my ['mī, mə] -adj

  1. of or relating to me or myself esp. as possessor, agent, object of an action, or familiar person
    • my car
    • my injuries
    • my man
  2. used interjectionally to express surprise and sometimes reduplicated
    • my oh my
    used also interjectionally with names of various parts of the body to express doubt or disapproval
    • my foot
  3. million years

my- -comb form

  1. muscle
    • myo globin
    : muscle and
    • myo neural

mya -abbr

  1. million years ago

my·al·gia [mī-'al-j(ē-)ə] -n, adj

  1. pain in one or more muscles

my·as·the·nia [,mī-əs-'thē-nē-ə] -n, adj or n

  1. muscular debility
  2. myasthenia gravis

myasthenia gra·vis [-'gra-vəs, -'grä-] -n

  1. a disease characterized by progressive weakness and exhaustibility of voluntary muscles without atrophy or sensory disturbance and caused by an autoimmune attack on acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction

myc- -comb form

  1. fungus
    • myco logy
    • myc osis

my·ce·li·um [mī-'sē-lē-əm] -n, adj

  1. the mass of interwoven filamentous hyphae that forms esp. the vegetative portion of the thallus of a fungus and is often submerged in another body (as of soil or organic matter or the tissues of a host)
  2. a similar mass of filaments formed by some bacteria (as streptomyces)

My·ce·nae·an [,mī-sə-'nē-ən] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Mycenae, its people, or the period (1400 to 1100 b.c.) of Mycenae's political ascendancy
  2. characteristic of the Bronze Age Mycenaean culture of the eastern Mediterranean area

my·ce·to·ma [,mī-sə-'tō-mə] -n, adj

  1. a condition marked by invasion of the deep subcutaneous tissues with fungi or actinomycetes
  2. a tumorous mass occurring in mycetoma

my·ce·to·zo·an [mī-,sē-tə-'zō-ən] -n, adj

  1. slime mold

my·co·bac·te·ri·um [,mī-kō-bak-'tir-ē-əm] -n, adj

  1. any of a genus ( Mycobacterium) of nonmotile aerobic acid-fast bacteria that include numerous saprophytes and the pathogens causing tuberculosis and leprosy

my·co·flo·ra [,mī-kə-'flȯr-ə] -n

  1. the fungi characteristic of a region or special environment

mycol -abbr

  1. mycology

my·col·o·gy [mī-'kä-lə-jē] -n, adj, adv

  1. a branch of biology dealing with fungi
  2. fungal life

my·coph·a·gist [mī-'kä-fə-jist] -n

  1. one that eats fungi (as mushrooms)

my·coph·a·gous [-gəs] -adj

  1. feeding on fungi

my·co·phile ['mī-kō-,fī(-ə)l] -n

  1. a devotee of mushrooms
  2. one whose hobby is hunting wild edible mushrooms

my·co·plas·ma [,mī-kō-'plaz-mə] -n, adj

  1. any of a genus ( Mycoplasmaof the family Mycoplasmataceae) of pleomorphic gram-negative chiefly nonmotile bacteria that lack a cell wall and are mostly parasitic usu. in mammals called also pleuropneumonia-like organism

mycoplasmalike organism -n

  1. phytoplasma

my·cor·rhi·za [,mī-kə-'rī-zə] -n, adj

  1. the symbiotic association of the mycelium of a fungus with the roots of a seed plant

my·co·sis [mī-'kō-səs] -n, adj

  1. infection with or disease caused by a fungus

my·co·tox·in [,mī-kə-'täk-sən] -n

  1. a toxic substance produced by a fungus and esp. a mold

my·dri·a·sis [mə-'drī-ə-səs] -n, adj or n

  1. excessive or prolonged dilatation of the pupil of the eye

myel- -comb form

  1. bone marrow : spinal cord
    • myel encephalon

my·e·len·ceph·a·lon [,mī-ə-len-'se-fə-,län, -lən] -n, adj

  1. the posterior part of the developing vertebrate hindbrain or the corresponding part of the adult brain composed of the medulla oblongata

