals at a mess
  13. to make dirty or untidy : disarrange often used with up
    • don't mess up your room
  14. to mix up : bungle often used with up
    • really mess ed up my life
  15. to interfere with often used with up
    • magnetic storms that mess up communications -- Time
  16. to rough up : manhandle often used with up
    • mess him up good so he won't cheat us again
  17. to take meals with a mess
  18. to make a mess
  19. putter, trifle
    • children like to mess around with paints
  20. to handle or play with something esp. carelessly
    • don't mess with my camera
    often used with around
  21. to take an active interest in something or someone
    • mess ing around with new video techniques
  22. interfere, meddle
    • mess ing in other people's affairs
    • you'd better not mess with me
  23. to become confused or make an error usu. used with up

mes·sage ['me-sij] -n

  1. a communication in writing, in speech, or by signals
  2. a messenger's mission
  3. an underlying theme or idea

message -vb

  1. to send as a message or by messenger
  2. to send a message to
  3. to communicate by message

message board -n

  1. bulletin board

mes·sa·line [,me-sə-'lēn] -n

  1. a soft lightweight silk dress fabric with a satin weave

mes·san ['me-sᵊn] -n

  1. lapdog

mess around -vi

  1. to waste time : dawdle, idle
  2. associate
    • didn't mess around with gangs
  3. flirt, philander

messeigneurs [,mōⁿ-,sān-'yər] -n

(variant of monseigneur)

  1. a French dignitary (as a prince or prelate) used as a title preceding a title of office or rank

mes·sen·ger ['me-sᵊn-jər] -n

  1. : one who bears a message or does an errand: as
  2. forerunner, herald
  3. a dispatch bearer in government or military service
  4. an employee who carries messages
  5. a light line used in hauling a heavier line (as between ships)
  6. a substance (as a hormone) that mediates a biological effect
  7. messenger rna

messenger RNA -n

  1. an RNA produced by transcription that carries the code for a particular protein from the nuclear DNA to a ribosome in the cytoplasm and acts as a template for the formation of that protein

mess hall -n

  1. a hall or building (as on an army post) in which mess is served

mes·si·ah [mə-'sī-ə] -n

  1. the expected king and deliverer of the Jews
  2. jesus
  3. a professed or accepted leader of some hope or cause

mes·si·an·ic [,me-sē-'a-nik] -adj

  1. of or relating to a messiah
  2. marked by idealism and an aggressive crusading spirit
    • messianic zeal

mes·si·a·nism ['me-sē-ə-,ni-zəm; mə-'sī-ə-, me-] -n

  1. belief in a messiah as the savior of humankind
  2. religious devotion to an ideal or cause

Mes·si·as [mə-'sī-əs] -n

  1. messiah

messieurs [məs-'yə(r), məsh-; mə-'sir] -n

(variant of monsieur)

  1. a Frenchman of high rank or station used as a title equivalent to Mister and prefixed to the name of a Frenchman

mess jacket -n

  1. a fitted waist-length man's jacket worn esp. as part of a dress uniform

mess kit -n

  1. a compact kit of nested cooking and eating utensils for use by soldiers and campers

mess·mate ['mes-,māt] -n

  1. a person with whom one regularly takes mess (as on a ship)

mess over -vt

  1. to treat harshly or unfairly : abuse

Messrs. ['me-sərz]

    • Messrs. Jones, Brown, and Robinson

mes·suage ['mes-wij] -n

  1. premise

messy ['me-sē] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt : untidy
    • a messy room
  2. lacking neatness or precision : careless, slovenly
  3. extremely unpleasant or trying
    • messy lawsuits

mes·ti·za [me-'stē-zə] -n

  1. a woman who is a mestizo

mes·ti·zo [-(,)zō] -n

  1. a person of mixed blood
  2. a person of mixed European and American Indian ancestry

mes·tra·nol ['mes-trə-,nȯl, -,nōl] -n

  1. a synthetic estrogen C 21H 26O 2used in oral contraceptives

met ['mēt] -vb, n

(variant of meet)

  1. to come into the presence of : find
  2. to come together with esp. at a particular time or place
    • I'll meet you at the station
  3. to come into contact or conjunction with : join
  4. to appear to the perception of
  5. to encounter as antagonist or foe : oppose
  6. to enter into conference, argument, or personal dealings with
  7. to conform to esp. with exactitude and precision
    • a concept to meet all requirements
  8. to pay fully : settle
  9. to cope with
    • was able to meet every social situation
  10. to provide for
    • enough money to meet our needs
  11. to become acquainted with
  12. encounter, experience
  13. to receive or greet in an official capacity
  14. to come face-to-face
  15. to come together for a common purpose : assemble
  16. to come together as contestants, opponents, or enemies
  17. to form a junction or confluence
    • the lines meet in a point
  18. to occur together
  19. the act of assembling for a hunt or for competitive sports
  20. a competition in which individuals match skills
  21. precisely adapted to a particular situation, need, or circumstance : very proper

