mi ['mē] -n
- the 3d tone of the diatonic scale in solmization
- mile; miles
- mill
MI -abbr
- Michigan
- military intelligence
- myocardial infarction
MIA [,em-(,)ī-'ā] -n
- a member of the armed forces whose whereabouts following a combat mission are unknown and whose death cannot be established beyond reasonable doubt
Mi·ami [mī-'a-mē, -mə] -n
- a member of an American Indian people orig. of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana
miaow [mē-'au̇] -n, vi
(variant of meow)
- the cry of a cat
- a spiteful or malicious remark
mi·as·ma [mī-'az-mə, mē-] -n, adj, adv
- a vaporous exhalation formerly believed to cause disease
- a heavy vaporous emanation or atmosphere
- a miasma of tobacco smoke
- an influence or atmosphere that tends to deplete or corrupt
- freed from the miasma of poverty -- Sir Arthur Bryant
- an atmosphere that obscures : fog
mic ['mīk] -n
- microphone
Mic -abbr
- Micah
MIC -abbr
- methyl isocyanate
mi·ca ['mī-kə] -n, adj
- any of various colored or transparent mineral silicates crystallizing in monoclinic forms that readily separate into very thin leaves
Mi·cah ['mī-kə] -n
- a prophetic book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture
- a Hebrew prophet of the eighth century b.c.
Mi·caw·ber [mi-'kȯ-bər, -'kä-] -n, adj
- one who is poor but lives in optimistic expectation of better fortune
mice ['mau̇s] -n
(variant of mouse)
- any of numerous small rodents (as of the genus Mus) with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body, and slender tail
- a timid person
- a dark-colored swelling caused by a blow
- black eye
- a small mobile manual device that controls movement of the cursor and selection of functions on a computer display
- to hunt for mice
- to search or move stealthily or slowly
- bite, gnaw
- to toy with roughly
- to search for carefully usu. used with out
mi·celle [mī-'sel] -n, adj
- : a unit of structure built up from polymeric molecules or ions: as
- an ordered region in a fiber (as of cellulose or rayon)
- a molecular aggregate that constitutes a colloidal particle
Mich -abbr
- Michigan
Mi·chael ['mī-kəl] -n
- one of the four archangels named in Hebrew tradition
Mi·chae·lis constant [mī-'kā-ləs-, mə-] -n
- a constant that is a measure of the kinetics of an enzyme reaction and that is equivalent to the concentration of substrate at which the reaction takes place at one half its maximum rate
Mich·ael·mas ['mi-kəl-məs] -n
- September 29 celebrated as the feast of St. Michael the Archangel
Michaelmas daisy -n
- a wild aster
- one blooming about Michaelmas
Mi·che·as ['mī-kē-əs, mī-'] -n
- micah
mick ['mik] -n
- irishman
Mick·ey Finn [,mi-kē-'fin] -n
- a drink of liquor doctored with a purgative or a drug
Mickey Mouse ['mi-kē-'mau̇s] -adj
- not to be taken seriously
- switch to Mickey Mouse courses, where you don't work too hard -- Willie Cager
- not effectual : worthless
- being or performing insipid or corny popular music
- of little importance : trifling
mick·le ['mi-kəl] -adj, adv
- great, much
Mic·mac ['mik-,mak] -n
- a member of an American Indian people of eastern Canada
- the Algonquian language of the Micmac people
mi·con·a·zole [mī-'kä-nə-,zōl] -n
- an antifungal agent C 18H 14Cl 4N 2O used esp. in the form of its nitrate
MICR -abbr
- magnetic ink character recognition
micr- -comb form
- small : minute
- used for or involving minute quantities or variations
- one millionth (10 -6) part of
- using microscopy: used in microscopy
- revealed by or discernible only by microscopic examination
- abnormally small
- of or relating to a small area
- employed in or connected with microphotographing or microfilming
mi·cro ['mī-(,)krō] -adj
- very small
- microscopic
- involving minute quantities or variations
micro -n
- microcomputer
- microprocessor
mi·cro·am·pere [,mī-krō-'am-,pir] -n
- a unit of current equal to one millionth of an ampere
mi·cro·anal·y·sis [-ə-'na-lə-səs] -n, adj
- chemical analysis on a small or minute scale that usu. requires special, very sensitive, or small-scale apparatus
mi·cro·anat·o·my [-ə-'na-tə-mē] -n, adj
- histology
mi·cro·ar·ray [,mī-krō-ə-'rā] -n
- a supporting material (as a glass or plastic slide) onto which numerous molecules or fragments usu. of DNA or protein are attached in a regular pattern for use in biochemical or genetic analysis
mi·cro·bal·ance ['mī-krō-,ba-lən(t)s] -n
- a balance designed to measure very small weights
mi·cro·baro·graph [,mī-krō-'ba-rə-,graf] -n
- a barograph for recording small and rapid changes
mi·crobe ['mī-,krōb] -n, adj
- microorganism, germ
mi·cro·beam ['mī-krō-,bēm] -n
- a beam of radiation of small cross section
- a focused laser microbeam
mi·cro·bi·cide [mī-'krō-bə-,sīd] -n, adj
- an agent that destroys microbes
mi·cro·bi·ol·o·gy [,mī-krō-bī-'ä-lə-jē] -n, adj, adv
- a branch of biology dealing esp. with microscopic forms of life
mi·cro·brew ['mī-krō-,brü] -n, adj
- a beer produced by a microbrewery
mi·cro·brew·ery [,mī-krō-'brü-ə-rē, -'bru̇r-ē] -n
- a small brewery making specialty beer in limited quantities
mi·cro·burst ['mī-krō-,bərst] -n
- a violent short-lived localized downdraft that creates extreme wind shears at low altitudes and is usu. associated with thunderstorms
mi·cro·bus [-,bəs] -n
- a station wagon shaped like a bus
mi·cro·cal·o·rim·e·ter [-,ka-lə-'ri-mə-tər] -n, adj
- an instrument for measuring very small quantities of heat
mi·cro·cap·sule ['mī-krō-,kap-səl, -(,)sül also -,syül] -n
- a tiny capsule containing material (as an adhesive or a medicine) that is released when the capsule is broken, melted, or dissolved
mi·cro·cas·sette [,mī-krō-kə-'set, -ka-] -n
- a small cassette of magnetic tape
mi·cro·ce·phal·ic [-sə-'fa-lik] -adj
- having a small head
- having an abnormally small head
microcephalic -n
- one that is microcephalic
mi·cro·ceph·a·ly [-'se-fə-lē] -n
- a condition of abnormal smallness of the head usu. associated with mental defects
mi·cro·chip ['mī-krō-,chip] -n
- integrated circuit
mi·cro·cir·cuit [-,sər-kət] -n
- a compact electronic circuit : integrated circuit
mi·cro·cir·cu·la·tion [,mī-krō-,sər-kyə-'lā-shən] -n, adj
- blood circulation in the microvascular system
- the microvascular system itself
mi·cro·cli·mate ['mī-krō-,klī-mət] -n, adj
- the essentially uniform local climate of a usu. small site or habitat
mi·cro·cline ['mī-krō-,klīn] -n
- a triclinic mineral of the feldspar group that is like orthoclase in composition
mi·cro·coc·cus [,mī-krō-'kä-kəs] -n, adj
- a small spherical bacterium
- any of a genus ( Micrococcus) of gram-positive chiefly harmless bacteria that typically occur in irregular clusters
mi·cro·code ['mī-krə-,kōd] -n
- the microinstructions esp. of a microprocessor
mi·cro·com·put·er ['mī-krō-kəm-,pyü-tər] -n
- a small computer usu. equipped with a microprocessor
- personal computer
- microprocessor
mi·cro·con·trol·ler [-kən-,trō-lər] -n
- a microprocessor that controls some or all of the functions of an electronic device (as a home appliance) or system
mi·cro·cosm ['mī-krə-,kä-zəm] -n, adj, adv
- a little world
- the human race or human nature seen as an epitome of the world or the universe
- a community or other unity that is an epitome of a larger unity
mi·cro·cos·mos ['mī-krə-,käz-məs, -,mōs, -,mäs] -n
- microcosm
- the microscopic or submicroscopic world
mi·cro·crys·tal ['mī-krō-,kris-tᵊl] -n, adj
- a microscopic crystal
mi·cro·cul·ture ['mī-krō-,kəl-chər] -n, adj
- a microscopic culture of cells or organisms
- the culture of a small group of human beings with limited perspective
mi·cro·cu·rie ['mī-krō-,kyu̇r-ē, ,mī-krō-kyu̇-'rē] -n
- a unit of quantity or of radioactivity equal to one millionth of a curie
mi·cro·cyte ['mī-krə-,sīt] -n, adj
- a small red blood cell present esp. in some anemias
mi·cro·den·si·tom·e·ter ['mī-krō-,den(t)-sə-'tä-mə-tər] -n, adj
- a densitometer for measuring the densities of microscopic areas
mi·cro·dis·sec·tion [,mī-krō-di-'sek-shən, -dī-] -n
- dissection under the microscope
- dissection of cells and tissues by means of fine needles that are precisely manipulated by levers
mi·cro·dot ['mī-krə-,dät, -krō-] -n
- a photographic reproduction of printed matter reduced to the size of a dot for ease or security of transmittal
mi·cro·earth·quake [,mī-krō-'ərth-,kwāk] -n
- an earthquake of low intensity
mi·cro·eco·nom·ics [-,e-kə-'nä-miks, -,ē-kə-] -n pl but usu sing in constr, adj, n
- a study of economics in terms of individual areas of activity (as a firm, household, or prices)
mi·cro·elec·trode [,mī-krō-i-'lek-,trōd] -n
- a minute electrode
- one that is inserted in a living biological cell or tissue in studying its electrical characteristics
mi·cro·elec·tron·ics [-i-,lek-'trä-niks] -n pl, adj, adv
- a branch of electronics that deals with the miniaturization of electronic circuits and components
- devices, equipment, or circuits produced using the methods of microelectronics
mi·cro·elec·tro·pho·re·sis [-i-,lek-trə-fə-'rē-səs] -n, adj, adv
- electrophoresis in which the movement of single particles is observed in a microscope
- electrophoresis in which micromethods are used
mi·cro·el·e·ment [-'e-lə-mənt] -n
- trace element
mi·cro·en·cap·su·late [-in-'kap-sə-,lāt] -vt, n
- to enclose in a microcapsule
mi·cro·en·ter·prise [-'en-tə(r)-,prīz] -n
- a very small business
mi·cro·en·vi·ron·ment [-in-'vī-rən-mənt, -'vī(-ə)rn-] -n, adj
- a small or relatively small usu. distinctly specialized and effectively isolated habitat (as a forest canopy) or environment (as of a neuron)
mi·cro·evo·lu·tion [-,e-və-'lü-shən also -,ē-və-] -n, adj
- comparatively minor evolutionary change involving the accumulation of variations in populations usu. below the species level
mi·cro·far·ad ['mī-krō-,fa-,rad, -,fa-rəd] -n
- a unit of capacitance equal to one millionth of a farad
mi·cro·fau·na [,mī-krō-'fȯ-nə, -'fä-] -n, adj
- minute animals
- those invisible to the naked eye
- a small or strictly localized fauna (as of a microenvironment)
mi·cro·fi·ber ['mī-krō-,fī-bər] -n
- a fine usu. soft polyester fiber
- a fabric made from such fibers
mi·cro·fi·bril [,mī-krō-'fī-brəl, -'fi-] -n, adj
- a fine fibril
- one of the submicroscopic elongated bundles of cellulose of a plant cell wall
mi·cro·fiche ['mī-krō-,fēsh, -,fish] -n
- a sheet of microfilm containing rows of images of pages of printed matter
mi·cro·fil·a·ment [,mī-krō-'fi-lə-mənt] -n
- any of the minute actin-containing protein filaments of eukaryotic cytoplasm that function in maintaining structure and in intracellular movement
mi·cro·fi·lar·ia [-fə-'ler-ē-ə] -n, adj
- a minute larval filaria
mi·cro·film ['mī-krə-,film] -n
- a film bearing a photographic record on a reduced scale of printed or other graphic matter
microfilm [,mī-krə-'fil-mə-bəl] -vt, adj, n
- to reproduce on microfilm
- to make microfilms
mi·cro·flo·ra [,mī-krə-'flȯr-ə] -n, adj
- microscopic flora
- a small or strictly localized flora (as of a microenvironment)
mi·cro·form ['mī-krə-,fȯrm] -n
- a process for reproducing printed matter in a much reduced size
- matter reproduced by microform
mi·cro·fos·sil [,mī-krō-'fä-səl] -n
- a small fossil that typically can be studied only microscopically and that may be either a fragment of a larger organism or an entire minute organism
mi·cro·fun·gus [-'fəŋ-gəs] -n
- a fungus (as a mold) with a microscopic fruiting body
mi·cro·ga·mete [-'ga-,mēt also -gə-'mēt] -n
- the smaller and usu. male gamete of a heterogamous organism
mi·cro·ga·me·to·cyte [-gə-'mē-tə-,sīt] -n
- a gametocyte producing microgametes
mi·cro·gram ['mī-krə-,gram] -n
- one millionth of a gram
mi·cro·graph [-,graf] -n, vt
- a graphic reproduction of the image of an object formed by a microscope
mi·cro·graph·ics [,mī-krə-'gra-fiks] -n pl but sing in constr, adj, adv
- the industry concerned with the manufacture and sale of graphic material in microform
- the production of such material
mi·cro·grav·i·ty [-'gra-və-tē] -n
- a condition in space in which only minuscule forces are experienced : virtual absence of gravity
- a condition of weightlessness
mi·cro·green ['mī-krō-,grēn] -n
- a shoot of a standard salad plant (as celery or arugula)
mi·cro·groove ['mī-krō-,grüv] -n
- a narrow continuous V-shaped spiral track that has closely spaced turns and that is used on long-playing records
mi·cro·hab·i·tat [,mī-krō-'ha-bə-,tat] -n
- the microenvironment in which an organism lives
- decaying wood creates a microhabitat for insects
mi·cro·im·age [-'i-mij] -n
- an image (as on a microfilm) that is greatly reduced in size
mi·cro·inch [-'inch] -n
- one millionth of an inch
mi·cro·in·jec·tion [,mī-krō-in-'jek-shən] -n, vt
- injection under the microscope
- injection by means of a micropipette into a tissue or a single cell
mi·cro·in·struc·tion [-'strək-shən] -n
- a computer instruction that activates the circuits necessary to perform a single machine operation usu. as part of the execution of a machine-language instruction
mi·cro·lep·i·dop·tera [,mī-krō-,le-pə-'däp-tə-rə] -n pl, adj
- lepidopterous insects (as tortricids) that belong to families of minute or medium-sized moths
mi·cro·li·ter ['mī-krō-,lē-tər] -n
- a unit of capacity equal to one millionth of a liter
mi·cro·lith ['mī-krə-,lith] -n, adj
