mi ['mē] -n

  1. the 3d tone of the diatonic scale in solmization
  2. mile; miles
  3. mill

MI -abbr

  1. Michigan
  2. military intelligence
  3. myocardial infarction

MIA [,em-(,)ī-'ā] -n

  1. 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

  1. a member of an American Indian people orig. of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana

miaow [mē-'au̇] -n, vi

(variant of meow)

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

mi·as·ma [mī-'az-mə, mē-] -n, adj, adv

  1. a vaporous exhalation formerly believed to cause disease
  2. a heavy vaporous emanation or atmosphere
    • a miasma of tobacco smoke
  3. an influence or atmosphere that tends to deplete or corrupt
    • freed from the miasma of poverty -- Sir Arthur Bryant
  4. an atmosphere that obscures : fog

mic ['mīk] -n

  1. microphone

Mic -abbr

  1. Micah

MIC -abbr

  1. methyl isocyanate

mi·ca ['mī-kə] -n, adj

  1. any of various colored or transparent mineral silicates crystallizing in monoclinic forms that readily separate into very thin leaves

Mi·cah ['mī-kə] -n

  1. a prophetic book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture
  2. a Hebrew prophet of the eighth century b.c.

Mi·caw·ber [mi-'kȯ-bər, -'kä-] -n, adj

  1. one who is poor but lives in optimistic expectation of better fortune

mice ['mau̇s] -n

(variant of mouse)

  1. any of numerous small rodents (as of the genus Mus) with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body, and slender tail
  2. a timid person
  3. a dark-colored swelling caused by a blow
  4. black eye
  5. a small mobile manual device that controls movement of the cursor and selection of functions on a computer display
  6. to hunt for mice
  7. to search or move stealthily or slowly
  8. bite, gnaw
  9. to toy with roughly
  10. to search for carefully usu. used with out

mi·celle [mī-'sel] -n, adj

  1. : a unit of structure built up from polymeric molecules or ions: as
  2. an ordered region in a fiber (as of cellulose or rayon)
  3. a molecular aggregate that constitutes a colloidal particle

Mich -abbr

  1. Michigan

Mi·chael ['mī-kəl] -n

  1. one of the four archangels named in Hebrew tradition

Mi·chae·lis constant [mī-'kā-ləs-, mə-] -n

  1. 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

  1. September 29 celebrated as the feast of St. Michael the Archangel

Michaelmas daisy -n

  1. a wild aster
  2. one blooming about Michaelmas

Mi·che·as ['mī-kē-əs, mī-'] -n

  1. micah

mick ['mik] -n

  1. irishman

Mick·ey Finn [,mi-kē-'fin] -n

  1. a drink of liquor doctored with a purgative or a drug

Mickey Mouse ['mi-kē-'mau̇s] -adj

  1. not to be taken seriously
    • switch to Mickey Mouse courses, where you don't work too hard -- Willie Cager
  2. not effectual : worthless
    • a Mickey Mouse lock
  3. being or performing insipid or corny popular music
  4. of little importance : trifling
    • Mickey Mouse regulations

mick·le ['mi-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. great, much

Mic·mac ['mik-,mak] -n

  1. a member of an American Indian people of eastern Canada
  2. the Algonquian language of the Micmac people

mi·con·a·zole [mī-'kä-nə-,zōl] -n

  1. an antifungal agent C 18H 14Cl 4N 2O used esp. in the form of its nitrate

MICR -abbr

  1. magnetic ink character recognition

micr- -comb form

  1. small : minute
    • micro capsule
  2. used for or involving minute quantities or variations
    • micro barograph
  3. one millionth (10 -6) part of
    • micro gram
  4. using microscopy
    • micro dissection
    : used in microscopy
  5. revealed by or discernible only by microscopic examination
    • micro organism
  6. abnormally small
    • micro cyte
  7. of or relating to a small area
    • micro climate
  8. employed in or connected with microphotographing or microfilming
    • micro copy

mi·cro ['mī-(,)krō] -adj

  1. very small
  2. microscopic
  3. involving minute quantities or variations

micro -n

  1. microcomputer
  2. microprocessor

mi·cro·am·pere [,mī-krō-'am-,pir] -n

  1. a unit of current equal to one millionth of an ampere

mi·cro·anal·y·sis [-ə-'na-lə-səs] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. histology