meta- -prefix

  1. occurring later than or in succession to : after
    • met estrus
  2. situated behind or beyond
    • met encephalon
    • meta carpus
  3. later or more highly organized or specialized form of
    • meta xylem
  4. change : transformation
    • meta plasia
  5. more comprehensive : transcending
    • meta psychological
    usu. used with the name of a discipline to designate a new but related discipline designed to deal critically with the original one
    • meta mathematics
  6. involving substitution at or characterized by two positions in the benzene ring that are separated by one carbon atom
    • meta -xylene
  7. derived from by loss of water
    • meta phosphoric acid

metaanal·y·sis [,me-tə-ə-'na-lə-səs] -n

  1. a quantitative statistical analysis of several separate but similar experiments or studies in order to test the pooled data for statistical significance

met·a·bol·ic [,me-tə-'bä-lik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or based on metabolism

metabolic syndrome -n

  1. a syndrome marked by the presence of usu. three or more of a group of factors (as high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, high triglyceride levels, low HDL levels, and high fasting levels of blood sugar) that are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes called also insulin resistance syndrome

me·tab·o·lism [mə-'ta-bə-,li-zəm] -n

  1. the sum of the processes in the buildup and destruction of protoplasm
  2. the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated
  3. the sum of the processes by which a particular substance is handled in the living body
  4. the sum of the metabolic activities taking place in a particular environment
    • the metabolism of a lake
  5. metamorphosis usu. used in combination
    • holo metabolism

me·tab·o·lite [-,līt] -n

  1. a product of metabolism
  2. a substance essential to the metabolism of a particular organism or to a particular metabolic process

me·tab·o·lize [-,līz] -vb, adj

  1. to subject to metabolism
  2. to perform metabolism

meta·car·pal [,me-tə-'kär-pəl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being the metacarpus or a metacarpal

metacarpal -n

  1. a bone of the part of the hand or forefoot between the carpus and the phalanges that typically contains five more or less elongated bones when all the digits are present

meta·car·pus [,me-tə-'kär-pəs] -n

  1. the part of the hand or forefoot that contains the metacarpals

meta·cen·ter ['me-tə-,sen-tər] -n

  1. the point of intersection of the vertical through the center of buoyancy of a floating body with the vertical through the new center of buoyancy when the body is displaced

meta·cen·tric [,me-tə-'sen-trik] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to a metacenter
  2. having the centromere medially situated so that the two chromosomal arms are of roughly equal length

meta·cer·car·ia [,me-tə-(,)sər-'ker-ē-ə] -n, adj

  1. a tailless encysted late larva of a digenetic trematode that is usu. the form which is infective for the definitive host

meta·chro·mat·ic [-krō-'ma-tik] -adj

  1. staining or characterized by staining in a different color or shade from what is typical
    • metachromatic granules in a bacterium
  2. having the capacity to stain different elements of a cell or tissue in different colors or shades
    • metachromatic stains

meta·cog·ni·tion [-käg-'ni-shən] -n

  1. awareness or analysis of one's own learning or thinking processes

meta·da·ta [-'dā-tə, -'da- also -'dä-] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. data that provides information about other data

meta·eth·ics [-'e-thiks] -n pl but usu sing in constr, adj

  1. the study of the meanings of ethical terms, the nature of ethical judgments, and the types of ethical arguments

meta·fic·tion [-'fik-shən] -n, adj

  1. fiction which refers to or takes as its subject fictional writing and its conventions

meta·gal·axy [-'ga-lək-sē] -n, adj

  1. the entire system of galaxies : universe

meta·gen·e·sis [-'je-nə-səs] -n, adj

  1. alternation of generations in animals
  2. regular alternation of a sexual and an asexual generation

met·al ['me-tᵊl] -n

  1. any of various opaque, fusible, ductile, and typically lustrous substances that are good conductors of electricity and heat, form cations by loss of electrons, and yield basic oxides and hydroxides
  2. one that is a chemical element as distinguished from an alloy
  3. mettle
  4. the substance out of which a person or thing is made
  5. glass in its molten state
  6. printing type metal
  7. matter set in metal type
  8. road metal
  9. heavy metal

metal -vt

  1. to cover or furnish with metal

meta·lan·guage ['me-tə-,laŋ-gwij] -n

  1. a language used to talk about language

met·al·de·hyde [,met-'al-də-,hīd] -n

  1. a crystalline compound (CH 3CH0) 4that is a polymer of acetaldehyde and is used as a lure and poison for snails and slugs

met·al·head ['me-tᵊl-,hed] -n

  1. a fan or performer of heavy metal

meta·lin·guis·tic ['me-tə-liŋ-,gwis-tik] -adj

  1. of or relating to a metalanguage or to metalinguistics

meta·lin·guis·tics [-tiks] -n pl but sing in constr

  1. a branch of linguistics that deals with the relation between language and other cultural factors in a society