my·e·lin ['mī-ə-lən] -n, adj

  1. a soft white somewhat fatty material that forms a thick myelin sheath about the protoplasmic core of a myelinated nerve fiber

my·e·lin·at·ed ['mī-ə-lə-,nā-təd] -adj

  1. having a myelin sheath
    • myelinated nerve fibers

myelin sheath -n

  1. a layer of myelin surrounding some nerve fibers called also medullary sheath

my·e·li·tis [,mī-ə-'lī-təs] -n

  1. inflammation of the spinal cord or of the bone marrow

my·e·lo·blast ['mī-ə-lə-,blast] -n, adj

  1. a large mononuclear nongranular bone-marrow cell
  2. one that is a precursor of a myelocyte

my·e·lo·cyte ['mī-ə-lə-,sīt] -n, adj

  1. a bone-marrow cell
  2. a motile cell with cytoplasmic granules that gives rise to the granulocytes of the blood and occurs abnormally in the circulating blood

my·e·lo·fi·bro·sis [,mī-ə-lō-fī-'brō-səs] -n, adj

  1. an anemic condition in which bone marrow becomes fibrotic and the liver and spleen usu. exhibit a development of blood-cell precursors

my·e·log·e·nous [,mī-ə-'lä-jə-nəs] -adj

  1. of, relating to, originating in, or produced by the bone marrow
    • myelogenous sarcoma

myelogenous leukemia -n

  1. leukemia characterized by proliferation of myeloid tissue (as of the bone marrow and spleen) and an abnormal increase in the number of granulocytes, myelocytes, and myeloblasts in the circulating blood called also myelocytic leukemia myeloid leukemia

my·e·loid ['mī-ə-,lȯid] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or resembling bone marrow

my·e·lo·ma [,mī-ə-'lō-mə] -n, adj

  1. a primary tumor of the bone marrow

my·e·lop·a·thy [-'lä-pə-thē] -n, adj

  1. a disease or disorder of the spinal cord or bone marrow

my·e·lo·pro·lif·er·a·tive ['mī-ə-lō-prə-'li-f(ə-)rə-tiv, -fə-,rā-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a disorder (as leukemia) marked by excessive proliferation of bone marrow elements and esp. blood cell precursors

my·ia·sis [mī-'ī-ə-səs, mē-] -n

  1. infestation with fly maggots

My·lar ['mī-,lär] -trademark

  1. used for a polyester film

my·nah ['mī-nə] -n

  1. any of various Asian starlings (esp. genera Acridotheres, Gracula,and Sturnus)
  2. a dark brown slightly crested bird ( A. tristis) of southeastern Asia with a white tail tip and wing markings and bright yellow bill and feet

myn·heer [mə-'ner] -n

  1. a male Netherlander used as a title equivalent to Mr.

myo·blast ['mī-ə-,blast] -n

  1. an undifferentiated cell capable of giving rise to muscle cells

myocardial infarction -n

  1. heart attack

myo·car·di·tis [,mī-ə-(,)kär-'dī-təs] -n

  1. inflammation of the myocardium

myo·car·di·um [,mī-ə-'kär-dē-əm] -n, adj

  1. the middle muscular layer of the heart wall

my·oc·lo·nus [,mī-'ä-klə-nəs] -n, adj

  1. irregular involuntary contraction of a muscle usu. resulting from functional disorder of controlling motor neurons
  2. a condition characterized by myoclonus

myo·elec·tric [,mī-ō-i-'lek-trik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or utilizing electricity generated by muscle

myo·fi·bril [,mī-ə-'fī-brəl, -'fi-] -n, adj

  1. any of the longitudinal parallel contractile elements of a muscle cell that are composed of myosin and actin