mi·cro·ar·ray [,mī-krō-ə-'rā] -n

  1. 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

  1. a balance designed to measure very small weights

mi·cro·baro·graph [,mī-krō-'ba-rə-,graf] -n

  1. a barograph for recording small and rapid changes

mi·crobe ['mī-,krōb] -n, adj

  1. microorganism, germ

mi·cro·beam ['mī-krō-,bēm] -n

  1. a beam of radiation of small cross section
    • a focused laser microbeam
    • a microbeam of electrons

mi·cro·bi·cide [mī-'krō-bə-,sīd] -n, adj

  1. an agent that destroys microbes

mi·cro·bi·ol·o·gy [,mī-krō-bī-'ä-lə-jē] -n, adj, adv

  1. a branch of biology dealing esp. with microscopic forms of life

mi·cro·brew ['mī-krō-,brü] -n, adj

  1. a beer produced by a microbrewery

mi·cro·brew·ery [,mī-krō-'brü-ə-rē, -'bru̇r-ē] -n

  1. a small brewery making specialty beer in limited quantities

mi·cro·burst ['mī-krō-,bərst] -n

  1. 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

  1. a station wagon shaped like a bus

mi·cro·cal·o·rim·e·ter [-,ka-lə-'ri-mə-tər] -n, adj

  1. an instrument for measuring very small quantities of heat

mi·cro·cap·sule ['mī-krō-,kap-səl, -(,)sül also -,syül] -n

  1. 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

  1. a small cassette of magnetic tape

mi·cro·ce·phal·ic [-sə-'fa-lik] -adj

  1. having a small head
  2. having an abnormally small head

microcephalic -n

  1. one that is microcephalic

mi·cro·ceph·a·ly [-'se-fə-lē] -n

  1. a condition of abnormal smallness of the head usu. associated with mental defects

mi·cro·chip ['mī-krō-,chip] -n

  1. integrated circuit

mi·cro·cir·cuit [-,sər-kət] -n

  1. a compact electronic circuit : integrated circuit

mi·cro·cir·cu·la·tion [,mī-krō-,sər-kyə-'lā-shən] -n, adj

  1. blood circulation in the microvascular system
  2. the microvascular system itself

mi·cro·cli·mate ['mī-krō-,klī-mət] -n, adj

  1. the essentially uniform local climate of a usu. small site or habitat

mi·cro·cline ['mī-krō-,klīn] -n

  1. a triclinic mineral of the feldspar group that is like orthoclase in composition

mi·cro·coc·cus [,mī-krō-'kä-kəs] -n, adj

  1. a small spherical bacterium
  2. any of a genus ( Micrococcus) of gram-positive chiefly harmless bacteria that typically occur in irregular clusters

mi·cro·code ['mī-krə-,kōd] -n

  1. the microinstructions esp. of a microprocessor

mi·cro·com·put·er ['mī-krō-kəm-,pyü-tər] -n

  1. a small computer usu. equipped with a microprocessor
  2. personal computer
  3. microprocessor

mi·cro·con·trol·ler [-kən-,trō-lər] -n

  1. 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

  1. a little world
  2. the human race or human nature seen as an epitome of the world or the universe
  3. a community or other unity that is an epitome of a larger unity

mi·cro·cos·mos ['mī-krə-,käz-məs, -,mōs, -,mäs] -n

  1. microcosm
  2. the microscopic or submicroscopic world

mi·cro·crys·tal ['mī-krō-,kris-tᵊl] -n, adj

  1. a microscopic crystal

mi·cro·cul·ture ['mī-krō-,kəl-chər] -n, adj

  1. a microscopic culture of cells or organisms
  2. 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

  1. a unit of quantity or of radioactivity equal to one millionth of a curie

mi·cro·cyte ['mī-krə-,sīt] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. a densitometer for measuring the densities of microscopic areas

mi·cro·dis·sec·tion [,mī-krō-di-'sek-shən, -dī-] -n

  1. dissection under the microscope
  2. dissection of cells and tissues by means of fine needles that are precisely manipulated by levers

mi·cro·dot ['mī-krə-,dät, -krō-] -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a minute electrode
  2. 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

  1. a branch of electronics that deals with the miniaturization of electronic circuits and components
  2. 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