metall- -comb form

  1. metal
    • metallo phone

me·tal·lic [mə-'ta-lik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or being a metal
  2. made of or containing a metal
  3. having properties of a metal
  4. yielding metal
  5. : resembling metal: as
  6. having iridescent and reflective properties
    • metallic paint
  7. having an acrid quality like that of metal
    • the tea has a metallic taste
  8. having a harsh resonance : grating
    • a metallic voice
  9. having an impersonal or mechanical quality
    • a metallic smile

met·al·lif·er·ous [,me-tᵊl-'i-f(ə-)rəs] -adj

  1. yielding or containing metal

met·al·lize ['me-tᵊl-,īz] -vt, n

  1. to coat, treat, or combine with a metal

met·al·log·ra·phy [,me-tᵊl-'ä-grə-fē] -n, adj, adv

  1. a study of the structure of metals esp. with the microscope

met·al·loid ['me-tᵊl-,ȯid] -n

  1. an element intermediate in properties between the typical metals and nonmetals
  2. a nonmetal that can combine with a metal to form an alloy

metalloid [,me-tᵊl-'ȯi-dᵊl] -adj

  1. resembling a metal
  2. of, relating to, or being a metalloid

me·tal·lo·phone [mə-'ta-lə-,fōn] -n

  1. a percussion musical instrument consisting of a series of metal bars of varying pitch struck with hammers

met·al·lur·gy ['me-tᵊl-,ər-jē, esp Brit mə-'ta-lər-] -n, adj, adv

  1. the science and technology of metals

met·al·mark ['me-tᵊl-,märk] -n

  1. any of a family (Riodinidae) of small or medium-sized usu. brightly colored chiefly tropical butterflies that often have metallic coloration on the wings

met·al·smith [-,smith] -n

  1. a person skilled in metalworking

met·al·ware [-,wer] -n

  1. ware made of metal
  2. metal utensils

met·al·work [-,wərk] -n

  1. the product of metalworking
  2. a metal object of artistic merit

met·al·work·ing [-,wər-kiŋ] -n

  1. the act or process of shaping things out of metal

meta·math·e·mat·ics ['me-tə-,math-'ma-tiks, -ma-thə-] -n pl but usu sing in constr, adj

  1. a field of study concerned with the formal structure and properties (as the consistency and completeness of axioms) of mathematical systems

meta·mere ['me-tə-,mir] -n, adj, adv

  1. any of a linear series of primitively similar segments into which the body of a higher invertebrate or vertebrate is divisible

me·tam·er·ism [mə-'ta-mə-,ri-zəm] -n

  1. the condition of having or the stage of evolutionary development characterized by a body made up of metameres

meta·mor·phic [,me-tə-'mȯr-fik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to metamorphosis
  2. of, relating to, or produced by metamorphism

meta·mor·phism [-'mȯr-,fi-zəm] -n

  1. a change in the constitution of rock
  2. a pronounced change effected by pressure, heat, and water that results in a more compact and more highly crystalline condition

meta·mor·phose [-,fōz, -,fōs] -vb

  1. to change into a different physical form esp. by supernatural means
  2. to change strikingly the appearance or character of : transform
  3. to cause (rock) to undergo metamorphism
  4. to undergo metamorphosis
  5. to become transformed

meta·mor·pho·sis [,me-tə-'mȯr-fə-səs] -n

  1. change of physical form, structure, or substance esp. by supernatural means
  2. a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances
  3. a typically marked and more or less abrupt developmental change in the form or structure of an animal (as a butterfly or a frog) occurring subsequent to birth or hatching

met·anal·y·sis [,me-tə-'na-lə-səs] -n

  1. a reanalysis of the division between sounds or words resulting in different constituents (as in the development of an apronfrom a napron)

meta·neph·ros [-'ne-frəs, -,fräs] -n, adj

  1. either member of the final and most caudal pair of the three successive pairs of vertebrate renal organs that functions as a permanent adult kidney in reptiles, birds, and mammals but is not present at all in lower forms

meta·noia [,me-tə-'nȯi-ə] -n

  1. a transformative change of heart
  2. a spiritual conversion

meta·phase ['me-tə-,fāz] -n

  1. the stage of mitosis and meiosis in which the chromosomes become arranged in the equatorial plane of the spindle

metaphase plate -n

  1. a section in the equatorial plane of the metaphase spindle having the chromosomes oriented upon it

met·a·phor ['me-tə-,fȯr also -fər] -n, adj, adv

  1. a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money)
  2. figurative language
  3. an object, activity, or idea treated as a metaphor : symbol

meta·phos·phate [,me-tə-'fäs-,fāt] -n

  1. a salt or ester of a metaphosphoric acid

meta·phos·pho·ric acid [-,fäs-'fȯr-ik-, -'fär-; -'fäs-f(ə-)rik-] -n

  1. a glassy solid acid HPO 3or (HPO 3) n formed by heating orthophosphoric acid

meta·phrase ['me-tə-,frāz] -n

  1. a literal translation

meta·phys·ic [,me-tə-'fi-zik] -n, adj

  1. metaphysics
  2. a particular system of metaphysics
  3. the system of principles underlying a particular study or subject : philosophy

meta·phys·i·cal [-'fi-zi-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to metaphysics
  2. of or relating to the transcendent or to a reality beyond what is perceptible to the senses
  3. supernatural
  4. highly abstract or abstruse
  5. theoretical
  6. of or relating to poetry esp. of the early 17th century that is highly intellectual and philosophical and marked by unconventional imagery