myo·fil·a·ment [-'fi-lə-mənt] -n

  1. one of the individual filaments of actin or myosin that make up a myofibril

myo·gen·ic [-'je-nik] -adj

  1. taking place or functioning in ordered rhythmic fashion because of the inherent properties of cardiac muscle rather than specific neural stimuli
    • a myogenic heartbeat

myo·glo·bin [-'glō-bən, 'mī-ə-,] -n

  1. a red iron-containing protein pigment in muscles that is similar to hemoglobin

myo·ino·si·tol [,mī-ō-i-'nō-sə-,tȯl, -,tōl] -n

  1. a biologically active inositol that is a component of many phospholipids and occurs widely in plants, animals, and microorganisms

my·ol·o·gy [mī-'ä-lə-jē] -n

  1. the scientific study of muscles

my·o·ma [mī-'ō-mə] -n, adj

  1. a tumor consisting of muscle tissue

myo·mec·to·my [,mī-ə-'mek-tə-mē] -n

  1. surgical removal of a myoma or fibroid

myo·neu·ral [,mī-ə-'nu̇r-əl, -'nyu̇r-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or connecting muscles and nerves
    • myoneural junctions

my·op·a·thy [mī-'ä-pə-thē] -n, adj

  1. a disorder of muscle tissue or muscles

my·ope ['mī-,ōp] -n

  1. a myopic person

my·o·pia [mī-'ō-pē-ə] -n, adj, adv

  1. a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye resulting esp. in defective vision of distant objects
  2. a lack of foresight or discernment : a narrow view of something

my·o·sin ['mī-ə-sən] -n

  1. a fibrous globulin of muscle that can split ATP and that reacts with actin in muscle contraction to form actomyosin

myosis [mī-'ō-səs, mē-] -n

(variant of miosis)

  1. excessive smallness or contraction of the pupil of the eye

myo·si·tis [,mī-ə-'sī-təs] -n

  1. soreness of voluntary muscle due to inflammation

myo·tome ['mī-ə-,tōm] -n

  1. the portion of an embryonic somite from which skeletal musculature is produced

myo·to·nia [,mī-ə-'tō-nē-ə] -n, adj

  1. tonic spasm of one or more muscles
  2. a condition characterized by such spasms

myotonic dystrophy -n

  1. a muscular disorder that is characterized by dystrophic muscle weakness and myotonia affecting multiple bodily systems and that is caused by an abnormally high number of repeats of a codon in the genetic material

Myr -abbr

  1. million years

myr·i·ad ['mir-ē-əd] -n

  1. ten thousand
  2. a great number
    • a myriad of ideas

myriad -adj

  1. innumerable
    • those myriad problems
  2. both numerous and diverse
    • myriad topics
  3. having innumerable aspects or elements
    • the myriad activity of the new land -- Meridel Le Sueur

myr·ia·pod ['mir-ē-ə-,päd] -n, adj

  1. any of a group (Myriapoda) of arthropods having the body made up of numerous similar segments nearly all of which bear true jointed legs and including the millipedes and centipedes

my·ris·tic acid [mə-'ris-tik-, mī-] -n

  1. a crystalline fatty acid C 14H 28O 2occurring esp. in the form of glycerides in most fats

myrmeco- -comb form

  1. ant
    • myrmeco philous

myr·me·col·o·gy [,mər-mə-'kä-lə-jē] -n, adj

  1. the scientific study of ants

myr·me·co·phile ['mər-mi-kə-,fī(-ə)l] -n

  1. an organism that habitually shares an ant nest

myr·me·coph·i·lous [,mər-mə-'kä-fə-ləs] -adj

  1. fond of, associated with, or benefited by ants

myr·mi·don ['mər-mə-,dän, -dən] -n

  1. a member of a legendary Thessalian people who accompanied their king Achilles in the Trojan War
  2. a loyal follower
  3. a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or unscrupulously