- a tiny blade tool esp. of the Mesolithic usu. in a geometric shape (as that of a triangle) and often set in a bone or wooden haft
mi·cro·man·age [,mī-krō-'ma-nij] -vt, n
- to manage esp. with excessive control or attention to details
- to direct or conduct the activities of a group or an enterprise by micromanaging them
mi·cro·ma·nip·u·la·tion [,mī-krō-mə-,ni-pyə-'lā-shən] -n
- the technique or practice of manipulating cells or tissues
mi·cro·ma·nip·u·la·tor [-'ni-pyə-,lā-tər] -n
- an instrument for micromanipulation
mi·cro·mere ['mī-krō-,mir] -n
- a small blastomere
mi·cro·me·te·or·ite [,mī-krō-'mē-tē-ə-,rīt] -n, adj
- a meteorite so small that it can pass through the earth's atmosphere without becoming intensely heated
- a very small particle in interplanetary space
mi·cro·me·te·or·oid [-'mē-tē-ə-,rȯid] -n
- micrometeorite
mi·cro·me·te·o·rol·o·gy [-,mē-tē-ə-'rä-lə-jē] -n, adj
- meteorology that deals with small-scale weather systems ranging up to several kilometers in diameter and confined to the lower troposphere
mi·crom·e·ter [mī-'krä-mə-tər] -n
- an instrument used with a telescope or microscope for measuring minute distances
- a caliper for making precise measurements that has a spindle moved by a finely threaded screw
mi·cro·me·ter ['mī-krō-,mē-tər] -n
- a unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter called also micron
mi·cro·meth·od ['mī-krō-,me-thəd] -n
- a method (as of microanalysis) that requires only very small quantities of material or that involves the use of the microscope
mi·cro·mini [,mī-krō-'mi-nē] -n
- a very short miniskirt
mi·cro·min·i·a·ture [-'mi-nē-ə-,chu̇r, -'mi-ni-,chu̇r, -'min-yə-, -chər, -,tyu̇r, -,tu̇r] -adj
- microminiaturized
- suitable for use with microminiaturized parts
mi·cro·min·i·a·tur·i·za·tion [-,mi-nē-ə-,chu̇r-ə-'zā-shən, -,mi-ni-,chu̇r-, -,min-yə-,chu̇r-, -chər-, -,tyu̇r-, -,tu̇r-] -n
- the process of producing microminiaturized things
mi·cro·min·i·a·tur·ized [-'mi-nē-ə-chə-,rīzd, -'mi-ni-chə-, -'min-yə-chə-, -,tyu̇-, -,tu̇-] -adj
- reduced to or produced in a very small size and esp. in a size smaller than one considered miniature
mi·cro·mole ['mī-krə-,mōl] -n, adj
- one millionth of a mole
mi·cro·mor·phol·o·gy [,mī-krō-mȯr-'fä-lə-jē] -n, adj
- microstructure
mi·cron ['mī-,krän] -n
- micrometer
Mi·cro·ne·sian [,mī-krə-'nē-zhən, -shən] -n, adj
- a native or inhabitant of Micronesia
- a group of Austronesian languages spoken in the Micronesian islands
mi·cron·ize ['mī-krə-,nīz] -vt
- to pulverize esp. into particles a few micrometers in diameter
mi·cro·nu·cle·us [,mī-krō-'nü-klē-əs, -'nyü-] -n
- a minute nucleus
- one that is primarily concerned with reproductive and genetic functions in most ciliated protozoans
mi·cro·nu·tri·ent [-'nü-trē-ənt, -'nyü-] -n
- trace element
- an organic compound (as a vitamin) essential in minute amounts to the growth and health of an animal
mi·cro·or·gan·ism [-'ȯr-gə-,ni-zəm] -n
- an organism (as a bacterium or protozoan) of microscopic or ultramicroscopic size
mi·cro·pa·le·on·tol·o·gy [-,pā-lē-,än-'tä-lə-jē, -lē-ən-, esp Brit -,pa-] -n, adj
- the study of microscopic fossils
mi·cro·par·ti·cle [-'pär-ti-kəl] -n
- a very small particle
- one that is microscopic in size
mi·cro·phage ['mī-krə-,fāj also -,fäzh] -n
- a small phagocyte
mi·cro·phone ['mī-krə-,fōn] -n, adj
- an instrument whereby sound waves are caused to generate or modulate an electric current usu. for the purpose of transmitting or recording sound (as speech or music)
mi·cro·phon·ics [,mī-krə-'fä-niks] -n pl
- noises in a loudspeaker caused by mechanical shock or vibration of the electronic components
mi·cro·pho·to·graph [-'fō-tə-,graf] -n, vt, adj
- a small photograph that is normally magnified for viewing
- photomicrograph
mi·cro·pho·tom·e·ter [-fō-'tä-mə-tər] -n, adj, adv
- an instrument for measuring the amount of light transmitted or reflected by small areas or for measuring the relative densities of spectral lines on a photographic film or plate
mi·cro·phyll ['mī-krə-,fil] -n, adj
- a leaf (as of a club moss) with single unbranched veins and no demonstrable gap around the leaf trace
- a small leaf
mi·cro·phys·ics [,mī-krō-'fi-ziks] -n, adj, adv
- the physics of molecules, atoms, and elementary particles
mi·cro·pi·pette [-pī-'pet] -n
- a pipette for the measurement of minute volumes
- a small and extremely fine-pointed pipette used in making microinjections
mi·cro·plank·ton [-'plaŋ(k)-tən, -,tän] -n
- microscopic plankton
mi·cro·pol·i·tan [,mī-krō-'pä-lə-tən] -adj
- of, relating to, or being a population area that includes a city with 10,000 to 50,000 residents and its surrounding communities
mi·cro·pore ['mī-krə-,pȯr] -n, adj
- a very fine pore
mi·cro·prism ['mī-krə-,pri-zəm] -n
- a usu. circular area on the focusing screen of a camera that is made up of tiny prisms and that causes the image in the viewfinder to blur if the subject is not in focus
mi·cro·probe [-,prōb] -n
- a device for microanalysis that operates by exciting radiation in a minute area of material so that the composition may be determined from the emission spectrum
mi·cro·pro·ces·sor [,mī-krō-'prä-,se-sər, -'prō-] -n
- a computer processor contained on an integrated-circuit chip
- such a processor with memory and associated circuits
mi·cro·pro·gram [-'prō-,gram, -grəm] -n
- a routine composed of microinstructions used in microprogramming
mi·cro·pro·gram·ming [-,gra-miŋ] -n
- the use of routines stored in memory rather than specialized circuits to control a device (as a computer)
mi·cro·pro·jec·tor [-prə-'jek-tər] -n
- a projector utilizing a compound microscope for projecting on a screen a greatly enlarged image of a microscopic object
mi·cro·pub·lish·ing [-'pə-bli-shiŋ] -n
- publishing in microform
mi·cro·pul·sa·tion [-,pəl-'sā-shən] -n
- a pulsation having a short period
- a micropulsation of the earth's magnetic field with a period in the range from a fraction of a second to several hundred seconds
mi·cro·punc·ture [-'pəŋ(k)-chər] -n
- an extremely small puncture (as of a nephron)
- an act of making a micropuncture
mi·cro·pyle ['mī-krə-,pī(-ə)l] -n, adj
- a minute opening in the integument of an ovule of a seed plant
- a differentiated area of surface in an egg through which a sperm enters
mi·cro·quake ['mī-krō-,kwāk] -n
- microearthquake
mi·cro·ra·di·og·ra·phy [,mī-krō-,rā-dē-'ä-grə-fē] -n, adj
- radiography in which an X-ray photograph is prepared showing minute internal structure
mi·cro·sat·el·lite [,mī-krō-'sa-tə-,līt] -n
- any of numerous short segments of DNA that are distributed throughout the genome, that consist of repeated sequences of usu. two to five nucleotides, and that tend to vary from one individual to another
mi·cro·scale ['mī-krō-,skāl] -n
- a very small scale
mi·cro·scope ['mī-krə-,skōp] -n
- an optical instrument consisting of a lens or combination of lenses for making enlarged images of minute objects
- compound microscope
- a non-optical instrument (as one using radiations other than light or using vibrations) for making enlarged images of minute objects
mi·cro·scop·ic [,mī-krə-'skä-pik] -adj, adv
- resembling a microscope esp. in perception
- invisible or indistinguishable without the use of a microscope
- very small or fine or precise
- of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy
mi·cros·co·py [mī-'kräs-kə-pē] -n
- the use of or investigation with a microscope
mi·cro·sec·ond ['mī-krō-,se-kənd, -kənt] -n
- one millionth of a second
mi·cro·seism ['mī-krə-,sī-zəm] -n, adj
- a feeble rhythmically and persistently recurring earth tremor
mi·cro·sen·sor ['mī-krō-,sen-,sȯr, -,sen(t)-sər] -n
- a miniature sensor
mi·cro·some ['mī-krə-,sōm] -n, adj
- any of various minute cellular structures
- a particle in a particulate fraction that is obtained by heavy centrifugation of broken cells and consists of various amounts of ribosomes, fragmented endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondrial cristae
mi·cro·spec·tro·pho·tom·e·ter [,mī-krə-,spek-trə-fō-'tä-mə-tər] -n, adj
- a spectrophotometer adapted to the examination of light transmitted by a very small specimen (as a single biological cell)
mi·cro·sphere ['mī-krə-,sfir] -n, adj
- a minute sphere
mi·cro·spo·ran·gi·um [,mī-krō-spə-'ran-jē-əm] -n, adj
- a sporangium that develops only microspores
mi·cro·spore ['mī-krə-,spȯr] -n, adj
- any of the spores in heterosporous plants that give rise to male gametophytes and are generally smaller than the megaspore
mi·cro·spo·ro·cyte [-'spȯr-ə-,sīt] -n
- a microspore mother cell
mi·cro·spo·ro·gen·e·sis [,mī-krə-,spȯr-ə-'je-nə-səs] -n
- the formation and maturation of microspores
mi·cro·spo·ro·phyll [-,fil] -n
- a sporophyll that develops only microsporangia
mi·cro·state ['mī-krō-,stāt] -n
- a nation that is extremely small in area and population
mi·cro·struc·ture ['mī-krō-,strək-chər] -n, adj
- the microscopic structure of a material (as a mineral or a biological cell)
mi·cro·sur·gery [,mī-krō-'sərj-rē, -'sər-jə-] -n, adj
- minute dissection or manipulation (as by a micromanipulator or laser beam) of living structures or tissue
mi·cro·switch [-,swich] -n
- a very small switch that is sensitive to minute motions and is used esp. in automatic devices
mi·cro·tech·nique [,mī-krō-tek-'nēk] -n
- any of various methods of handling and preparing material for microscopic observation and study
mi·cro·tech·nol·o·gy [-tek-'nä-lə-jē] -n
- technology on a small or microscopic scale
mi·cro·ti·ter ['mī-krō-,tī-tər] -n
- a titer determined by microanalytical titration usu. used attributively
mi·cro·tome ['mī-krə-,tōm] -n
- an instrument for cutting sections (as of biological tissues) for microscopic examination
mi·cro·tone ['mī-krə-,tōn] -n, adj, adv
- a musical interval smaller than a halftone
mi·cro·tu·bule [,mī-krō-'tü-(,)byül, -'tyü-] -n, adj
- any of the minute tubules in eukaryotic cytoplasm that are composed of the protein tubulin and form an important component of the cytoskeleton, mitotic spindle, cilia, and flagella
mi·cro·vas·cu·lar [-'vas-kyə-lər] -adj, n
- of, relating to, or constituting the part of the circulatory system made up of minute vessels (as venules or capillaries) that average less than 0.3 millimeters in diameter
mi·cro·vil·lus [-'vi-ləs] -n, adj
- a microscopic projection of a tissue, cell, or cell organelle
- any of the fingerlike outward projections of some cell surfaces
mi·cro·volt ['mī-krə-,vōlt] -n
- one millionth of a volt
mi·cro·watt [-,wät] -n
- one millionth of a watt
mi·cro·wave [-,wāv] -n
- a comparatively short electromagnetic wave
- one between about one millimeter and one meter in wavelength
- microwave oven
microwave [,mī-krə-'wā-və-bəl] -vt, adj
- to cook or heat in a microwave oven
microwave oven -n
- an oven in which food is cooked by the heat produced by the absorption of microwave energy by water molecules in the food
mi·cro·world [-,wər(-ə)ld] -n
- a small universe
- the natural universe observed at the microscopic or submicroscopic level
mic·tu·rate ['mik-chə-,rāt, 'mik-tə-] -vi, n
- urinate
mid ['mid] -adj, adv
- being the part in the middle or midst often used in combination
- occupying a middle position
- articulated with the arch of the tongue midway between its highest and its lowest elevation
- amid
mid·air ['mid-'er] -n
- a point or region in the air not immediately adjacent to the ground
- the planes collided in midair
Mi·das ['mī-dəs] -n
- a legendary Phrygian king who is given the power of turning everything he touches to gold
Midas touch -n
- an uncanny ability for making money in every venture
mid·brain ['mid-,brān] -n
- the middle of the three primary divisions of the developing vertebrate brain or the corresponding part of the adult brain between the forebrain and hindbrain that includes the tectum, tegmentum, and substantia nigra called also mesencephalon
mid·course [-'kȯrs] -adj
- being or occurring in the middle part of a course (as of a spacecraft)
mid·day ['mid-,dā, -'dā] -n
- the middle of the day
mid·den ['mi-dᵊn] -n
- dunghill
- a refuse heap
- kitchen midden
- a small pile (as of seeds, bones, or leaves) gathered by a rodent (as a pack rat)
mid·dle ['mi-dᵊl] -adj
- equally distant from the extremes : medial, central
- the middle house in the row
- being at neither extreme : intermediate
- constituting a division intermediate between those prior and later or upper and lower
- constituting a period of a language or literature intermediate between one called Oldand one called Newor Modern
- typically asserting that a person or thing both performs and is affected by the action represented
middle -n
- a middle part, point, or position
- the central portion of the human body : waist
- the position of being among or in the midst of something
- in the middle of the crowd
- something intermediate between extremes : mean
- the center of an offensive or defensive formation
- the area between the second baseman and the shortstop
middle age [,mi-dᵊl-'ājd] -n, adj
- the period of life from about 45 to about 64
Middle Ages -n pl
- the period of European history from about a.d.500 to about 1500
Middle America -n, adj
- the region of the western hemisphere including Mexico, Central America, often the West Indies, and sometimes Colombia and Venezuela
- the midwestern section of the U.S.