Metaphysical -n

  1. a metaphysical poet of the 17th century

meta·phy·si·cian [,me-tə-fə-'zi-shən] -n

  1. a student of or specialist in metaphysics

meta·phys·ics [-'fi-ziks] -n pl but sing in constr

  1. a division of philosophy that is concerned with the fundamental nature of reality and being and that includes ontology, cosmology, and often epistemology
  2. ontology
  3. abstract philosophical studies : a study of what is outside objective experience
  4. metaphysic

meta·pla·sia [-'plā-zh(ē-)ə] -n, adj

  1. transformation of one tissue into another
  2. abnormal replacement of cells of one type by cells of another

meta·psy·chol·o·gy [-sī-'kä-lə-jē] -n, adj

  1. speculative psychology concerned with postulating the structure (as the ego and id) and processes (as cathexis) of the mind which usu. cannot be demonstrated objectively

meta·se·quoia [-si-'kwȯi-ə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Metasequoia) of deciduous coniferous trees of the bald cypress family comprising one extant and various fossil forms having leaves, buds, and branches arranged oppositely and flat leaves resembling needles

meta·so·ma·tism [-'sō-mə-,ti-zəm] -n, adj

  1. metamorphism that involves changes in the chemical composition as well as in the texture of rock

meta·sta·ble [-'stā-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. having or characterized by only a slight margin of stability
    • a metastable compound

me·tas·ta·sis [mə-'tas-tə-səs] -n, adj, adv

  1. : change of position, state, or form
  2. the spread of a disease-producing agency (as cancer cells) from the initial or primary site of disease to another part of the body
  3. the process by which such spreading occurs
  4. a secondary malignant tumor resulting from metastasis

me·tas·ta·size [mə-'tas-tə-,sīz] -vi

  1. to spread or grow by or as if by metastasis

meta·tar·sal [,me-tə-'tär-səl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being the part of the human foot or of the hind foot in quadrupeds between the tarsus and the phalanges that in humans comprises five elongated bones which form the front of the instep and ball of the foot

metatarsal -n

  1. a metatarsal bone

meta·tar·sus [,me-tə-'tär-səs] -n

  1. the metatarsal part of a human foot or of a hind foot in quadrupeds

me·ta·te [mə-'tä-tē] -n

  1. a stone with a concave upper surface used as the lower millstone for grinding grains and esp. Indian corn

me·tath·e·sis [mə-'ta-thə-səs] -n, adj, adv

  1. : a change of place or condition: as
  2. transposition of two phonemes in a word (as in the development of crudfrom curdor the pronunciation pr-te for pretty)
  3. a chemical reaction in which different kinds of molecules exchange parts to form other kinds of molecules

meta·tho·rax [,me-tə-'thȯr-,aks] -n, adj

  1. the posterior segment of the thorax of an insect

meta·xy·lem [-'zī-ləm, -,lem] -n

  1. the part of the primary xylem that differentiates after the protoxylem and that is distinguished typically by broader tracheids and vessels with pitted or reticulate walls

meta·zo·al [-'zō-əl] -adj

  1. of or relating to the metazoans

meta·zo·an [-'zō-ən] -n, adj

  1. any of a group ( Metazoa) that comprises all animals having the body composed of cells differentiated into tissues and organs and usu. a digestive cavity lined with specialized cells

mete ['mēt] -vt

  1. measure
  2. to give out by measure : dole usu. used with out
    • mete out punishment
  3. boundary
    • mete s and bounds

me·tem·psy·cho·sis [mə-,tem(p)-si-'kō-səs, ,me-təm-,sī-] -n

  1. the passing of the soul at death into another body either human or animal

met·en·ceph·a·lon [,met-,en-'se-fə-,län, -lən] -n, adj

  1. the anterior segment of the developing vertebrate hindbrain or the corresponding part of the adult brain composed of the cerebellum and pons

me·te·or ['mē-tē-ər, -,ȯr] -n

  1. an atmospheric phenomenon (as lightning or a snowfall)
  2. any of the small particles of matter in the solar system that are directly observable only by their incandescence from frictional heating on entry into the atmosphere
  3. the streak of light produced by the passage of a meteor

me·te·or·ic [,mē-tē-'ȯr-ik, -'är-] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to a meteor
  2. resembling a meteor in speed or in sudden and temporary brilliance
    • a meteoric rise to fame
  3. of, relating to, or derived from the earth's atmosphere
    • meteoric water

me·te·or·ite ['mē-tē-ə-,rīt] -n, adj

  1. a meteor that reaches the surface of the earth without being completely vaporized