myrrh ['mər] -n

  1. a yellowish-brown to reddish-brown aromatic gum resin with a bitter slightly pungent taste obtained from a tree (esp. Commiphora abyssinicaof the family Burseraceae) of eastern Africa and Arabia
  2. a mixture of myrrh and labdanum

myr·tle ['mər-tᵊl] -n

  1. a common evergreen bushy shrub ( Myrtus communisof the family Myrtaceae, the myrtle family) of southern Europe with oval to lance-shaped shiny leaves, fragrant white or rosy flowers, and black berries
  2. any of the chiefly tropical shrubs or trees comprising the myrtle family
  3. periwinkle
  4. california laurel

my·self [mī-'self, mə-, Southern also -'sef] -pron

  1. that identical one that is I used reflexively
    • I'm going to get myself a new suit
    , for emphasis
    • I myself will go
    , or in absolute constructions
    • myself a tourist, I nevertheless avoided other tourists
  2. my normal, healthy, or sane condition
    • didn't feel myself yesterday

mys·ta·gogue ['mis-tə-,gäg] -n

  1. one who initiates another into a mystery cult
  2. one who understands or teaches mystical doctrines

mys·te·ri·ous [mis-'tir-ē-əs] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or constituting mystery
    • the mysterious ways of God
  2. exciting wonder, curiosity, or surprise while baffling efforts to comprehend or identify : mystifying
    • heard a mysterious noise
    • a mysterious stranger
  3. stirred by or attracted to the inexplicable

mys·tery ['mis-t(ə-)rē] -n

  1. a religious truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand
  2. any of the 15 events (as the Nativity, the Crucifixion, or the Assumption) serving as a subject for meditation during the saying of the rosary
  3. a Christian sacrament
  4. eucharist
  5. a secret religious rite believed (as in Eleusinian and Mithraic cults) to impart enduring bliss to the initiate
  6. a cult devoted to such rites
  7. something not understood or beyond understanding : enigma
  8. a private secret
  9. the secret or specialized practices or ritual peculiar to an occupation or a body of people
    • the mysteries of the tailor's craft
  10. a piece of fiction dealing usu. with the solution of a mysterious crime
  11. profound, inexplicable, or secretive quality or character
    • the mystery of her smile

mystery -n

  1. trade, craft
  2. a body of persons engaged in a particular trade, business, or profession : guild
  3. mystery play

mystery play -n

  1. a medieval drama based on scriptural incidents (as the creation of the world, the Flood, or the life, death, and resurrection of Christ)

mys·tic ['mis-tik] -adj

  1. mystical
  2. of or relating to mysteries or esoteric rites : occult
  3. of or relating to mysticism or mystics
  4. mysterious
  5. obscure, enigmatic
  6. inducing a feeling of awe or wonder
  7. having magical properties

mystic -n

  1. a follower of a mystical way of life
  2. an advocate of a theory of mysticism

mys·ti·cal ['mis-ti-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. having a spiritual meaning or reality that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence
    • the mystical food of the sacrament
  2. involving or having the nature of an individual's direct subjective communion with God or ultimate reality
    • the mystical experience of the Inner Light
  3. mysterious, unintelligible
  4. mystic
  5. mystic

mys·ti·cism ['mis-tə-,si-zəm] -n

  1. the experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality reported by mystics
  2. the belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through subjective experience (as intuition or insight)
  3. vague speculation : a belief without sound basis
  4. a theory postulating the possibility of direct and intuitive acquisition of ineffable knowledge or power

mys·ti·fi·ca·tion [,mis-tə-fə-'kā-shən] -n

  1. an act or instance of mystifying
  2. an obscuring esp. of capitalist or social dynamics (as by making them equivalent to natural laws) that is seen in Marxist thought as an impediment to critical consciousness
    • the mystification of the sources of wealth -- Henry Staten
  3. the quality or state of being mystified
  4. something designed to mystify