- the middle-class segment of the U.S. population
- the traditional or conservative element of the middle class
mid·dle·brow ['mi-dᵊl-,brau̇] -n, adj
- a person who is moderately but not highly cultivated
middle C -n
- the note designated by the first ledger line below the treble staff and the first above the bass staff
mid·dleclass [,mi-dᵊl-'klas] -adj, n
- of or relating to the middle class
- characterized by a high material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for property
middle class -n
- a class occupying a position between the upper class and the lower class
- a fluid heterogeneous socioeconomic grouping composed principally of business and professional people, bureaucrats, and some farmers and skilled workers sharing common social characteristics and values
middle distance -n
- a part of a pictorial representation or scene between the foreground and the background
- any footrace distance usu. from 800 to 1500 meters or from 880 yards to one mile
Middle Dutch -n
- the Dutch language in use from about 1100 to about 1500
middle ear -n
- a small membrane-lined cavity that is separated from the outer ear by the tympanic membrane and that transmits sound waves from the tympanic membrane to the partition between the middle and inner ears through a chain of tiny bones
Middle English -n
- the English in use from the 12th to 15th centuries
middle finger -n
- the midmost of the five digits of the hand
Middle French -n
- the French in use from the 14th to 16th centuries
middle game -n
- the middle phase of a board game
- the part of a chess game after the pieces have been developed when players attempt to gain and exploit positional and material superiority
Middle Greek -n
- the Greek language used in the 7th to 15th centuries
middle ground -n
- a standpoint or area midway between extreme or opposing positions, options, or objectives
- middle distance
Middle High German -n
- the High German in use from about 1100 to 1500
Middle Irish -n
- the Irish in use between the 10th and 13th centuries
middle lamella -n
- a layer of pectinaceous intercellular material lying between the walls of adjacent plant cells
Middle Low German -n
- the Low German in use from about 1100 to 1500
mid·dle·man ['mi-dᵊl-,man] -n
- an intermediary or agent between two parties
- a dealer, agent, or company intermediate between the producer of goods and the retailer or consumer
middle management -n
- management personnel intermediate between operational supervisors and policy-making administrators
middle name -n
- a name between one's first name and surname
- a term that is particularly apt to denote a person's qualities or affinities
- patience is her middle name
middleoftheroad [-'rō-dər] -adj, n
- standing for or following a course of action midway between extremes
- being neither liberal nor conservative in politics
middle of the road
- a course of action or a standpoint midway between extremes
Middle Passage -n
- the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas
Middle Persian -n
- any of the varieties of Persian in use from about 200 b.c.to about a.d.1000
mid·dler ['mid-lər, 'mi-dᵊl-ər] -n
- : one belonging to an intermediate group, division, or class: as
- a student in the second-year class of a three-year program (as at a seminary or law school)
- a student in the second- or third-year class in some private secondary schools having a four-year course
- a student in a division in some private schools that corresponds approximately to junior high school
middle school [-,skü-lər] -n
- a school usu. including grades five to eight or six to eight
Middle Scots -n
- the Scots language in use between the latter half of the 15th and the early decades of the 17th centuries
middle term -n
- the term of a syllogism that occurs in both premises
mid·dle·weight ['mi-dᵊl-,wāt] -n
- one of average weight
- a boxer in a weight division having a maximum limit of 160 pounds for professionals and 165 pounds for amateurs
Middle Welsh -n
- the Welsh in use from about 1150 to 1500
mid·dling ['mid-liŋ, -lən] -adj, adv
- of middle, medium, or moderate size, degree, or quality
- mediocre, second-rate
- of, relating to, or being a middle class
middling -n
- any of various commodities of intermediate size, quality, or position
- a granular product of grain milling
- a wheat milling by-product used in animal feeds
mid·dor·sal ['mid-'dȯr-səl] -adj
- of, relating to, or situated in the middle part or median line of the back
mid·dy ['mi-dē] -n
- midshipman
- a loosely fitting blouse with a sailor collar worn by women and children
mid·field ['mid-,fēld, ,mid-'] -n
- the middle portion of a field
- the portion of a playing field (as in football) that is midway between goals
- the players on a team (as in lacrosse or soccer) that normally play in the midfield
mid·field·er [-,fēl-dər, -'fēl-] -n
- a member of a midfield
Mid·gard ['mid-,gärd] -n
- the abode of human beings in Norse mythology
midge ['mij] -n
- a tiny dipteran fly (as a chironomid)
midg·et ['mi-jət] -n
- something (as an animal) much smaller than usual
- a very small person
- a person of unusually small size who is physically well-proportioned
- a front-engine, single-seat, open-wheel racing car smaller and of less engine displacement than standard cars of the type
mid·gut ['mid-,gət] -n
- the middle part of an alimentary canal
midi ['mi-dē] -n
- a dress, skirt, or coat that usu. extends to the mid-calf
MIDI ['mi-dē] -n
- an electronic standard used for the transmission of digitally encoded music
Mid·i·an·ite ['mi-dē-ə-,nīt] -n
- a member of an ancient northern Arabian people
mid·land ['mid-lənd, -,land] -n, adj
- the interior or central region of a country
- the dialect of English spoken in the midland counties of England
- the dialect of English spoken in an area of the east central U.S. often divided into north Midland extending westward from an area including southern New Jersey; northern Delaware and Maryland; central and southern Pennsylvania; and central Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois and south Midland extending westward and southwestward from an area including the Appalachian regions of Virginia, No. Carolina, So. Carolina, and Georgia; Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia; and southern Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois
mid·lat·i·tudes ['mid-'la-tə-,tüdz, ,mid-, -,tyüdz] -n pl, adj
- latitudes of the temperate zones or from about 30 to 60 degrees north or south of the equator
mid·life ['mid-'līf] -n, adj
- middle age
midlife crisis -n
- a period of emotional turmoil in middle age characterized esp. by a strong desire for change
mid·line ['mid-,līn, -'līn] -n
- a median line
- the median line or median plane of the body or some part of the body
mid·most [-,mōst] -adj, adv or n
- being in or near the exact middle
- most intimate : innermost
Midn -abbr
- midshipman
mid·night ['mid-,nīt] -n, adj, adv or adj
- the middle of the night
- 12 o'clock at night
- deep or extended darkness or gloom
midnight blue -n
- a deep blackish blue
midnight sun -n
- the sun above the horizon at midnight in the arctic or antarctic summer
midocean ridge ['mid-'ō-shən-] -n
- an elevated region with a central valley on an ocean floor at the boundary between two diverging tectonic plates where new crust forms from upwelling magma
mid·point ['mid-,pȯint, -'pȯint] -n
- a point at or near the center or middle
mid·rash ['mi-,dräsh] -n, adj
- a haggadic or halachic exposition of the underlying significance of a Bible text
- a collection of midrashim
- the midrashic literature written during the first Christian millennium
mid·rib ['mid-,rib] -n
- the central vein of a leaf
mid·riff ['mi-,drif] -n
- diaphragm
- the mid-region of the human torso
- a section of a woman's garment that covers the midriff
- a woman's garment that exposes the midriff
midrise ['mid-,rīz, -'rīz] -adj
- being approximately 5 to 10 stories high
mid·sag·it·tal ['mid-'sa-jə-tᵊl] -adj
- median and sagittal
mid·sec·tion [-,sek-shən] -n
- a section midway between the extremes
- midriff
mid·ship·man ['mid-,ship-mən, ,mid-'] -n
- a person in training for a naval commission
- a student in a naval academy
mid·ships ['mid-,ships] -adv
- amidships
mid·size [-,sīz] -adj
- of intermediate size
mid·sole [-,sōl] -n
- a layer (as of leather or rubber) between the insole and the outsole of a shoe
midst ['midst, 'mitst] -n, prep
- the interior or central part or point : middle
- in the midst of the forest
- a position of proximity to the members of a group
- the condition of being surrounded or beset
- in the midst of his troubles
- a period of time about the middle of a continuing act or condition
mid·stream ['mid-'strēm, -,strēm] -n
- the middle of a stream
- an intermediate stage in an act or process
- the tone changes in midstream
mid·sum·mer [-'sə-mər, -,səm-] -n, adj
- the middle of summer
- the summer solstice
Midsummer Day -n
- June 24 celebrated as the feast of the nativity of John the Baptist
mid·term ['mid-,tərm (usual for 1b), -'tərm] -n
- the middle of an academic term
- an examination at midterm
- the approximate middle of a term of office
mid·town ['mid-,tau̇n, -'tau̇n] -n, adj
- a central section of a city
- one situated between sections conventionally called downtownand uptown
mid·way ['mid-,wā, -'wā] -adv
- in the middle of the way or distance : halfway
- an avenue at a fair, carnival, or amusement park for concessions and amusements
mid·week [-,wēk] -n, adj or adv
- the middle of the week
mid·wife ['mid-,wīf] -n
- a person who assists women in childbirth
- one that helps to produce or bring forth something
midwife [-,wīft] -vt
- to assist in producing, bringing forth, or bringing about
mid·wife·ry [,mid-'wi-f(ə-)rē, -'wī-; 'mid-,wī-] -n
- the art or act of assisting at childbirth
- obstetrics
- the art, act, or process of producing, bringing forth, or bringing about
mid·win·ter ['mid-'win-tər, -,win-] -n, adj
- the winter solstice
- the middle of winter
mid·year [-,yir] -n, adj
- an examination at the middle of an academic year
- the set of examinations at the middle of an academic year
- the period of such examinations
- the middle or middle portion of a calendar year
- the middle of an academic year
mien ['mēn] -n
- air or bearing esp. as expressive of attitude or personality : demeanor
- appearance, aspect
mi·fep·ris·tone [,mi-fə-'pris-,tōn, mi-'fe-pri-,stōn] -n
- ru-486
miff ['mif] -n
- a fit of ill humor
- a trivial quarrel
- to put into an ill humor : offend
might ['mīt] -verbal auxiliary
- used in auxiliary function to express permission, liberty, probability, possibility in the past
- the president might do nothing without the board's consent
or a present condition contrary to fact - if you were older you might understand
or less probability or possibility than may - might get there before it rains
or as a polite alternative to may - might I ask who is calling
or to ought or should - you might at least apologize
- the power, authority, or resources wielded (as by an individual or group)
- bodily strength
- the power, energy, or intensity of which one is capable
- striving with might and main
- a great deal
might·i·ly ['mī-tə-lē] -adv
- in a mighty manner : vigorously
- very much
might·i·ness ['mī-tē-nəs] -n
- the quality or state of being mighty
mightn't ['mī-tᵊnt]
- might not
mighty ['mī-tē] -adj
- possessing might : powerful
- accomplished or characterized by might
- great or imposing in size or extent : extraordinary
- extremely, very
mi·gnon [mēn-'yōⁿ, min-'yȯn] -n
- filet mignon
mi·gnon·ette [,min-yə-'net] -n
- any of a genus ( Resedaof the family Resedaceae, the mignonette family) of herbs
- a garden annual ( R. odorata) bearing racemes of fragrant whitish flowers
- a sauce made typically with vinegar, pepper, and herbs and served esp. with oysters
mi·graine ['mī-,grān, Brit often 'mē-] -n, adj
- a condition marked by recurrent severe headache often with nausea and vomiting
- an episode or attack of migraine
mi·grain·eur [,mē-gre-'nər] -n
- an individual who experiences migraines
mi·grant ['mī-grənt] -n, adj
- : one that migrates: as
- a person who moves regularly in order to find work esp. in harvesting crops
- an animal that shifts from one habitat to another
mi·grate ['mī-,grāt, mī-'] -vi, n, adj
- to move from one country, place, or locality to another
- to pass usu. periodically from one region or climate to another for feeding or breeding
- to change position in an organism or substance
- filarial worms migrate within the human body
mi·gra·to·ry ['mī-grə-,tȯr-ē] -adj
- of, relating to, or characterized by migration
- wandering, roving
mih·rab ['mē-rəb] -n
- a niche or chamber in a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca
mi·ka·do [mə-'kä-(,)dō] -n
- an emperor of Japan
mike ['mīk] -n
- microphone
- to supply with a microphone
Mike ['mīk]
- a communications code word for the letter m
mil ['mil] -n
- thousand
- found a salinity of 38.4 per mil
- a monetary unit formerly used in Cyprus equal to pound
- a unit of length equal to inch used esp. in measuring thickness (as of plastic films)
- a unit of angular measurement equal to of 360 degrees and used esp. in artillery
- a million dollars
- military
mi·la·dy [mi-'lā-dē, US also mī-] -n
- an Englishwoman of noble or gentle birth
- a woman of fashion
milch ['milk, 'milch, 'milks] -adj
- milk
mil·chig ['mil-k̲ik] -adj
- made of or derived from milk or dairy products
mild ['mī(-ə)ld] -adj, adv, n
- gentle in nature or behavior
- moderate in action or effect
- not sharp, spicy, or bitter
- not being or involving what is extreme
- an analysis under mild conditions
- not severe : temperate
mil·dew ['mil-,dü, -,dyü] -n, adj
- a superficial usu. whitish growth produced esp. on organic matter or living plants by fungi (as of the families Erysiphaceae and Peronosporaceae)
- a fungus producing mildew
- a discoloration caused by fungi
mildew -vt
- to affect with or as if with mildew
- to become affected with mildew
mil·dew·cide ['mil-,d(y)ü-,sīd] -n
- an agent that destroys mildew
mild steel -n
- a low-carbon structural steel that is easily worked
mile ['mī(-ə)l] -n
- : any of various units of distance: as
- a unit equal to 5280 feet
- nautical mile
- a race of a mile
- a relatively great distance, degree, or interval used chiefly adverbially in pl.