me·te·or·it·ics [,mē-tē-ə-'ri-tiks] -n pl but sing in constr, n

  1. a science that deals with meteors

me·te·or·oid ['mē-tē-ə-,rȯid] -n, adj

  1. a meteor particle itself without relation to the phenomena it produces when entering the earth's atmosphere
  2. a meteor in orbit around the sun

me·te·o·rol·o·gy [,mē-tē-ə-'rä-lə-jē] -n, adj, adv

  1. a science that deals with the atmosphere and its phenomena and esp. with weather and weather forecasting
  2. the atmospheric phenomena and weather of a region

me·ter ['mē-tər] -n

  1. : systematically arranged and measured rhythm in verse:
  2. rhythm that continuously repeats a single basic pattern
    • iambic meter
  3. rhythm characterized by regular recurrence of a systematic arrangement of basic patterns in larger figures
    • ballad meter
  4. a measure or unit of metrical verse usu. used in combination
    • penta meter
  5. a fixed metrical pattern : verse form
  6. the basic recurrent rhythmical pattern of note values, accents, and beats per measure in music

met·er ['mē-tər] -n

  1. one that measures
  2. an official measurer of commodities

me·ter -n

  1. the base unit of length in the International System of Units that is equal to the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in second or to about 39.37 inches
  2. an instrument for measuring and sometimes recording the time or amount of something
    • a parking meter
    • a gas meter
  3. postage meter
  4. a marking printed by a postage meter
  5. to measure by means of a meter
  6. to supply in a measured or regulated amount
  7. to print postal indicia on by means of a postage meter

meterkilogramsecond -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a system of units using the meter, kilogram, and second as its base units abbr. mks

meter maid -n

  1. a woman assigned by a police or traffic department to write tickets for parking violations

me·ter·stick ['mē-tər-,stik] -n

  1. a measuring stick one meter long that is marked off in centimeters and usu. millimeters

met·es·trus [,met-'es-trəs] -n

  1. the period of regression that follows estrus

met·for·min [met-'fȯr-mən] -n

  1. a drug C 4C 11N 5used in the form of its hydrochloride to treat type 2 diabetes

meth ['meth] -n

  1. methamphetamine

meth- -comb form

  1. methyl
    • meth acrylic

meth·ac·ry·late [,me-'tha-krə-,lāt] -n

  1. a salt or ester of methacrylic acid
  2. an acrylic resin or plastic made from a derivative of methacrylic acid

meth·acryl·ic acid [,me-thə-'kri-lik-] -n

  1. an acid C 4H 6O 2used esp. in making acrylic resins or plastics

meth·a·done ['me-thə-,dōn] -n

  1. a synthetic addictive narcotic drug C 21H 27NO used esp. in the form of its hydrochloride for the relief of pain and as a substitute narcotic in the treatment of heroin addiction

meth·am·phet·amine [,me-tham-'fe-tə-,mēn, -thəm-, -mən] -n

  1. an amine C 10H 15N used medically in the form of its crystalline hydrochloride esp. in the treatment of obesity and often used illicitly as a stimulant called also methedrine

metha·na·tion [,me-thə-'nā-shən] -n

  1. the production of methane esp. from carbon monoxide and hydrogen

meth·ane ['me-,thān, Brit usu 'mē-] -n

  1. a colorless odorless flammable gaseous hydrocarbon CH 4that is a product of decomposition of organic matter and of the carbonization of coal, is used as a fuel and as a starting material in chemical synthesis, and is the simplest of the alkanes

meth·a·nol ['me-thə-,nȯl, -,nōl] -n

  1. a light volatile flammable poisonous liquid alcohol CH 3OH used esp. as a solvent, antifreeze, or denaturant for ethyl alcohol and in the synthesis of other chemicals

meth·aqua·lone [me-'tha-kwə-,lōn] -n

  1. a sedative and hypnotic nonbarbiturate drug C 16H 14N 2O that is habit-forming

meth·e·drine ['me-thə-,drēn, -drən] -n

  1. methamphetamine

me·theg·lin [mə-'the-glən] -n

  1. mead

met·he·mo·glo·bin [,met-'hē-mə-,glō-bən] -n

  1. a soluble brown crystalline basic blood pigment that differs from hemoglobin in containing ferric iron and in being unable to combine reversibly with molecular oxygen

met·he·mo·glo·bi·ne·mia [,met-,hē-mə-,glō-bə-'nē-mē-ə] -n

  1. the presence of methemoglobin in the blood

me·the·na·mine [mə-'thē-nə-,mēn, -mən] -n

  1. hexamethylenetetramine esp. when used in the form of an organic salt to treat urinary tract infections

meth·i·cil·lin [,me-thə-'si-lən] -n

  1. a semisynthetic penicillin C 17H 19N 2O 6NaS used esp. in the form of its sodium salt against beta-lactamase-producing staphylococci

me·thinks [mi-'thiŋ(k)s] -vb impersonal

  1. it seems to me

me·thi·o·nine [mə-'thī-ə-,nēn] -n

  1. a crystalline sulfur-containing essential amino acid C 5H 11NO 2S that occurs in the levorotatory form as a constituent of many proteins