mys·ti·fy ['mis-tə-,fī] -vt, n, adv

  1. to perplex the mind of : bewilder
  2. to make mysterious or obscure
    • mystify an interpretation of a prophecy

mys·tique [mi-'stēk] -n

  1. an air or attitude of mystery and reverence developing around something or someone
  2. the special esoteric skill essential in a calling or activity

myth ['mith] -n

  1. a usu. traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon
  2. parable, allegory
  3. a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone
  4. one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of society
    • seduced by the American myth of individualism -- Orde Coombs
  5. an unfounded or false notion
  6. a person or thing having only an imaginary or unverifiable existence
  7. the whole body of myths

myth·i·cal ['mi-thi-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. based on or described in a myth esp. as contrasted with history
  2. existing only in the imagination : fictitious, imaginary
    • constructed a mythical all-star team
  3. having qualities suitable to myth : legendary
    • the twilight of a mythic professional career -- Clayton Riley

myth·i·cize ['mi-thə-,sīz] -vt, n

  1. to turn into or envelop in myth
  2. to treat as myth

myth·mak·er ['mith-,mā-kər] -n

  1. a creator of myths or of mythical situations or lore

my·thog·ra·phy [mi-'thä-grə-fē] -n

  1. the representation of mythical subjects in art
  2. a critical compilation of myths

myth·o·log·i·cal [,mi-thə-'lä-ji-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to mythology or myths : dealt with in mythology
  2. lacking factual basis or historical validity : mythical, fabulous

my·thol·o·gize [mi-'thä-lə-,jīz] -vb, n

  1. to explain the mythological significance of
  2. to build a myth around : mythicize
  3. to relate, classify, and explain myths
  4. to create or perpetuate myths

my·thol·o·gy [mi-'thä-lə-jē] -n

  1. an allegorical narrative
  2. : a body of myths: as
  3. the myths dealing with the gods, demigods, and legendary heroes of a particular people
  4. mythos
    • cold war mythology
  5. a branch of knowledge that deals with myth
  6. a popular belief or assumption that has grown up around someone or something : myth
    • defective mythologies that ignore masculine depth of feeling -- Robert Bly

mytho·ma·nia [,mi-thə-'mā-nē-ə, -nyə] -n, n or adj

  1. an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating

mytho·poe·ia [,mi-thə-'pē-ə] -n, adj

  1. a creating of myth : a giving rise to myths

my·thos ['mi-,thōs, -,thäs] -n

  1. myth
  2. mythology
  3. a pattern of beliefs expressing often symbolically the characteristic or prevalent attitudes in a group or culture
  4. theme, plot
    • the starving artist mythos

mythy ['mi-thē] -adj

  1. resembling, concerned with, or of a subject for myth
    • a mythy theme

my word -interj

  1. used to express surprise or astonishment

myx·ede·ma [,mik-sə-'dē-mə] -n, adj

  1. severe hypothyroidism characterized by firm inelastic edema, dry skin and hair, and loss of mental and physical vigor

myx·o·ma [mik-'sō-mə] -n, adj

  1. a soft tumor made up of gelatinous connective tissue like that of the umbilical cord

myx·o·ma·to·sis [mik-,sō-mə-'tō-səs] -n

  1. a condition characterized by the presence of myxomas in the body
  2. a severe virus disease of rabbits that is caused by a poxvirus (species Myxoma virusof the genus Leporipoxvirus) and transmitted by mosquitoes, biting flies, and direct contact and that has been used in the biological control of rabbits esp. in Australia

myxo·my·cete [,mik-sō-'mī-,sēt, ,mik-sō-(,)mī-'] -n

  1. slime mold

myxo·vi·rus ['mik-sə-,vī-rəs] -n, adj

  1. any of a former family (Myxoviridae) of single-stranded RNA viruses that included the orthomyxoviruses and the paramyxoviruses