- was mile s ahead of them in education
mile·age ['mī-lij] -n
- an allowance for traveling expenses at a certain rate per mile
- : aggregate length or distance in miles: as
- the total miles traveled esp. in a given period of time
- the amount of service that something will yield esp. as expressed in terms of miles of travel
- the average number of miles a motor vehicle will travel on a gallon of gasoline that is used as a measure of fuel economy
- usefulness
- got a lot of mileage left in it
- benefit derived from something
- got good political mileage from the debates
mile·post ['mī(-ə)l-,pōst] -n
- a post indicating the distance in miles from or to a given point
- a post placed a mile from a similar post
- milestone
mil·er ['mī-lər] -n
- one that is a specified number of miles in length used in combination
- one that competes in mile races often qualified in combination
mi·les glo·ri·o·sus ['mē-,lās-,glȯr-ə-'ō-səs] -n
- a boastful soldier
- a stock character of this type in comedy
mile·stone ['mī(-ə)l-,stōn] -n
- a stone serving as a milepost
- a significant point in development
mil·foil ['mil-,fȯi(-ə)l] -n
- yarrow
- water milfoil
mil·i·ar·ia [,mi-lē-'er-ē-ə] -n, adj
- an inflammatory disorder of the skin that is characterized by redness, eruptions (as of vesicles), and burning or itching due to blockage of sweat gland ducts
- prickly heat
mil·i·ary ['mi-lē-,er-ē] -adj
- having or made up of many small projections or lesions
mi·lieu [mēl-'yə(r), -'yü, -'yœ; 'mēl-,yü] -n
- the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment
mil·i·tance ['mi-lə-tən(t)s] -n
- militancy
mil·i·tan·cy [-tən(t)-sē] -n
- the quality or state of being militant
mil·i·tant [-tənt] -adj, n, adv
- engaged in warfare or combat : fighting
- aggressively active (as in a cause) : combative
- militant conservationists
mil·i·tar·ia [,mi-lə-'ter-ē-ə] -n pl
- military objects (as firearms and uniforms) of historical value or interest
mil·i·tari·ly [,mi-lə-'ter-ə-lē] -adv
- in a military manner
- from a military standpoint
mil·i·ta·rise ['mi-lə-tə-,rīz] -vt, n
(variant of militarize)
- to give a military character to
- to equip with military forces and defenses
- to adapt for military use
mil·i·ta·rism ['mi-lə-tə-,ri-zəm] -n, n or adj, adj, adv
- predominance of the military class or its ideals
- exaltation of military virtues and ideals
- a policy of aggressive military preparedness
mil·i·ta·rize ['mi-lə-tə-,rīz] -vt, n
- to give a military character to
- to equip with military forces and defenses
- to adapt for military use
mil·i·tary ['mi-lə-,ter-ē] -adj
- of or relating to soldiers, arms, or war
- of or relating to armed forces
- of or relating to ground or sometimes ground and air forces as opposed to naval forces
- performed or made by armed forces
- supported by armed force
- of or relating to the army
military -n
- military persons
- army officers
- armed forces
militaryindustrial complex -n
- an informal alliance of the military and related government departments with defense industries that is held to influence government policy
military police -n
- a branch of an army that exercises guard and police functions
military press -n
- press
military science -n
- the principles of military conflict
military time -n
- time measured in hours numbered to twenty-four (as 0100 or 2300) from one midnight to the next
mil·i·tate ['mi-lə-,tāt] -vi
- to have weight or effect
- his boyish appearance militated against his getting an early promotion
mi·li·tia [mə-'li-shə] -n
- a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency
- a body of citizens organized for military service
- the whole body of able-bodied male citizens declared by law as being subject to call to military service
mi·li·tia·man [-mən] -n
- a member of a militia
mil·i·um ['mi-lē-əm] -n
- whitehead
milk ['milk] -n
- a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young
- cow's milk used as a food by humans
- lactation
- : a liquid resembling milk in appearance: as
- the latex of a plant
- the juice of a coconut composed of liquid endosperm
- the contents of an unripe kernel of grain
- to draw milk from the breasts or udder of
- suckle
- to draw (milk) from the breast or udder
- suckle used of domestic animals
- : to draw something from as if by milking: as
- to induce (a snake) to eject venom
- to draw or coerce profit or advantage from illicitly or to an extreme degree : exploit
- milk the joke for all it's worth
- to draw or yield milk
- giving milk
- bred or suitable primarily for milk production
milkandwater -adj
- weak, insipid
milk chocolate -n
- chocolate made with milk solids
milk·er ['mil-kər] -n
- one that milks an animal
- one that yields milk
milk fat -n
- butterfat
milk fever -n
- a febrile disorder following parturition
- a disease of fresh cows, sheep, or goats that is caused by excessive drain on the body mineral reserves during the establishment of the milk flow
milk·fish ['milk-,fish] -n
- a large fork-tailed silvery herbivorous food fish ( Chanos chanos) of warm parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans that is the sole living representative of its family (Chanidae)
milk glass -n
- an opaque and typically milky white glass used esp. for novelty and ornamental objects
milk house -n
- a building for the cooling, handling, or bottling of milk
milk leg -n
- a painful swelling of the leg caused by inflammation and clotting in the veins and affecting some postpartum women
milkliv·ered ['milk-,li-vərd] -adj
- cowardly, timorous
milk·maid [-,mād] -n
- dairymaid
milk·man [-,man, -mən] -n
- a person who sells or delivers milk and milk products
milk of magnesia
- a milky white suspension of magnesium hydroxide in water used as an antacid and laxative
milk punch -n
- a mixed drink of alcoholic liquor, milk, and sugar
milk run -n
- a short, routine, or uneventful flight
milk shake -n
- a thoroughly shaken or blended drink made of milk, a flavoring syrup, and often ice cream
milk sickness -n
- an acute disease characterized by weakness, vomiting, and constipation and caused by eating dairy products or meat from cattle poisoned by various plants
- tremble
milk snake -n
- a common harmless grayish or tan American colubrid snake ( Lampropeltis triangulum) having an arrow-shaped occipital marking and brown blotches on the body bordered with black or rings usu. of black, red, and yellow
- king snake
milk·sop ['milk-,säp] -n
- an unmanly man : mollycoddle
milk sugar -n
- lactose
milk thistle -n
- a tall thistle ( Silybum marianum) having white-veined dark green leaves and large purple flower heads that is native to the Mediterranean region but has become naturalized elsewhere including the U.S.
- an extract of milk thistle and esp. its seeds that is held to protect the liver from damage or disease
milk tooth -n
- a temporary tooth of a young mammal
- one of the human dentition including four incisors, two canines, and four molars in each jaw called also baby tooth deciduous tooth
milk vein -n
- a large subcutaneous vein that extends along the lower side of the abdomen of a cow and returns blood from the udder
milk vetch -n
- any of a genus ( Astragalus) of annual or perennial leguminous herbs of north temperate regions
milk·weed ['milk-,wēd] -n
- any of various plants that secrete latex
- any of a genus ( Asclepiasof the family Asclepiadaceae, the milkweed family) of erect chiefly perennial herbs with milky juice and umbellate flowers
milkweed bug -n
- a large black and reddish-orange bug ( Oncopeltus fasciatus) that feeds chiefly on milkweed
milkweed butterfly -n
- any of a family (Danaidae) or nymphalid subfamily (Danaine) of large butterflies feeding on plants of the milkweed family as larvae
- monarch butterfly
milk·wort ['milk-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n
- any of a genus ( Polygalaof the family Polygalaceae, the milkwort family) of herbs and shrubs often having showy flowers with three sometimes crested petals united below into a tube and an irregular calyx with two petaloid sepals
milky ['mil-kē] -adj, n
- resembling milk in color or consistency
- mild, timorous
- consisting of, containing, or abounding in milk
- yielding milk
- having the characteristics of a good milk producer
milky disease -n
- a destructive disease of scarab beetle grubs and esp. Japanese beetle larvae that is caused by a bacterium ( Bacillus popilliae) and is sometimes used in biological control called also milky spore disease
Milky Way -n
- a broad luminous irregular band of light that stretches completely around the celestial sphere and is caused by the light of myriads of faint stars
- milky way galaxy
Milky Way galaxy -n
- the galaxy of which the sun and the solar system are a part and which contains the myriads of stars that create the light of the Milky Way
mill ['mil] -n
- a building provided with machinery for grinding grain into flour
- a machine or apparatus (as a quern) for grinding grain
- a machine for crushing or comminuting
- a machine that manufactures by the continuous repetition of some simple action
- a building or collection of buildings with machinery for manufacturing
- a machine formerly used for stamping coins
- a machine for expelling juice from vegetable tissues by pressure or grinding
- milling machine, milling cutter
- a slow, laborious, or mechanical process or routine
- one that produces or processes people or things mechanically or in large numbers
- a difficult and often educational experience used in the phrase through the mill
- the engine of an automobile or boat
- : to subject to an operation or process in a mill: as
- to grind into flour, meal, or powder
- to shape or dress by means of a rotary cutter
- to mix and condition (as rubber) by passing between rotating rolls
- to give a raised rim or a ridged or corrugated edge to (a coin)
- to cut grooves in the metal surface of (as a knob)
- to hit out with the fists
- to move in a circle or in an eddying mass
- wander
- to undergo milling
- a money of account equal to cent
mill ['mil] -n
(variant of mil)
- thousand
- found a salinity of 38.4 per mil
- a monetary unit formerly used in Cyprus equal to pound
- a unit of length equal to inch used esp. in measuring thickness (as of plastic films)
- a unit of angular measurement equal to of 360 degrees and used esp. in artillery
- a million dollars
- military
mill·age ['mi-lij] -n
- a rate (as of taxation) expressed in mills per dollar
mill·dam ['mil-,dam] -n
- a dam to make a millpond
- millpond
mille ['mil] -n
- thousand
millefeuille [mēl-'fwē, mēl-'fœ-ē] -n
- a dish composed of puff pastry layered with a filling (as salmon or cream)
mil·le·fi·o·ri [,mi-lə-fē-'ȯr-ē] -n
- ornamental glass produced by cutting cross sections of fused bundles of glass rods of various colors and sizes
mille·fleur [(,)mēl-'flər, -'flu̇r] -adj
- having an allover pattern of small flowers and plants
mil·le·nar·i·an [,mi-lə-'ner-ē-ən] -adj
- of or relating to belief in a millennium
- apocalyptic
- of or relating to 1000 years
millenarian -n
- one that believes in a millennium
mil·le·nar·i·an·ism [-ē-ə-,ni-zəm] -n
- belief in the millennium of Christian prophecy
- belief in a coming ideal society and esp. one created by revolutionary action
mil·le·na·ry ['mi-lə-,ner-ē, mə-'le-nə-rē] -n
- a group of 1000 units or things
- 1000 years : millennium
- millenarian
millenary -adj
- suggesting a millennium
- relating to or consisting of 1000
mil·len·ni·al [mə-'le-nē-əl] -adj
- of or relating to a millennium
mil·len·ni·al·ism [-ē-ə-,li-zəm] -n
- millenarianism
mil·len·ni·al·ist [-list] -n
- millenarian
mil·len·ni·um [mə-'le-nē-əm] -n
- the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20 during which holiness is to prevail and Christ is to reign on earth
- a period of great happiness or human perfection
- a period of 1000 years
- one reckoned from the beginning of the Christian era
- at the start of the third millennium
- a 1000th anniversary or its celebration
mill·er ['mi-lər] -n
- one that operates a mill
- one that grinds grain into flour
- any of various moths having powdery wings
- milling machine
- a tool for use in a milling machine
mil·ler·ite ['mi-lə-,rīt] -n
- sulfide of nickel NiS usu. occurring as a mineral in capillary yellow crystals
mill·er'sthumb [,mi-lərz-'thəm] -n
- any of several small freshwater spiny-finned sculpins (genus Cottus) of Europe and No. America
mil·les·i·mal [mə-'le-sə-məl] -n, adj, adv
- the quotient of a unit divided by 1000 : one of 1000 equal parts
mil·let ['mi-lət] -n
- : any of various small-seeded annual cereal and forage grasses:
- a Eurasian grass ( Panicum miliaceum) cultivated for its grain which is used for food
- any of several grasses related to common millet
- the seed of a millet
milli- -comb form
- one thousandth part of
mil·li·am·pere [,mi-lē-'am-,pir] -n
- one thousandth of an ampere called also mil*li*amp mi-le-amp
mil·liard ['mil-,yärd, 'mi-lē-,ärd] -n
- a thousand millions
mil·li·ary ['mi-lē-,er-ē] -adj
- marking the distance of a Roman mile
mil·li·bar ['mi-lə-,bär] -n
- a unit of atmospheric pressure equal to bar or 100 pascals
mil·li·cu·rie [,mi-lə-'kyu̇r-(,)ē, -kyu̇-'rē] -n
- one thousandth of a curie
mil·li·de·gree [-di-'grē] -n
- one thousandth of a degree
mil·lieme [mē(l)-'yem] -n
- a unit of value of Egypt and Sudan equal to pound
mil·li·gal ['mi-lə-,gal] -n
- a unit of acceleration equivalent to gal
mil·li·gauss ['mi-lə-,gau̇s] -n
- one thousandth of a gauss
mil·li·hen·ry [-,hen-rē] -n
- one thousandth of a henry
mil·li·lam·bert [-,lam-bərt] -n
- one thousandth of a lambert
mil·lime [mə-'lēm] -n
- see dinar at
mil·li·mi·cron [,mi-lə-'mī-,krän] -n
- nanometer
mil·li·mole ['mi-lə-,mōl] -n, adj
- one thousandth of a mole (as of a substance)
mil·li·ner ['mi-lə-nər] -n
- a person who designs, makes, trims, or sells women's hats
mil·li·nery ['mi-lə-,ner-ē] -n
- women's apparel for the head
- the business or work of a milliner
mill·ing ['mi-liŋ] -n
- a corrugated edge on a coin
milling cutter -n
- a rotary tool-steel cutter used in a milling machine for shaping and dressing metal surfaces
milling machine -n
- a machine tool on which work usu. of metal secured to a carriage is shaped by rotating milling cutters
mil·lion ['mi(l)-yən] -n, adj, adv or adj, adj or n
- a very large number
- million s of cars on the road
- the mass of common people
- someone who writes for the million s -- Bergen Evans
mil·lion·aire [,mi(l)-yə-'ner, 'mi(l)-yə-,] -n
- a person whose wealth is estimated at a million or more (as of dollars or pounds)
mil·lion·air·ess [-'er-əs, -,er-] -n
- a woman who is a millionaire
- the wife of a millionaire
mil·li·os·mol [,mi-lē-'äz-,mōl, -'äs-] -n
- one thousandth of an osmol
mil·li·pede ['mi-lə-,pēd] -n
- any of a class (Diplopoda) of myriapod arthropods having usu. a cylindrical segmented body covered with hard integument, two pairs of legs on most apparent segments, and unlike centipedes no poison fangs
mil·li·ra·di·an [,mi-lə-'rā-dē-ən] -n
- one thousandth of a radian
mil·li·rem ['mi-lə-,rem] -n
- one thousandth of a rem
mil·li·roent·gen [,mi-lə-'rent-gən, -'rənt-, -jən, -shən] -n
- one thousandth of a roentgen
mil·li·sec·ond ['mi-lə-,se-kənd, -kənt] -n
- one thousandth of a second
mil·li·volt [-,vōlt] -n
- one thousandth of a volt
mil·li·watt [-,wät] -n
- one thousandth of a watt
mill·pond ['mil-,pänd] -n
- a pond created by damming a stream to produce a head of water for operating a mill
mill·race [-,rās] -n
- a canal in which water flows to and from a mill wheel
- the current that drives the wheel
mill·stone ['mil-,stōn] -n
- either of two circular stones used for grinding (as grain)
- something that grinds or crushes
- a heavy burden
mill·stream [-,strēm] -n
- a stream whose flow is utilized to run a mill
- millrace
mill wheel -n
- a waterwheel that drives a mill
mill·work ['mil-,wərk] -n
- woodwork (as doors, sashes, or trim) manufactured at a mill
mill·wright [-,rīt] -n
- a person whose occupation is planning and building mills or setting up their machinery
- a person who maintains and cares for mechanical equipment (as of a mill or factory)
mi·lo ['mī-(,)lō] -n
- a small usu. early and drought-resistant grain sorghum with compact bearded heads of large yellow or whitish seeds
mi·lord [mi-'lȯr(d)] -n
- an Englishman of noble or gentle birth
mil·pa ['mil-pə] -n
- a small field in Mexico or Central America that is cleared from the forest, cropped for a few seasons, and abandoned for a fresh clearing
- a maize field in Mexico or Central America
- the maize plant
milque·toast ['milk-,tōst] -n
- a timid, meek, or unassertive person
mil·reis [mil-'rāsh, -'rās] -n
- a Portuguese unit of value equal before 1911 to 1000 reis
- the basic monetary unit of Brazil until 1942
- a coin representing one milreis
milt ['milt] -n
- the sperm-containing fluid of a male fish
mim ['mim] -adj
- affectedly shy or modest
mime ['mīm also 'mēm] -n
- an ancient dramatic entertainment representing scenes from life usu. in a ridiculous manner
- an actor in a mime
- one that practices mime
- mimic
- pantomime
- to act a part with mimic gesture and action usu. without words
- mimic
- to act out in the manner of a mime
MIME -abbr
- multipurpose Internet mail extensions
mim·eo·graph ['mi-mē-ə-,graf] -n, vt
- a duplicator for making many copies that utilizes a stencil through which ink is pressed
mi·me·sis [mə-'mē-səs, mī-] -n
- imitation, mimicry
mi·met·ic [-'me-tik] -adj, adv
- imitative
- relating to, characterized by, or exhibiting mimicry
- mimetic coloring of a butterfly
mim·ic ['mi-mik] -n
- mime
- one that mimics
mimic -adj
- imitative
- imitation, mock
- of or relating to mime or mimicry
- to imitate closely : ape
- to ridicule by imitation
- simulate
- to resemble by biological mimicry
mim·ic·ry ['mi-mi-krē] -n
- an instance of mimicking
- the action, practice, or art of mimicking
- a superficial resemblance of one organism to another or to natural objects among which it lives that secures it a selective advantage (as protection from predation)