meth·od ['me-thəd] -n

  1. : a procedure or process for attaining an object: as
  2. a systematic procedure, technique, or mode of inquiry employed by or proper to a particular discipline or art
  3. a systematic plan followed in presenting material for instruction
  4. a way, technique, or process of or for doing something
  5. a body of skills or techniques
  6. a discipline that deals with the principles and techniques of scientific inquiry
  7. orderly arrangement, development, or classification : plan
  8. the habitual practice of orderliness and regularity
  9. a dramatic technique by which an actor seeks to gain complete identification with the inner personality of the character being portrayed

me·thod·i·cal [mə-'thä-di-kəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. arranged, characterized by, or performed with method or order
    • a methodical treatment of the subject
  2. habitually proceeding according to method : systematic
    • methodical in his daily routine

meth·od·ise ['me-thə-,dīz] -vt

(variant of methodize)

  1. to reduce to method : systematize

meth·od·ism ['me-thə-,di-zəm] -n

  1. the doctrines and practice of Methodists
  2. the Methodist churches
  3. methodical procedure

meth·od·ist [-dist] -n, adj

  1. a person devoted to or laying great stress on method
  2. a member of one of the denominations deriving from the Wesleyan revival in the Church of England, having Arminian doctrine and in the U.S. modified episcopal polity, and stressing personal and social morality

meth·od·ize ['me-thə-,dīz] -vt

  1. to reduce to method : systematize

method of fluxions

  1. differential calculus

meth·od·o·log·i·cal [,me-thə-də-'lä-ji-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to method or methodology

meth·od·ol·o·gist [-thə-'dä-lə-jist] -n

  1. a student of methodology

meth·od·ol·o·gy [,me-thə-'dä-lə-jē] -n

  1. a body of methods, rules, and postulates employed by a discipline : a particular procedure or set of procedures
  2. the analysis of the principles or procedures of inquiry in a particular field

meth·o·trex·ate [,me-thə-'trek-,sāt] -n

  1. a toxic folic acid analog C 20H 22N 8O 5that is used to treat certain cancers, severe psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis

me·thoxy·chlor [me-'thäk-si-,klȯr] -n

  1. relatively nontoxic organochlorine insecticide C 16H 15Cl 3O 2

me·thoxy·flu·rane [me-,thäk-sē-'flu̇r-,ān] -n

  1. a potent nonexplosive inhalational general anesthetic C 3H 4Cl 2F 2O administered as a vapor

Me·thu·se·lah [mə-'thü-zə-lə, -'thyü-; -'th(y)üz-lə] -n

  1. an ancestor of Noah held to have lived 969 years
  2. an oversize wine bottle holding about six liters

meth·yl ['me-thəl] -n, adj

  1. an alkyl radical CH 3derived from methane

methyl acetate -n

  1. a flammable fragrant liquid C 3H 6O 2used as a solvent and paint remover and in organic synthesis

methyl alcohol -n

  1. methanol

me·thyl·amine [,me-thə-lə-'mēn, -'la-mən; mə-'thi-lə-,mēn] -n

  1. a flammable explosive gas CH 3NH 2with a strong ammoniacal odor used esp. in organic synthesis (as of dyes and insecticides)

meth·yl·ase ['me-thə-,lās, -,lāz] -n

  1. an enzyme that catalyzes methylation (as of RNA or DNA)

meth·yl·ate ['me-thə-,lāt] -vt, n

  1. to introduce the methyl radical into

methyl bromide -n

  1. a poisonous gaseous compound CH 3Br used chiefly as a fumigant against rodents, worms, and insects

meth·yl·cel·lu·lose [,me-thəl-'sel-yə-,lōs, -,lōz] -n

  1. any of various gummy products of cellulose methylation that swell in water and are used esp. as emulsifiers, adhesives, thickeners, and bulk laxatives

methyl chloroform -n

  1. a methylated derivative CH 3CCl 3of chloroform used esp. as an industrial solvent

meth·yl·cho·lan·threne [-kə-'lan-,thrēn] -n

  1. a potent carcinogenic hydrocarbon C 21H 16

meth·yl·do·pa [,me-thəl-'dō-pə] -n

  1. a drug C 10H 13NO 4used to lower blood pressure

meth·y·lene ['me-thə-,lēn, -lən] -n

  1. a divalent hydrocarbon group CH 2derived from methane

methylene blue -n

  1. a basic thiazine dye C 16H 18ClN 3S3H 2O used esp. as a biological stain, an antidote in cyanide poisoning, and an oxidation-reduction indicator

methylene chloride -n

  1. a toxic nonflammable liquid CH 2Cl 2used esp. as a solvent, paint remover, and aerosol propellant

methyl ethyl ketone -n

  1. a flammable liquid compound C 4H 8O similar to acetone and used chiefly as a solvent abbr. MEK

methyl isocyanate -n

  1. an extremely toxic chemical CH 3NCO used esp. in the manufacture of pesticides abbr. MIC

meth·yl·mer·cury [,me-thəl-'mər-kyə-rē, -'mər-k(ə-)rē] -n

  1. any of various toxic compounds of mercury containing the complex CH 3Hg that often occur as pollutants which accumulate in living organisms (as fish) esp. in higher levels of a food chain

methyl methacrylate -n

  1. a volatile flammable liquid C 5H 8O 2that polymerizes readily and is used esp. as a monomer for resins

meth·yl·naph·tha·lene [,me-thəl-'naf-thə-,lēn, -'nap-] -n

  1. either of two isomeric hydrocarbons C 11H 10
  2. an oily liquid used in determining cetane numbers

methyl orange -n

  1. an alkaline dye used as a chemical indicator

methyl parathion -n

  1. a potent synthetic organophosphate insecticide C 8H 10NO 5PS that is more toxic than parathion

meth·yl·phe·ni·date [,me-thəl-'fe-nə-,dāt, -'fē-] -n

  1. a mild stimulant C 14H 19NO 2of the central nervous system used in the form of its hydrochloride to treat narcolepsy and hyperactivity disorders (as attention deficit disorder) in children

meth·yl·pred·nis·o·lone [-pred-'ni-sə-,lōn] -n

  1. a glucocorticoid C 22H 30O 5that is a derivative of prednisolone and is used as an anti-inflammatory agent
  2. any of several of its salts (as an acetate) used similarly

meth·yl·xan·thine [-'zan-,thēn] -n

  1. a methylated xanthine derivative (as caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline)

meth·y·ser·gide [,me-thə-'sər-,jīd] -n

  1. a serotonin antagonist C 21H 27N 3O 2used in the form of its maleate esp. in the treatment and prevention of migraine headaches

me·tic·u·lous [mə-'ti-kyə-ləs] -adj, n, adv

  1. marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details
    • a meticulous researcher

me·tier ['me-,tyā, me-'] -n

  1. vocation, trade
  2. an area of activity in which one excels : forte

me·tis [mā-'tē(s)] -n

  1. a person of mixed blood
  2. the offspring of an American Indian and a person of European ancestry

met·o·nym ['me-tə-,nim] -n

  1. a word used in metonymy

me·ton·y·my [mə-'tä-nə-mē] -n, adj

  1. a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated (as crown in lands belonging to the crown)

metoo ['mē-'tü] -adj, n

  1. marked by similarity to or by adoption of successful or persuasive policies or practices used or promoted by someone else
  2. similar or identical to an established product (as a drug) with no significant advantage over it

met·o·pe ['me-tə-(,)pē] -n

  1. the space between two triglyphs of a Doric frieze often adorned with carved work

met·o·pro·lol [me-'tō-prə-,lȯl, -,lōl] -n

  1. a beta-blocker C 15H 25NO 3used in the form of its succinate and tartrate esp. to treat hypertension and angina pectoris

me·tre ['mē-tər] -n

(variant of meter)

  1. : systematically arranged and measured rhythm in verse:
  2. rhythm that continuously repeats a single basic pattern
    • iambic meter
  3. rhythm characterized by regular recurrence of a systematic arrangement of basic patterns in larger figures
    • ballad meter
  4. a measure or unit of metrical verse usu. used in combination
    • penta meter
  5. a fixed metrical pattern : verse form
  6. the basic recurrent rhythmical pattern of note values, accents, and beats per measure in music

met·ric ['me-trik] -n

  1. a part of prosody that deals with metrical structure
  2. a standard of measurement
    • no metric exists that can be applied directly to happiness -- Scientific Monthly
  3. a mathematical function that associates a real nonnegative number analogous to distance with each pair of elements in a set such that the number is zero only if the two elements are identical, the number is the same regardless of the order in which the two elements are taken, and the number associated with one pair of elements plus that associated with one member of the pair and a third element is equal to or greater than the number associated with the other member of the pair and the third element

metric [-tri-k(ə-)lē] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or using the metric system
    • a metric study

met·ri·cal ['me-tri-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or composed in meter
  2. of or relating to measurement

met·ri·ca·tion [,me-tri-'kā-shən] -n

  1. the act or process of metricizing
  2. conversion of an existent system of units into the metric system

met·ri·cize ['me-trə-,sīz] -vt

  1. to change into or express in the metric system

metric space -n

  1. a mathematical set for which a metric is defined for any pair of elements

metric system -n

  1. a decimal system of weights and measures based on the meter and on the kilogram

me·trist ['me-trist, 'mē-] -n

  1. a maker of verses
  2. one skillful in handling meter
  3. a student of meter or metrics

met·ro ['me-(,)trō, in French context also mā-'] -n

  1. subway
  2. metropolitan

me·trol·o·gy [me-'trä-lə-jē] -n, adj

  1. the science of weights and measures or of measurement
  2. a system of weights and measures

met·ro·ni·da·zole [,me-trə-'nī-də-,zōl] -n

  1. a drug C 6H 9N 3O 3used esp. to treat vaginal trichomoniasis, amebiasis, and infections by anaerobic bacteria