mi·mo·sa [mə-'mō-sə, mī-, -zə] -n
- any of a genus ( Mimosa) of trees, shrubs, and herbs of the legume family that occur in tropical and warm regions and have usu. bipinnate often prickly leaves and globular heads of small white or pink flowers
- silk tree
- a mixed drink consisting of champagne and orange juice
min -abbr
- minim
- minimum
- mining
- minister
- minor
- minute; minutes
mi·na ['mī-nə] -n
- an ancient unit of weight and value equal to talent
min·able ['mī-nə-bəl] -adj
- capable of being mined
min·a·ret [,mi-nə-'ret, 'mi-nə-,] -n
- a tall slender tower of a mosque having one or more balconies from which the summons to prayer is cried by the muezzin
mi·na·to·ry ['mi-nə-,tȯr-ē, 'mī-] -adj
- having a menacing quality : threatening
min·au·diere [,mē-nōd-'yer] -n
- a small decorative case for carrying small articles (as cosmetics or jewelry)
mince ['min(t)s] -vb, n
- to cut or chop into very small pieces
- to subdivide minutely
- to damage by cutting up
- to utter or pronounce with affectation
- minimize
- to restrain (words) within the bounds of decorum
- to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner
- small chopped bits (as of food)
- mincemeat
- hamburger
mince·meat ['min(t)s-,mēt] -n
- minced meat
- a finely chopped mixture (as of raisins, apples, and spices) sometimes with meat that is often used as pie filling
- a state of destruction or annihilation used in the phrase make mincemeat of
mincing ['min(t)-siŋ-lē] -adj, adv
- affectedly dainty or delicate
mind ['mīnd] -n
- recollection, memory
- the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and esp. reasons
- the conscious mental events and capabilities in an organism
- the organized conscious and unconscious adaptive mental activity of an organism
- intention, desire
- the normal or healthy condition of the mental faculties
- opinion, view
- disposition, mood
- a person or group embodying mental qualities
- intellectual ability
- god
- a conscious substratum or factor in the universe
- attention
- remind
- remember
- to attend to closely
- to become aware of : notice
- to regard with attention : consider important often used in the imperative with following you for emphasis
- I'm not against inspiration, mind you; I simply refuse to sit and stare at a blank page waiting for it -- Dennis Whitcomb
- intend, purpose
- to give heed to attentively in order to obey
- to follow the orders or instructions of
- to be concerned about
- dislike
- to be careful : see
- to be cautious about
- to give protective care to : tend
- to be attentive or wary
- to become concerned : care
- to pay obedient heed or attention
mindal·ter·ing ['mīn(d)-,ȯl-t(ə-)riŋ] -adj
- psychoactive
mindbend·ing ['mīn(d)-,ben-diŋ] -adj, adv
- mind-blowing
mindblow·ing [-,blō-iŋ] -adj, n, adv
- psychedelic
- mind-boggling
mindbog·gling [-,bä-g(ə-)liŋ] -adj, adv
- mentally or emotionally exciting or overwhelming
mind·ed ['mīn-dəd] -adj, n
- inclined, disposed
- having a mind esp. of a specified kind or concerned with a specified thing usu. used in combination
mindex·pand·ing ['mīnd-ik-,span-diŋ] -adj
- psychedelic
mind·ful ['mīn(d)-fəl] -adj, adv, n
- bearing in mind : aware
- inclined to be aware
mind game -n
- a psychological tactic used to manipulate or intimidate usu. used in pl.
- played mind games with his opponent
mind·less [-ləs] -adj, adv, n
- marked by a lack of mind or consciousness
- marked by or displaying no use of the powers of the intellect
- requiring little attention or thought
- not intellectually challenging or stimulating
- not mindful : heedless
- mindless of the consequences
mindnumb·ing ['mīn(d)-,nə-miŋ] -adj, adv
- relentlessly tedious : dull
mind reader -n
- one that professes or is held to be able to perceive another's thought without normal means of communication
mindset ['mīn(d)-,set] -n
- a mental attitude or inclination
- a fixed state of mind
mind's eye -n
- the mental faculty of conceiving imaginary or recollected scenes
- the mental picture so conceived
- in the mind's eye one sees dinosaurs, mammoths, and sabertoothed tigers -- F. P. Brooks Jr.
mine ['mīn] -adj
- my used before a word beginning with a vowel or h
- this treasure in mine arms -- Shak.
or sometimes as a modifier of a preceding noun archaic except in an elevated style - that which belongs to me used without a following noun as a pronoun equivalent in meaning to the adjective my
- a pit or excavation in the earth from which mineral substances are taken
- an ore deposit
- a subterranean passage under an enemy position
- an encased explosive that is placed in the ground or in water and set to explode when disturbed
- a rich source of supply
- to dig under to gain access or cause the collapse of (an enemy position)
- undermine
- to get (as ore) from the earth
- to extract from a source
- information mined from the files
- to burrow beneath the surface of
- to place military mines in, on, or under
- to dig into for ore or metal
- to process for obtaining a natural constituent
- mine the air for nitrogen
- to seek valuable material in
- to dig a mine
mine·field ['mīn-,fēld] -n
- an area (as of water or land) set with mines
- something resembling a minefield esp. in having many dangers or requiring extreme caution
mine·lay·er [-,lā-ər, -,ler] -n
- a naval vessel for laying underwater mines
min·er·al ['min-rəl, 'mi-nə-] -n
- ore
- an inorganic substance (as in the ash of calcined tissue)
- mine
- something neither animal nor vegetable
- a solid homogeneous crystalline chemical element or compound that results from the inorganic processes of nature
- any of various naturally occurring homogeneous substances (as stone, coal, salt, sulfur, sand, petroleum, water, or natural gas) obtained usu. from the ground
- a synthetic substance having the chemical composition and crystalline form and properties of a naturally occurring mineral
- mineral water
mineral -adj
- of or relating to minerals
- inorganic
- impregnated with mineral substances
min·er·al·ise ['min-rə-,līz, 'mi-nə-] -vt, adj, n
(variant of mineralize)
- to transform (a metal) into an ore
- to impregnate or supply with minerals or an inorganic compound
- to convert into mineral or inorganic form
- petrify
min·er·al·ize ['min-rə-,līz, 'mi-nə-] -vt, adj, n
- to transform (a metal) into an ore
- to impregnate or supply with minerals or an inorganic compound
- to convert into mineral or inorganic form
- petrify
mineral kingdom -n
- a basic group of natural objects that includes inorganic objects
min·er·al·o·cor·ti·coid [,min-rə-lō-'kȯr-tə-,kȯid, ,mi-nə-] -n
- a corticosteroid (as aldosterone) that affects chiefly the electrolyte and fluid balance in the body
min·er·al·o·gy [,mi-nə-'rä-lə-jē, -'ra-] -n, adj, adv
- a science dealing with minerals, their crystallography, properties, classification, and the ways of distinguishing them
- the mineralogical characteristics of an area, a rock, or a rock formation
mineral oil -n
- an oil of mineral origin
- a refined petroleum oil used esp. as a laxative
mineral spirits -n pl but sing or pl in constr
- a petroleum distillate that is used esp. as a paint or varnish thinner
mineral water -n
- water naturally or artificially infused with mineral salts or gases (as carbon dioxide)
mineral wax -n
- a wax of mineral origin
- ozokerite
mineral wool -n
- any of various lightweight vitreous fibrous materials used esp. in heat and sound insulation
miner's lettuce -n
- a glossy green herb ( Montia perfoliatasyn. Claytonia perfoliata) of the purslane family esp. of western No. America that produces racemes of pink to white flowers subtended by a disk of two leaves united around the stem and is used as a salad green
Mi·ner·va [mə-'nər-və] -n
- the Roman goddess of wisdom
min·e·stro·ne [,mi-nə-'strō-nē, -'strōn] -n
- a rich thick vegetable soup usu. with dried beans and pasta (as macaroni or vermicelli)
mine·sweep·er ['mīn-,swē-pər] -n
- a warship for removing or neutralizing mines by dragging
Ming ['miŋ] -n
- a Chinese dynasty dated 13681644 and marked by restoration of earlier traditions and in the arts by perfection of established techniques
min·gle ['miŋ-gəl] -vb
- to bring or mix together or with something else usu. without fundamental loss of identity : intermix
- to prepare by mixing : concoct
- to become mingled
- to come into contact : associate
- to move about (as in a group)
ming tree ['miŋ-] -n
- a dwarfed evergreen conifer grown as bonsai
- an artificial plant resembling this
min·gy ['min-jē] -adj
- mean, stingy
mini ['mi-nē] -n
- : something small of its kind: as
- minicar
- miniskirt
- minicomputer
- small in relation to others of the same kind
- of short length or duration : brief
mini- -comb form
- smaller or briefer than usual, normal, or standard
min·i·a·ture ['mi-nē-ə-,chu̇r, 'mi-ni-,chu̇r, 'min-yə-, -chər, -,tyu̇r, -,tu̇r] -n, adj
- a copy on a much reduced scale
- something small of its kind
- a painting in an illuminated book or manuscript
- the art of painting miniatures
- a very small portrait or other painting (as on ivory or metal)
miniature -adj
- being or represented on a small scale
miniature golf -n
- a novelty golf game played with a putter on a miniature course usu. having tunnels, bridges, sharp corners, and obstacles
miniature pin·scher [-'pin(t)-shər] -n
- any of a breed of toy dogs that suggest a small Doberman pinscher and are 10 to 12 inches (25 to 32 centimeters) in height at the withers
miniature schnauzer -n
- any of a breed of schnauzers that are 12 to 14 inches (30 to 36 centimeters) in height at the withers and are classified as terriers
min·i·a·tur·ize ['mi-nē-ə-chə-,rīz, 'mi-ni-chə-, 'min-yə-chə-, -,tyu̇-, -,tu̇-] -vt, n
- to design or construct in small size
mini·bar ['mi-nē-,bär] -n
- a small refrigerator in a hotel room that is stocked with esp. alcoholic beverages and snacks for guests
mini·bike ['mi-nē-,bīk] -n
- a small one-passenger motorcycle with a low frame and raised handlebars
mini·bus [-,bəs] -n
- a small bus or van
Mini·cam [-,kam] -trademark
- used for a portable television camera
mini·camp [-,kamp] -n
- a special abbreviated training camp for football players held usu. in the spring or early summer
mini·car [-,kär] -n
- a very small automobile
- subcompact
mini·com·put·er [,mi-nē-kəm-'pyü-tər] -n
- a small computer that is intermediate between a microcomputer and a mainframe in size, speed, and capacity, that can support time-sharing, and that is often dedicated to a single application
mini·course ['mi-nē-,kȯrs] -n
- a brief course of study usu. lasting less than a semester
mini·disc ['mi-nē-,disk] -n
- a miniature optical disk
mini·dress ['mi-nē-,dres] -n
- a short close-fitting dress
min·ie ball ['mi-nē-, ,mi-nē-'ā-] -n
- a rifle bullet with a conical head used in muzzle-loading firearms
min·i·fy ['mi-nə-,fī] -vt
- lessen
min·i·kin ['mi-ni-kən] -n, adj
- a small or dainty creature
mini·lab ['mi-nē-,lab] -n
- a retail outlet offering rapid on-site film development and printing
min·im ['mi-nəm] -n, adj
- half note
- something very minute
min·i·mal ['mi-nə-məl] -adj, adv
- : relating to or being a minimum: as
- the least possible
- a victory won with minimal loss of life
- barely adequate
- a minimal standard of living
- very small or slight
- a minimal interest in art
- of, relating to, or being minimal art or minimalism
minimal art -n
- abstract art consisting primarily of simple geometric forms executed in an impersonal style
minimal brain dysfunction -n
- attention deficit disorder
min·i·mal·ism ['mi-nə-mə-,li-zəm] -n
- a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity
- minimal art
min·i·mal·ist [-list] -n
- one who favors restricting the functions and powers of a political organization or the achievement of a set of goals to a minimum
- a minimal artist
- an adherent of minimalism
minimalist -adj
- of, relating to, or done in the style of minimalism
minimal pair -n
- two linguistic units that differ in a single distinctive feature or constituent (as voice in the initial consonants of batand pat)
minimart ['mi-nē-,märt] -n
- convenience store
mini·max ['mi-ni-,maks] -n
- the minimum of a set of maxima
- the smallest of a set of maximum possible losses each of which occurs in the most unfavorable outcome of a strategy followed by a participant in a situation governed by game theory
mini·mill ['mi-nē-,mil] -n
- a relatively small-scale steel mill that uses scrap metal as starting material
min·i·mise ['mi-nə-,mīz] -vt, n
(variant of minimize)
- to reduce or keep to a minimum
- to underestimate intentionally : play down, soft-pedal
- minimizing losses in our own forces while maximizing those of the enemy
min·i·mize ['mi-nə-,mīz] -vt, n
- to reduce or keep to a minimum
- to underestimate intentionally : play down, soft-pedal
- minimizing losses in our own forces while maximizing those of the enemy
min·i·mum ['mi-nə-məm] -n, adj
- the least quantity assignable, admissible, or possible
- the least of a set of numbers
- the smallest value assumed by a continuous function defined on a closed interval
- the lowest degree or amount of variation (as of temperature) reached or recorded
- the lowest speed allowed on a highway
minimum wage -n
- living wage
- the lowest wage paid or permitted to be paid
- a wage fixed by legal authority or by contract as the least that may be paid either to employed persons generally or to a particular category of employed persons
mining -n
- the process or business of working mines
min·ion ['min-yən] -n
- a servile dependent, follower, or underling
- one highly favored : idol
- a subordinate or petty official
mini·park ['mi-nē-,pärk] -n
- a small city park
mini·pill ['mi-nē-,pil] -n
- a birth control pill that contains a very low dose of progesterone but no estrogen, is taken daily, and is intended to minimize side effects
mini·school [-,skül] -n
- an experimental school offering specialized or individual instruction to its students
min·is·cule ['mi-nəs-,kyül also mi-'nəs-] -n
(variant of minuscule)
- a lowercase letter
- one of several ancient and medieval writing styles developed from cursive and having simplified and small forms
- a letter in this style
mini·se·ries ['mi-nē-,sir-(,)ēz] -n
- a television production of a story presented in sequential episodes
mini·skirt ['mi-nē-,skərt] -n, adj
- a woman's short skirt with the hemline several inches above the knee
mini·state [-,stāt] -n
- a small independent nation
min·is·ter ['mi-nə-stər] -n
- agent
- one officiating or assisting the officiant in church worship
- a clergyman esp. of a Protestant communion
- the superior of one of several religious orders called also minister-general
- the assistant to the rector or the bursar of a Jesuit house
- a high officer of state entrusted with the management of a division of governmental activities
- a diplomatic representative (as an ambassador) accredited to the court or seat of government of a foreign state
- a diplomatic representative ranking below an ambassador
minister [-st(ə-)riŋ] -vi
- to function as a minister of religion
- to give aid or service
min·is·te·ri·al [,mi-nə-'stir-ē-əl] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or characteristic of a minister or the ministry
- being or having the characteristics of an act or duty prescribed by law as part of the duties of an administrative office
- relating to or being an act done after ascertaining the existence of a specified state of facts in obedience to a legal order without exercise of personal judgment or discretion
- acting or active as an agent
minister plenipotentiary -n
- a diplomatic agent ranking below an ambassador but possessing full power and authority
minister resident -n
- a diplomatic agent resident at a foreign court or seat of government and ranking below a minister plenipotentiary
min·is·trant ['mi-nə-strənt] -adj
- performing service in attendance on someone
ministrant -n
- one that ministers
min·is·tra·tion [,mi-nə-'strā-shən] -n
- the act or process of ministering
ministroke ['mi-nē-,strōk] -n
- transient ischemic attack
min·is·try ['mi-nə-strē] -n
- ministration
- the office, duties, or functions of a minister
- the body of ministers of religion : clergy
- a person or thing through which something is accomplished : agency, instrumentality
- the period of service or office of a minister or ministry
- the body of ministers governing a nation or state from which a smaller cabinet is sometimes selected
- the group of ministers constituting a cabinet
- a government department presided over by a minister
- the building in which the business of a ministry is transacted
mini·tow·er ['mi-nē-,tau̇(-ə)r] -n
- a midsize personal computer case that usu. stands upright
mini·van ['mi-nē-,van] -n
- a small passenger van
min·i·ver ['mi-nə-vər] -n
- a white fur worn orig. by medieval nobles and used chiefly for robes of state
mink ['miŋk] -n
- soft fur or pelt of the mink varying in color from white to dark brown
- either of two slender-bodied semiaquatic carnivorous mammals ( Mustela visonof No. America and M. lutreolaof Eurasia) of the weasel family that have partially webbed feet, a rather short bushy tail, and a soft thick coat
min·ke whale ['miŋ-kə-] -n
- a small grayish baleen whale ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata) with a whitish underside called also minke
Minn -abbr
- Minnesota
min·ne·sing·er ['mi-nə-,siŋ-ər, -,ziŋ-] -n
- any of a class of German poets and musicians of the 12th to the 14th centuries
Min·ne·so·ta Multiphasic Personality Inventory [,mi-nə-'sō-tə-,məl-ti-'fā-zik-, -,məl-,tī-] -n
- a test of personal and social adjustment based on a complex scaling of the answers to an elaborate true or false test
min·now ['mi-(,)nō] -n
- a small cyprinid, killifish, or topminnow
- any of various small fish that are less than a designated size and are not game fish
- a live or artificial minnow used as bait
Mi·no·an [mə-'nō-ən, mī-] -adj
- of or relating to a Bronze Age culture of Crete that flourished about 3000 b.c.1100 b.c.
Minoan -n
- a native or inhabitant of ancient Crete
mi·nor ['mī-nər] -adj
- inferior in importance, size, or degree : comparatively unimportant
- not having reached majority
- having half steps between the second and third, the fifth and sixth, and sometimes the seventh and eighth degrees
- based on a minor scale
- less by a semitone than the corresponding major interval
- having a minor third above the root
- not serious or involving risk to life
- of or relating to an academic subject requiring fewer courses than a major
minor -n
- a person who has not attained majority
- a minor musical interval, scale, key, or mode
- a minor academic subject
- a student taking a specified minor
- a determinant or matrix obtained from a given determinant or matrix by eliminating the row and column in which a given element lies
- minor league baseball used with the
- to take courses in a minor subject
minor axis -n
- the chord of an ellipse passing through the center and perpendicular to the major axis
minor element -n
- trace element
Mi·nor·ite ['mī-nə-,rīt] -n
- franciscan
mi·nor·i·ty [mə-'nȯr-ə-tē, mī-, -'när-] -n
- the period before attainment of majority
- the state of being a legal minor
- the smaller in number of two groups constituting a whole
- a group having less than the number of votes necessary for control
- a part of a population differing from others in some characteristics and often subjected to differential treatment
- a member of a minority group
- an effort to hire more minorities
minority leader -n
- the leader of the minority party in a legislative body
minor league -n, adj
- a league of professional clubs in a sport other than the recognized major leagues
minor order -n
- one of the Roman Catholic or Eastern clerical orders that are lower in rank and less sacred in character than major orders usu. used in pl.
minor party -n
- a political party whose electoral strength is so small as to prevent its gaining control of a government except in rare and exceptional circumstances
minor penalty -n
- a 2-minute suspension of a player in ice hockey with no substitute allowed
minor planet -n
- asteroid
minor premise -n
- the premise of a syllogism that contains the minor term
minor seminary -n
- a Roman Catholic seminary giving all or part of high school and junior college training with emphasis on preparing candidates for a major seminary
minor suit -n
- either of the suits diamonds or clubs having inferior scoring value in bridge
minor term -n
- the term of a syllogism that forms the subject of the conclusion
Mi·nos ['mī-nəs] -n
- a son of Zeus and Europa and king of Crete who for his just rule is made supreme judge in the underworld after his death
Mi·no·taur ['mi-nə-,tȯr, 'mī-] -n
- a monster shaped half like a man and half like a bull, confined in the labyrinth built by Daedalus for Minos, and given a periodic tribute of youths and maidens as food until slain by Theseus
mi·nox·i·dil [mə-'näk-sə-,dil] -n
- a peripheral vasodilator C 9H 15N 5O used orally to treat hypertension and topically in a propylene glycol solution to promote hair regrowth in male-pattern baldness
min·ster ['min(t)-stər] -n
- a large or important church often having cathedral status
min·strel ['min(t)-strəl] -n
- one of a class of medieval musical entertainers
- a singer of verses to the accompaniment of a harp
- musician
- poet
- any of a troupe of performers typically giving a program of black American melodies, jokes, and impersonations and usu. wearing blackface
- a performance by a troupe of minstrels
min·strel·sy [-sē] -n
- the singing and playing of a minstrel
- a body of minstrels
- a group of songs or verse
mint ['mint] -n, adj
- any of a family (Labiatae, the mint family) of aromatic plants with a square stem and a 4-lobed ovary which produces four one-seeded nutlets in fruit
- any of a genus ( Mentha) of mints that have white, purple, or pink verticillate flowers with a nearly regular corolla and four equal stamens and that include some used in flavoring and cookery
- a confection flavored with mint
- a place where coins, medals, or tokens are made
- a place where something is manufactured
- a vast sum or amount
- to make (as coins) out of metal : coin
- create, produce
- to cause to attain an indicated status
- unmarred as if fresh from a mint
mint·age ['min-tij] -n
- the action or process of minting coins
- an impression placed upon a coin
- coins produced by minting or in a single period of minting
mint julep -n
- julep
min·u·end ['min-yə-,wend] -n
- a number from which the subtrahend is to be subtracted
min·u·et [,min-yə-'wet] -n
- a slow graceful dance in time characterized by forward balancing, bowing, and toe pointing
- music for or in the rhythm of a minuet
mi·nus ['mī-nəs] -prep
- diminished by : less
- seven minus four is three
- deprived of : without
minus -n
- a negative quantity
- a negative quality
- drawback
- algebraically negative
- having a negative quality
- relating to or being a particular one of the two mating types that are required for successful fertilization in sexual reproduction in some lower plants (as a fungus)
- falling low in a specified range
mi·nus·cule ['mi-nəs-,kyül also mi-'nəs-] -n
- a lowercase letter
- one of several ancient and medieval writing styles developed from cursive and having simplified and small forms
- a letter in this style
minuscule ['mi-nəs-,kyül] -adj
- written in or in the size or style of minuscules
- very small
minus sign -n
- a sign used in mathematics to indicate subtraction (as in 862) or a negative quantity (as in 10)
min·ute ['mi-nət] -n
- the 60th part of an hour of time : 60 seconds
- the 60th part of a degree of angular measure
- the distance one can traverse in a minute
- a short space of time : moment
- a brief note (as of summary or recommendation)
- memorandum, draft
- the official record of the proceedings of a meeting
minute -vt
- to make notes or a brief summary of
mi·nute [mī-'nüt, mə-, -'nyüt] -adj, n
- very small : infinitesimal
- of small importance : trifling
- marked by close attention to details
minute hand -n
- the long hand that marks the minutes on the face of a watch or clock
mi·nute·ly [mī-'nüt-lē, mə-, -'nyüt-] -adv
- into very small pieces
- in a minute manner or degree
- a minutely detailed analysis
min·ute·ly ['mi-nət-lē] -adj
- minute by minute
min·ute·man ['mi-nət-,man] -n
- a member of a group of men pledged to take up arms at a minute's notice during and immediately before the American Revolution
min·ute steak ['mi-nət-] -n
- a small thin steak that can be quickly cooked
mi·nu·tia [mə-'nü-sh(ē-)ə, mī-, -'nyü-] -n
- a minute or minor detail usu. used in pl.
minx ['miŋ(k)s] -n
- a pert girl
- a wanton woman
min·yan ['min-yən] -n
- the quorum required for Jewish communal worship that consists of ten male adults in Orthodox Judaism and usu. ten adults of either sex in Conservative and Reform Judaism
Mio·cene ['mī-ə-,sēn] -adj, n
- of, relating to, or being an epoch of the Tertiary between the Pliocene and the Oligocene or the corresponding series of rocks
mi·o·sis [mī-'ō-səs, mē-] -n
- excessive smallness or contraction of the pupil of the eye
mi·ot·ic [-'ä-tik] -n
- an agent that causes miosis
miotic -adj
- relating to or characterized by miosis
MIPS -abbr
- million instructions per second
mi·que·let [,mi-kə-'let, ,mē-] -n
- a Spanish or French irregular soldier during the Peninsular War
mir ['mir] -n
- a village community in czarist Russia in which land was owned jointly but cultivated by individual families
mi·ra·bi·le dic·tu [mə-,rä-bə-lē-'dik-(,)tü]
- wonderful to relate
mi·ra·cid·i·um [,mir-ə-'si-dē-əm, ,mī-rə-] -n, adj
- the free-swimming ciliated first larva of a digenetic trematode that seeks out and penetrates a suitable snail intermediate host in which it develops into a sporocyst
mir·a·cle ['mir-i-kəl] -n
- an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs
- an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment
- a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law
miracle drug -n
- a drug usu. newly discovered that elicits a dramatic response in a patient's condition called also wonder drug
miracle fruit -n
- a tropical African shrub ( Synsepalum dulcificum) of the sapodilla family whose small red fruit contains a glycoprotein that when applied to the tongue causes sour substances to taste sweet
- its fruit
miracle play -n
- a medieval drama based on episodes from the life of a saint or martyr
- mystery play
mi·rac·u·lous [mə-'ra-kyə-ləs] -adj, adv, n
- of the nature of a miracle : supernatural
- suggesting a miracle : marvelous
- proof of a miraculous memory -- Time
- working or able to work miracles
mir·a·dor ['mir-ə-,dȯr, ,mir-ə-'] -n
- a turret, window, or balcony designed to command an extensive outlook
mi·rage [mə-'räzh] -n
- an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of rays of light by a layer of heated air of varying density
- something illusory and unattainable like a mirage
Mi·ran·da [mə-'ran-də] -adj
- of, relating to, or being the legal rights of an arrested person to have an attorney and to remain silent so as to avoid self-incrimination
Mi·ran·dize [mə-'ran-,dīz] -vt
- to recite the Miranda warnings to (a person under arrest)
mire ['mī(-ə)r] -n, adj
- wet spongy earth (as of a bog or marsh)
- heavy often deep mud or slush
- a troublesome or intractable situation
- found themselves in a mire of debt
- to cause to stick fast in or as if in mire
- to hamper or hold back as if by mire : entangle
- to cover or soil with mire
- to stick or sink in mire
mire·poix [mir-'pwä] -n
- a sauteed mixture of diced vegetables (as carrots, celery, and onions), herbs, and sometimes ham or bacon used esp. as a basis for soups, stews, and sauces
mi·rex ['mī-,reks] -n
- an organochlorine insecticide C 10Cl 12formerly used esp. against ants
mir·in ['mir-in] -n
- a sweet Japanese cooking wine made from fermented rice
mir·li·ton [,mir-lə-'tōⁿ] -n
- chayote
mir·ror ['mir-ər, mi-rər] -n, adj
- a polished or smooth surface (as of glass) that forms images by reflection
- something that gives a true representation
- an exemplary model
mirror -vt
- to reflect in or as if in a mirror
- resemble
mirror image -n
- something that has its parts reversely arranged in comparison with another similar thing or that is reversed with reference to an intervening axis or plane
- the direct opposite
- image
mirth ['mərth] -n, adj, adv
- gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied with laughter
MIRV ['mərv] -n
- a missile with two or more warheads designed to strike separate enemy targets
- any of the warheads of such a missile
- to equip with MIRV warheads
- to arm one's forces with MIRVs
MIS -abbr
- management information systems
mis- -prefix
- badly : wrongly
- unfavorably
- in a suspicious manner
- bad : wrong
- opposite or lack of
- not
mis·ad·ven·ture [,mi-səd-'ven-chər] -n
- misfortune, mishap
mis·al·li·ance [,mi-sə-'lī-ən(t)s] -n
- an improper alliance
- mesalliance
- a marriage between persons unsuited to each other
mis·an·dry ['mi-,san-drē] -n, n or adj
- a hatred of men
mis·an·thrope ['mi-sᵊn-,thrōp] -n
- a person who hates or distrusts humankind
mis·an·throp·ic [,mi-sᵊn-'thrä-pik] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or characteristic of a misanthrope
- marked by a hatred or contempt for humankind
mis·an·thro·py [mi-'san(t)-thrə-pē] -n
- a hatred or distrust of humankind
mis·ap·pre·hend [(,)mis-,a-pri-'hend] -vt, n
- to apprehend wrongly : misunderstand
mis·ap·pro·pri·ate [,mi-sə-'prō-prē-,āt] -vt, n
- to appropriate wrongly (as by theft or embezzlement)
mis·be·come [,mis-bi-'kəm] -vt
- to be inappropriate or unbecoming to
mis·be·got·ten [-bi-'gä-tᵊn] -adj
- unlawfully conceived : illegitimate
- having a disreputable or improper origin : ill-conceived
- antiquated and misbegotten tax laws -- R. M. Blough
- contemptible, deformed
mis·be·lief [,mis-bə-'lēf] -n
- erroneous or false belief : heresy
mis·be·lieve [-'lēv] -vi
- to hold a false or unorthodox belief
mis·be·liev·er [-'lē-vər] -n
- heretic, infidel
mis·brand [,mis-'brand] -vt
- to brand falsely or in a misleading way
- to label in violation of statutory requirements
misc -abbr
- miscellaneous
mis·call [,mis-'kȯl] -vt
- to call by a wrong name : misname
mis·car·riage [,mis-'ker-ij, -'ka-rij, 'mis-,] -n
- corrupt or incompetent management
- a failure in the administration of justice
- spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus before it is viable and esp. between the 12th and 28th weeks of gestation
mis·car·ry [,mis-'ker-ē, -'ka-rē, 'mis-,] -vi
- to come to harm
- to suffer miscarriage of a fetus
- to fail to achieve the intended purpose : go wrong or amiss
- to fail to reach the intended destination
- the letter has miscarried
mis·cast [,mis-'kast] -vt
- to cast in an unsuitable role
- life had miscast her in the role of wife and mother -- Edna Ferber
mis·ce·ge·na·tion [(,)mi-,se-jə-'nā-shən, ,mi-si-jə-'nā-] -n, adj
- a mixture of races
- marriage, cohabitation, or sexual intercourse between a white person and a member of another race
mis·cel·la·nea [,mi-sə-'lā-nē-ə, -nyə] -n pl
- a collection of miscellaneous objects or writings
mis·cel·la·neous [,mi-sə-'lā-nē-əs, -nyəs] -adj, adv, n