met·ro·nome ['me-trə-,nōm] -n

  1. an instrument designed to mark exact time by a regularly repeated tick

met·ro·nom·ic [,me-trə-'nä-mik] -adj, adv

  1. mechanically regular (as in action or tempo)

me·trop·o·lis [mə-'trä-p(ə-)ləs] -n

  1. the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region
  2. the city or state of origin of a colony (as of ancient Greece)
  3. a city regarded as a center of a specified activity
  4. a large important city

met·ro·pol·i·tan [,me-trə-'pä-lə-tən] -n

  1. the primate of an ecclesiastical province
  2. one who lives in a metropolis or displays metropolitan manners or customs

metropolitan -adj

  1. of or constituting a metropolitan or his see
  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of a metropolis and sometimes including its suburbs
  3. of, relating to, or constituting a mother country as distinguished from a colony

me·tror·rha·gia [,mē-trə-'rā-j(ē-)ə, -'rā-zhə; -'rä-jə, -zhə] -n

  1. irregular uterine bleeding esp. between menstrual periods

met·ro·sex·u·al [,me-trə-'sek-sh(ə-)wəl, -'sek-shəl] -n, adj

  1. a usu. urban heterosexual male given to enhancing his personal appearance by fastidious grooming, beauty treatments, and fashionable clothes

met·tle ['me-tᵊl] -n, adj

  1. vigor and strength of spirit or temperament
  2. staying quality : stamina
    • equipment that proved its mettle
  3. quality of temperament or disposition
    • gentlemen of brave mettle -- Shak.

met·tle·some ['me-tᵊl-səm] -adj

  1. full of mettle : spirited

meu·niere [(,)mə(r)n-'yer, mœn-] -adj

  1. rolled lightly in flour and sauteed in butter
    • sole meuniere

Meur·sault [mə(r)-'sō, mœ-] -n

  1. a dry white burgundy wine

MeV -abbr

  1. million electron volts

mew ['myü] -n

  1. gull
  2. a small gull ( Larus canus) of Eurasia and western No. America
  3. to utter a mew or similar sound
    • gulls mew ed over the bay
  4. to utter by mewing : meow
  5. meow
  6. an enclosure for trained hawks usu. used in pl.
  7. a place for hiding or retirement
  8. stables usu. with living quarters built around a court
  9. living quarters adapted from such stables
  10. back street : alley
  11. to shut up : confine often used with up

mewl ['myül] -vi

  1. to cry weakly : whimper

Mex·i·can ['mek-si-kən] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Mexico
  2. a person of Mexican descent
  3. a person of mixed Spanish and Indian descent
  4. nahuatl

Mexican bean beetle -n

  1. a spotted ladybug ( Epilachna varivestis) that feeds on the leaves of beans

Mexican jumping bean -n

  1. jumping bean

Mexican Spanish -n

  1. the Spanish used in Mexico

Mexican standoff -n

  1. a situation in which no one emerges a clear winner
  2. deadlock

me·ze [me-'zā, 'mā-(,)zā] -n

  1. an appetizer in Greek or Middle Eastern cuisine often served with an aperitif

me·ze·re·on [mə-'zir-ē-ən] -n

  1. a small Eurasian shrub ( Daphne mezereumof the family Thymelaeaceae, the mezereon family) with purple flowers and poisonous emetic leaves, fruit, and bark

me·zu·zah [mə-'zu̇-zə] -n

  1. a small parchment scroll inscribed with Deut 6:49 and 11:1321 and the name Shaddai and placed in a case fixed to the doorpost by some Jewish families as a sign and reminder of their faith
  2. such a scroll and its case

mez·za·nine ['me-zə-,nēn, ,me-zə-'] -n

  1. a low-ceilinged story between two main stories of a building
  2. an intermediate story that projects in the form of a balcony
  3. the lowest balcony in a theater
  4. the first few rows of such a balcony

mez·za vo·ce [,met-sä-'vō-(,)chā, ,med-zä-] -adv or adj

  1. with medium or half volume used as a direction in music

mez·zo ['met-(,)sō, 'med-(,)zō] -n

  1. mezzo-soprano

mez·zo for·te [,met-(,)sō-'fȯr-,tā, ,med-(,)zō-, -'fȯr-tē] -adj or adv

  1. moderately loud used as a direction in music

mez·zo pia·no [-pē-'ä-(,)nō] -adj or adv

  1. moderately soft used as a direction in music

mez·zore·lie·vo [-ri-'lē-(,)vō, -rēl-'yā-(,)vō] -n

  1. sculptural relief intermediate between bas-relief and high relief

mez·zoso·pra·no [-sə-'pra-(,)nō, -'prä-] -n

  1. a woman's voice with a range between soprano and contralto
  2. a singer having this voice

mez·zo·tint ['met-sō-,tint, 'med-zō-] -n

  1. a manner of engraving on copper or steel by scraping or burnishing a roughened surface to produce light and shade
  2. an engraving produced by mezzotint