- consisting of diverse things or members : heterogeneous
- having various traits
- dealing with or interested in diverse subjects
- as a writer I was too miscellaneous -- George Santayana
mis·cel·la·ny ['mi-sə-,lā-nē, chiefly Brit mi-'se-lə-nē] -n
- separate writings collected in one volume
- a collection of writings on various subjects
- a mixture of various things
mis·chance [,mis-'chan(t)s] -n
- bad luck
- a piece of bad luck : mishap
mis·chief ['mis-chəf, 'mish-] -n
- a specific injury or damage attributed to a particular agent
- a cause or source of harm, evil, or irritation
- a person who causes mischief
- action that annoys or irritates
- the quality or state of being mischievous : mischievousness
mis·chie·vous ['mis-chə-vəs, 'mish-; ÷mis-'chē-vē-əs, mish-] -adj, adv, n
- harmful, injurious
- able or tending to cause annoyance, trouble, or minor injury
- irresponsibly playful
misch metal ['mish-] -n
- a complex alloy of rare earth metals used esp. in tracer bullets and as a flint in lighters
mis·ci·ble ['mi-sə-bəl] -adj, n
- capable of being mixed
- capable of mixing in any ratio without separation of two phases
mis·com·mu·ni·ca·tion [,mis-kə-,myü-nə-'kā-shən] -n
- failure to communicate clearly
mis·con·duct [-'kän-(,)dəkt] -n, vt
- mismanagement esp. of governmental or military responsibilities
- intentional wrongdoing
- deliberate violation of a law or standard esp. by a government official : malfeasance
- improper behavior
- adultery
- a penalty (as in ice hockey) for improper behavior or abusive language (as toward an official)
mis·cre·ant ['mis-krē-ənt] -adj
- unbelieving, heretical
- depraved, villainous
miscreant -n
- infidel, heretic
- one who behaves criminally or viciously
mis·cue [,mis-'kyü, 'mis-,kyü] -n
- a faulty stroke in billiards in which the cue slips
- mistake, slip
miscue -vi
- to make a miscue
mis·deal [,mis-'dēl] -vb, n
- to deal cards incorrectly
- to deal incorrectly
mis·deed [-'dēd] -n
- a wrong deed : offense
mis·de·mean·ant [-di-'mē-nənt] -n
- a person convicted of a misdemeanor
mis·de·mean·or [-di-'mē-nər] -n
- a crime less serious than a felony
- misdeed
mis·de·mean·our [-di-'mē-nər] -n
(variant of misdemeanor)
- a crime less serious than a felony
- misdeed
mis·di·rect [-də-'rekt, -(,)dī-] -vt
- to give a wrong direction to
- to direct wrongly
- misdirect ed their energies
mis·di·rec·tion [-'rek-shən] -n
- a wrong direction
- the act or an instance of misdirecting or diverting
- the state of being misdirected
mis·do [,mis-'dü] -vb, n
- to act wrongly : transgress the laws of God
- the erring soul not wilfully misdo ing -- John Milton
- to do (something) incorrectly or poorly
misdoing -n
- the act or an instance of misbehaving : misconduct
mis·doubt [,mis-'dau̇t] -vt, n
- doubt
- suspect, fear
miseenscene [,mē-,zäⁿ-'sen, -'sān] -n
- the arrangement of actors and scenery on a stage for a theatrical production
- stage setting
- the physical setting of an action (as of a narrative or a motion picture) : context
- environment, milieu
mi·ser ['mī-zər] -n
- a mean grasping person
- one who is extremely stingy with money
mis·er·a·ble ['mi-zər-bəl, 'miz-rə-, 'mi-zə-rə-] -adj, n, adv
- being in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness (as from want or shame)
- wretchedly inadequate or meager
- causing extreme discomfort or unhappiness
- being likely to discredit or shame
- his miserable neglect of his wife
mi·se·re·re [,mi-zə-'rir-ē, -'rer-; ,mē-zə-'rā-(,)rā] -n
- the 50th Psalm in the Vulgate
- misericord
- a vocal complaint or lament
mi·ser·i·cord [mə-'zer-ə-,kȯrd, -'ser-] -n
- a small projection on the bottom of a hinged church seat that gives support to a standing worshiper when the seat is turned up
mi·ser·ly ['mī-zər-lē] -adj, n
- of, relating to, or characteristic of a miser
- marked by grasping meanness and penuriousness
mis·ery ['mi-zə-rē, 'miz-rē] -n
- a state of suffering and want that is the result of poverty or affliction
- a circumstance, thing, or place that causes suffering or discomfort
- a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress
misery index -n
- the sum of the rate of unemployment and the rate of inflation used as an economic indicator
mis·es·teem [,mi-sə-'stēm] -vt
- to esteem wrongly
- to hold in too little regard
mis·fea·sance [mis-'fē-zᵊn(t)s] -n
- trespass
- the performance of a lawful action in an illegal or improper manner
mis·fire [,mis-'fī(-ə)r] -vi
- to have the explosive or propulsive charge fail to ignite at the proper time
- to fail to fire
- to miss an intended effect or objective
- the new ad campaign misfired
- a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire
- something that misfires
mis·fit ['mis-,fit also ,mis-'fit] -n
- something that fits badly
- a person who is poorly adapted to a situation or environment
mis·for·tune [,mis-'fȯr-chən] -n
- an event or conjunction of events that causes an unfortunate or distressing result : bad luck
- by misfortune he fell into bad company
- had the misfortune to break his leg
- an unhappy situation
- always ready to help people in misfortune
- a distressing or unfortunate incident or event
- misfortune s never come singly
mis·give [,mis-'giv] -vb
- to suggest doubt or fear to
- to be fearful or apprehensive
mis·giv·ing [-'gi-viŋ] -n
- a feeling of doubt or suspicion esp. concerning a future event
mis·guid·ance [,mis-'gī-dᵊn(t)s] -n
- misdirection
mis·guide [-'gīd] -vt, n
- to lead astray : misdirect
- prejudice misguide s our minds
mis·guid·ed [(,)mis-'gī-dəd] -adj, adv, n
- led or prompted by wrong or inappropriate motives or ideals
- well-meaning but misguided do-gooders
mis·han·dle [-'han-dᵊl] -vt
- to treat roughly : maltreat
- to deal with or manage wrongly or ignorantly
mis·hap ['mis-,hap, mis-'] -n
- an unfortunate accident
- bad luck : misfortune
mis·hear [,mis-'hir] -vb
- to hear wrongly
- to misunderstand what is heard
mis·hit [,mis-'hit] -vt, n
- to hit in a faulty manner
mish·mash ['mish-,mash, -,mäsh] -n
- hodgepodge, jumble
Mish·nah ['mish-nə] -n, adj
- the collection of mostly halachic Jewish traditions compiled about a.d.200 and made the basic part of the Talmud
mis·im·pres·sion [,mi-sim-'pre-shən] -n
- a mistaken impression
mis·in·ter·pret [,mi-sᵊn-'tər-prət, -pət] -vt, n
- to explain wrongly
- to understand wrongly
mis·join·der [,mis-'jȯin-dər] -n
- an improper union of parties or of causes of action in a single legal proceeding
mis·judge [,mis-'jəj] -vi, n
- to be mistaken in judgment
- to estimate wrongly
- to have an unjust opinion of
Mi·ski·to [mis-'kē-(,)tō] -n
- a member of an American Indian people of the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua and Honduras
- the language of the Miskito people
mis·know [,mis-'nō] -vt, n
- misunderstand
mis·lay [,mis-'lā] -vt
- to put in an unremembered place : lose
mis·lead [,mis-'lēd] -vb, n, adv
- to lead in a wrong direction or into a mistaken action or belief often by deliberate deceit
- to lead astray : give a wrong impression
mis·leared [-'lird, -'lerd] -adj
- unmannerly, ill-bred
mis·like [-'līk] -vt, n
- displease
- dislike
mis·name [-'nām] -vt
- to name incorrectly : miscall
mis·no·mer [,mis-'nō-mər] -n, adj
- the misnaming of a person in a legal instrument
- a use of a wrong or inappropriate name
- a wrong name or inappropriate designation
mi·so ['mē-(,)sō] -n
- a high-protein fermented food paste consisting chiefly of soybeans, salt, and usu. grain (as barley or rice) and ranging in taste from very salty to very sweet
mi·sog·a·my [mi-'sä-gə-mē, mī-] -n
- a hatred of marriage
mi·sog·y·ny [mə-'sä-jə-nē] -n, adj, n or adj
- a hatred of women
mi·sol·o·gy [mə-'sä-lə-jē] -n
- a hatred of argument, reasoning, or enlightenment
miso·ne·ism [,mi-sə-'nē-,i-zəm] -n
- a hatred, fear, or intolerance of innovation or change
mi·so·pros·tol [,mī-sō-'präs-,tōl, -,tȯl] -n
- a synthetic prostaglandin analog C 22H 38O 5used to prevent stomach ulcers associated with NSAID use and to induce abortion in conjunction with RU-486
mis·place [,mis-'plās] -vt, n
- to put in a wrong or inappropriate place
- mislay
- to set on a wrong object or eventuality
- his trust had been misplaced
mis·play ['mis-,plā] -n, vt
- a wrong or unskillful play : error
mis·pri·sion [(,)mis-'pri-zhən] -n
- neglect or wrong performance of official duty
- concealment of treason or felony by one who is not a participant in the treason or felony
- seditious conduct against the government or the courts
- misunderstanding, misinterpretation
misprision -n
- contempt, scorn
mis·prize [,mis-'prīz] -vt
- to hold in contempt : despise
- undervalue
mis·pro·nounce [,mis-prə-'nau̇n(t)s] -vt
- to pronounce incorrectly or in a way regarded as incorrect
mis·pro·nun·ci·a·tion [-,nən(t)-sē-'ā-shən also -,nau̇n(t)-] -n
- the act or an instance of mispronouncing
mis·read [,mis-'rēd] -vt
- to read incorrectly
- to misinterpret in or as if in reading
- totally misread the lesson of history -- Christopher Hollis
mis·rep·re·sent [(,)mis-,re-pri-'zent] -vt, n, adj
- to give a false or misleading representation of usu. with an intent to deceive or be unfair
- misrepresent ed the facts
- to serve badly or improperly as a representative of
mis·rule [,mis-'rül] -vt
- to rule incompetently : misgovern
misrule -n
- the action of misruling : the condition of being misruled
- disorder, anarchy
miss ['mis] -vb, adj
- to fail to hit, reach, or contact
- to discover or feel the absence of
- to fail to obtain
- escape, avoid
- just miss ed hitting the other car
- to leave out : omit
- to fail to comprehend, sense, or experience
- miss ed the point of the speech
- to fail to perform or attend
- had to miss school for a week
- to fail to get, reach, or do something
- to fail to hit something
- to be unsuccessful
- misfire
- disadvantage or regret resulting from loss
- we know the miss of you, and even hunger...to see you -- Samuel Richardson
- a failure to hit
- a failure to attain a desired result
- misfire
- used as a title prefixed to the name of an unmarried woman or girl
- used before the name of a place or of a line of activity or before some epithet to form a title for a usu. young unmarried female who is representative of the thing indicated
- young lady used without a name as a conventional term of address to a young woman
- a young unmarried woman or girl
- a clothing size for women of average height and build
Miss -abbr
- Mississippi
mis·sa can·ta·ta [,mi-sə-kən-'tä-tə] -n
- high mass
mis·sal ['mi-səl] -n
- a book containing all that is said or sung at mass during the entire year
mis·sal·ette [,mis-sə-'let] -n
- a shortened form of a missal published periodically for congregational use
mis·send [,mis-'send] -vt
- to send incorrectly (as to a wrong destination)
mis·sense ['mis-,sen(t)s] -adj
- relating to or being a genetic mutation involving alteration of one or more codons so that different amino acids are determined
mis·sile ['mi-səl, chiefly Brit -,sīl] -adj
- capable of being thrown or projected to strike a distant object
- adapted for throwing or hurling missiles
missile -n
- : an object (as a weapon) thrown or projected usu. so as to strike something at a distance
- stones, artillery shells, bullets, and rockets are missile s
: as - guided missile
- ballistic missile
mis·sil·eer [,mi-sə-'lir] -n
- missileman
mis·sile·man ['mi-səl-mən] -n
- one engaged in designing, building, or operating guided missiles
mis·sile·ry ['mi-səl-rē] -n
- missiles
- guided missiles
miss·ing ['mi-siŋ] -adj
- absent
- lost
missing link -n
- an absent member needed to complete a series or resolve a problem
- a hypothetical intermediate evolutionary form between humans and their presumed simian progenitors
- a hypothetical intermediate evolutionary form between one animal species or group and its presumed ancestors
- a missing link between reptiles and birds
mis·si·ol·o·gy [,mi-sē-'ä-lə-jē] -n
- the study of the church's mission esp. with respect to missionary activity
mis·sion ['mi-shən] -n
- the act or an instance of sending
- a ministry commissioned by a religious organization to propagate its faith or carry on humanitarian work
- assignment to or work in a field of missionary enterprise
- a mission establishment
- a local church or parish dependent on a larger religious organization for direction or financial support
- organized missionary work
- a course of sermons and services given to convert the unchurched or quicken Christian faith
- : a body of persons sent to perform a service or carry on an activity: as
- a group sent to a foreign country to conduct diplomatic or political negotiations
- a permanent embassy or legation
- a team of specialists or cultural leaders sent to a foreign country
- a specific task with which a person or a group is charged
- a definite military, naval, or aerospace task
- a flight operation of an aircraft or spacecraft in the performance of a mission
- a preestablished and often self-imposed objective or purpose
- statement of the company's mission
- calling, vocation
mission ['mi-sh(ə-)niŋ] -vt
- to send on or entrust with a mission
- to carry on a religious mission among or in
- of or relating to a style used in the early Spanish missions of the southwestern U.S.
- of, relating to, or having the characteristic of a style of plain heavy usu. oak furniture originating in the U.S. in the early part of the 20th century
mis·sion·ary ['mi-shə-,ner-ē] -n
- a person undertaking a mission and esp. a religious mission
missionary -adj
- relating to, engaged in, or devoted to missions
- characteristic of a missionary
missionary position -n
- a coital position in which the female lies on her back with the male on top and with his face opposite hers
mis·sion·er ['mi-sh(ə-)nər] -n
- missionary
mis·sion·ize ['mi-shə-,nīz] -vb, n
- to carry on missionary work
- to do missionary work among
Mis·sis·sip·pi·an [,mi-sə-'si-pē-ən, (,)mis-'si-] -adj, n
- of or relating to Mississippi, its people, or the Mississippi River
- of, relating to, or being the period of the Paleozoic era in No. America following the Devonian and preceding the Pennsylvanian or the corresponding system of rocks
mis·sive ['mi-siv] -n
- a written communication : letter
miss·out ['mis-,au̇t] -n
- a throw of dice that loses the main bet
miss out -vt
- to leave out : omit
mis·speak [,mis-'spēk] -vb
- to speak (as a word) incorrectly
- to express (oneself) imperfectly or incorrectly
- claims now that he misspoke himself
- to speak incorrectly : misspeak oneself
mis·spell [,mis-'spel] -vt
- to spell incorrectly
mis·spell·ing [-'spe-liŋ] -n
- an incorrect spelling
mis·spend [,mis-'spend] -vt
- to spend wrongly : squander
mis·state [,mis-'stāt] -vt, n
- to state incorrectly : give a false account of
mis·step [-'step] -n
- a mistake in judgment or action : blunder
- a wrong step
mis·sus ['mi-səz, -səs, esp Southern -zəz] -n
- mistress
- wife
- men spend money on themselves, but argue over every dime the missus wants -- W. A. Lydgate
missy ['mi-sē] -n
- a young girl : miss
mist ['mist] -n
- water in the form of particles floating or falling in the atmosphere at or near the surface of the earth and approaching the form of rain
- something that obscures understanding
- a film before the eyes
- a cloud of small particles or objects suggestive of a mist
- a suspension of a finely divided liquid in a gas
- a fine spray
- a drink of liquor served over cracked ice
- to be or become misty
- to become moist or blurred
- to cover or spray with or convert to mist
mis·tak·able [mə-'stā-kə-bəl] -adj
- capable of being misunderstood or mistaken
mis·take [mə-'stāk] -vb, adv, n
- to blunder in the choice of
- mistook her way in the dark
- to misunderstand the meaning or intention of : misinterpret
- don't mistake me, I mean exactly what I said
- to make a wrong judgment of the character or ability of
- to identify wrongly : confuse with another
- I mistook him for his brother
- to be wrong
- you mistook when you thought I laughed at you -- Thomas Hardy
mistake -n
- a wrong judgment : misunderstanding
- a wrong action or statement proceeding from faulty judgment, inadequate knowledge, or inattention
mis·ter ['mis-tər, for 1 ,mis-tər or in rapid speech (,)mis(t)] -n
- mr. used sometimes in writing instead of Mr.
- sir used without a name as a generalized term of direct address of a man who is a stranger
- hey, mister, do you want to buy a paper
- a man not entitled to a title of rank or an honorific or professional title
- though he was only a mister, he was a greater scholar in his field than any PhD
- husband
mist·er ['mis-tər] -n
- a device for spraying a mist
mis·think [,mis-'thiŋk] -vb
- to think mistakenly or unfavorably
- to think badly or unfavorably of
mis·tle·toe ['mi-səl-,tō, chiefly Brit 'mi-zəl-] -n
- a European semiparasitic green shrub ( Viscum albumof the family Loranthaceae, the mistletoe family) with thick leaves, small yellowish flowers, and waxy-white glutinous berries
- any of various plants of the mistletoe family (as of an American genus Phoradendron) resembling the true mistletoe
mist net -n
- a finely woven large mesh net erected to entangle and capture birds or bats in flight
mis·tral ['mis-trəl, mi-'sträl] -n
- a strong cold dry northerly wind of southern France
mis·treat [,mis-'trēt] -vt, n
- to treat badly : abuse
mis·tress ['mis-trəs] -n
- : a woman who has power, authority, or ownership: as
- the female head of a household
- a woman who employs or supervises servants
- a woman who is in charge of a school or other establishment
- a woman of the Scottish nobility having a status comparable to that of a master
- a female teacher or tutor
- a woman who has achieved mastery in some field
- something personified as female that rules, directs, or dominates
- when Rome was mistress of the world
- a woman other than his wife with whom a married man has a continuing sexual relationship
- sweetheart
- used archaically as a title prefixed to the name of a married or unmarried woman
- mrs.
mistress of ceremonies
- a woman who presides at a public ceremony or who acts as hostess of a stage, radio, or television show
mis·tri·al ['mis-,trī(-ə)l] -n
- a trial that has no legal effect by reason of some error or serious prejudicial misconduct in the proceedings
mis·trust [,mis-'trəst] -n, adj, adv
- a lack of confidence : distrust
mistrust -vt
- to have no trust or confidence in : suspect
- mistrust ed his neighbors
- to doubt the truth, validity, or effectiveness of
- mistrust ed his own judgment
- surmise
- your mind mistrust ed there was something wrong -- Robert Frost
- to be suspicious
misty ['mis-tē] -adj, adv, n
- obscured by mist
- consisting of or marked by mist
- indistinct
- a misty recollection of the event
- vague, confused
- avoided the large, vague, misty issues -- Reuben Abel
- tearful
mistyeyed ['mis-tē-,īd] -adj
- having tearful eyes
- dreamy, sentimental
mis·un·der·stand [(,)mi-,sən-dər-'stand] -vt
- to fail to understand
- to interpret incorrectly
mis·un·der·stand·ing -n
- a failure to understand : misinterpretation
- quarrel, disagreement
mis·us·age [,mis-'yü-sij, ,mish-, -zij] -n
- bad treatment : abuse
- wrong or improper use (as of words)
mis·use [-'yüz] -vt, n
- to use incorrectly : misapply
- abuse, mistreat
- incorrect or improper use : misapplication
mite ['mīt] -n
- any of numerous small acarid arachnids that often infest animals, plants, and stored foods and include important disease vectors
- a small coin or sum of money
- a very little : bit
- a very small object or creature
mi·ter ['mī-tər] -n
- a liturgical headdress worn by bishops and abbots
- a surface forming the beveled end or edge of a piece where a joint is made by cutting two pieces at an angle and fitting them together
- miter joint
miter ['mī-tə-riŋ] -vt, n
- to confer a miter on
- to match or fit together in a miter joint
- to bevel the ends of for making a miter joint
miter box -n
- a device for guiding a handsaw at the proper angle in making a miter joint in wood
miter joint -n
- a usu. perpendicular joint made by fastening together parts with the ends cut at an angle
miter square -n
- a bevel with an immovable arm at an angle of 45 degrees for striking marking lines
- a square with an arm adjustable to any angle
Mith·ra·ic [mi-'thrā-ik] -adj, n, n or adj
- of or relating to a mystery cult for men of Iranian origin that flourished in the late Roman empire
mith·ri·date ['mith-rə-,dāt] -n
- an antidote against poison
- a confection held to be effective against poison
mi·ti·cide ['mī-tə-,sīd] -n, adj
- an agent used to kill mites
mit·i·gate ['mi-tə-,gāt] -vt, n, adj
- to cause to become less harsh or hostile : mollify
- to make less severe or painful : alleviate
- extenuate
mitochondrial DNA -n
- an extranuclear double-stranded DNA found exclusively in mitochondria that in most eukaryotes is a circular molecule and is maternally inherited abbr. mtDNA
mi·to·chon·dri·on [,mī-tə-'kän-drē-ən] -n, adj
- any of various round or long cellular organelles of most eukaryotes that are found outside the nucleus, produce energy for the cell through cellular respiration, and are rich in fats, proteins, and enzymes
mi·to·gen ['mī-tə-jən] -n, adj
- a substance that induces mitosis
mi·to·my·cin [,mī-tə-'mī-sᵊn] -n
- a complex of antibiotic substances that is produced by a Japanese streptomyces ( Streptomyces caespitosus)
- one form C 15H 18N 4O 5that inhibits DNA synthesis and is used as an antineoplastic agent
mi·to·sis [mī-'tō-səs] -n, adj, adv
- a process that takes place in the nucleus of a dividing cell, involves typically a series of steps consisting of prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, and results in the formation of two new nuclei each having the same number of chromosomes as the parent nucleus
- cell division in which mitosis occurs
mi·tral ['mī-trəl] -adj
- resembling a miter
- of, relating to, being, or adjoining a mitral valve or orifice
mitral valve -n
- a cardiac valve consisting of two triangular flaps which allow only unidirectional blood flow from the left atrium to the ventricle called also bicuspid valve
mi·tre·wort ['mī-tər-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n
- any of a genus ( Mitella) of rhizomatous perennial herbs of the saxifrage family that bear a capsule resembling a bishop's miter
mitt ['mit] -n
- a woman's glove that leaves the fingers uncovered
- mitten
- a baseball catcher's or first baseman's glove made in the style of a mitten
- hand
mit·ten ['mi-tᵊn] -n, adj
- a covering for the hand and wrist having a separate section for the thumb only
- mitt
mit·ti·mus ['mi-tə-məs] -n
- a warrant of commitment to prison
mitz·vah ['mits-və] -n
- a commandment of the Jewish law
- a meritorious or charitable act
mix ['miks] -vb, adj
- to combine or blend into one mass
- to combine with another
- to bring into close association
- mix business with pleasure
- to form by mixing components
- to produce (a sound recording) by electronically combining or adjusting sounds from more than one source
- confuse often used with up
- mix es things up in his eagerness to speak out -- Irving Howe
- to become mixed
- to be capable of mixing
- to enter into relations : associate
- crossbreed
- to become involved : participate
- decided not to mix in politics
- an act or process of mixing
- : a product of mixing: as
- a commercially prepared mixture of food ingredients
- a combination of different kinds
- the right mix of jobs, people and amenities -- London Times
- mixer
mixed ['mikst] -adj
- combining characteristics of more than one kind
- combining features of two or more systems of government
- : made up of or involving individuals or items of more than one kind: as
- made up of or involving persons differing in race, national origin, religion, or class
- made up of or involving individuals of both sexes
- including or accompanied by inconsistent, incompatible, or contrary elements
- deriving from two or more races or breeds
- a stallion of mixed blood
mixed alphabet -n
- an alphabet (as in a cryptographic system) that has been rearranged or disordered systematically or randomly
mixed bag -n
- a miscellaneous collection : assortment
- one having both positive and negative qualities or aspects
- his performance was a mixed bag
mixed bud -n
- a bud that produces a branch and leaves as well as flowers
mixed drink -n
- an alcoholic beverage prepared from two or more ingredients
mixed farming -n
- the growing of food or cash crops, feed crops, and livestock on the same farm
mixed grill -n
- meats (as lamb chop, kidney, and bacon) and vegetables broiled together and served on one plate
mixed marriage -n
- a marriage between persons of different races or religions
mixed martial arts -n
- a contact sport that allows a wide range of fighting techniques including striking, kicking, and grappling
mixedmedia -adj
- multimedia
mixed metaphor -n
- a figure of speech combining inconsistent or incongruous metaphors
mixed nerve -n
- a nerve containing both sensory and motor fibers
mixed number -n
- a number (as 5) composed of an integer and a fraction
mixedup ['mikst-'əp] -adj
- marked by bewilderment, perplexity, or disorder : confused
mixeduse ['mikst-'yüs] -adj
- used or suitable for several different functions
mix·er ['mik-sər] -n
- : one that mixes: as
- one whose work is mixing the ingredients of a product
- one who balances and controls the dialogue, music, and sound effects to be recorded for or with a motion picture or television
- a container, device, or machine for mixing
- a game, stunt, or dance used at a get-together to give members of the group an opportunity to meet one another in a friendly and informal atmosphere
- the get-together itself
- : one that mixes with others: as
- a person considered in regard to casual sociability
- a nonalcoholic beverage (as ginger ale) used in a mixed drink
mix·ol·o·gy [mik-'sä-lə-jē] -n
- the art or skill of preparing mixed drinks
mix·tape ['miks-,tāp] -n
- a compilation of songs recorded (as onto a cassette tape or a CD) from various sources
Mix·tec [mēs-'tek, mis-, mēsh-, mish-] -n
- the language of the Mixtec people
- a member of an American Indian people of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico
mix·ture ['miks-chər] -n
- the act, the process, or an instance of mixing
- the state of being mixed
- the relative proportions of constituents
- the proportion of fuel to air produced in a carburetor
- : a product of mixing : combination: as
- a portion of matter consisting of two or more components in varying proportions that retain their own properties
- a fabric woven of variously colored threads
- a combination of several different kinds
mixup ['miks-,əp] -n
- a state or instance of confusion
- mixture
- conflict, fight
mi·zu·na [mi-'zü-nə] -n
- a Japanese mustard ( Brassica rapa nipposinicasyn. B. rapa japonica) having mild tasting deeply dissected leaves used esp. in salads
- its leaves
miz·zen ['mi-zᵊn] -n
- a fore-and-aft sail set on the mizzenmast
- mizzenmast
mizzen -adj
- of or relating to the mizzenmast
miz·zen·mast [-,mast, -məst] -n
- the mast aft or next aft of the mainmast in a ship
miz·zle ['mi-zəl] -vi, n, adj
- to rain in very fine drops : drizzle
mizzle ['mi-zə-liŋ, 'miz-liŋ] -vi
- to depart suddenly