  1. electrophoresis in which the movement of single particles is observed in a microscope
  2. electrophoresis in which micromethods are used

mi·cro·el·e·ment [-'e-lə-mənt] -n

  1. trace element

mi·cro·en·cap·su·late [-in-'kap-sə-,lāt] -vt, n

  1. to enclose in a microcapsule

mi·cro·en·ter·prise [-'en-tə(r)-,prīz] -n

  1. a very small business

mi·cro·en·vi·ron·ment [-in-'vī-rən-mənt, -'vī(-ə)rn-] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a unit of capacitance equal to one millionth of a farad

mi·cro·fau·na [,mī-krō-'fȯ-nə, -'fä-] -n, adj

  1. minute animals
  2. those invisible to the naked eye
    • the soil microfauna
  3. a small or strictly localized fauna (as of a microenvironment)

mi·cro·fi·ber ['mī-krō-,fī-bər] -n

  1. a fine usu. soft polyester fiber
  2. a fabric made from such fibers

mi·cro·fi·bril [,mī-krō-'fī-brəl, -'fi-] -n, adj

  1. a fine fibril
  2. one of the submicroscopic elongated bundles of cellulose of a plant cell wall

mi·cro·fiche ['mī-krō-,fēsh, -,fish] -n

  1. a sheet of microfilm containing rows of images of pages of printed matter

mi·cro·fil·a·ment [,mī-krō-'fi-lə-mənt] -n

  1. 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

  1. a minute larval filaria

mi·cro·film ['mī-krə-,film] -n

  1. 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

  1. to reproduce on microfilm
  2. to make microfilms

mi·cro·flo·ra [,mī-krə-'flȯr-ə] -n, adj

  1. microscopic flora
  2. a small or strictly localized flora (as of a microenvironment)

mi·cro·form ['mī-krə-,fȯrm] -n

  1. a process for reproducing printed matter in a much reduced size
    • documents in microform
  2. matter reproduced by microform

mi·cro·fos·sil [,mī-krō-'fä-səl] -n

  1. 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

  1. a fungus (as a mold) with a microscopic fruiting body

mi·cro·ga·mete [-'ga-,mēt also -gə-'mēt] -n

  1. the smaller and usu. male gamete of a heterogamous organism

mi·cro·ga·me·to·cyte [-gə-'mē-tə-,sīt] -n

  1. a gametocyte producing microgametes

mi·cro·gram ['mī-krə-,gram] -n

  1. one millionth of a gram

mi·cro·graph [-,graf] -n, vt

  1. 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

  1. the industry concerned with the manufacture and sale of graphic material in microform
  2. the production of such material

mi·cro·grav·i·ty [-'gra-və-tē] -n

  1. a condition in space in which only minuscule forces are experienced : virtual absence of gravity
  2. a condition of weightlessness

mi·cro·green ['mī-krō-,grēn] -n

  1. a shoot of a standard salad plant (as celery or arugula)

mi·cro·groove ['mī-krō-,grüv] -n

  1. 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

  1. the microenvironment in which an organism lives
    • decaying wood creates a microhabitat for insects

mi·cro·im·age [-'i-mij] -n

  1. an image (as on a microfilm) that is greatly reduced in size

mi·cro·inch [-'inch] -n

  1. one millionth of an inch

mi·cro·in·jec·tion [,mī-krō-in-'jek-shən] -n, vt

  1. injection under the microscope
  2. injection by means of a micropipette into a tissue or a single cell

mi·cro·in·struc·tion [-'strək-shən] -n

  1. 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

  1. lepidopterous insects (as tortricids) that belong to families of minute or medium-sized moths

mi·cro·li·ter ['mī-krō-,lē-tər] -n

  1. a unit of capacity equal to one millionth of a liter

mi·cro·lith ['mī-krə-,lith] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. to manage esp. with excessive control or attention to details
  2. 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

  1. the technique or practice of manipulating cells or tissues

mi·cro·ma·nip·u·la·tor [-'ni-pyə-,lā-tər] -n

  1. an instrument for micromanipulation

mi·cro·mere ['mī-krō-,mir] -n

  1. a small blastomere

mi·cro·me·te·or·ite [,mī-krō-'mē-tē-ə-,rīt] -n, adj

  1. a meteorite so small that it can pass through the earth's atmosphere without becoming intensely heated
  2. a very small particle in interplanetary space

mi·cro·me·te·or·oid [-'mē-tē-ə-,rȯid] -n

  1. micrometeorite

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

  1. 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

  1. an instrument used with a telescope or microscope for measuring minute distances
  2. 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

  1. a unit of length equal to one millionth of a meter called also micron

mi·cro·meth·od ['mī-krō-,me-thəd] -n

  1. 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

  1. a very short miniskirt

mi·cro·min·i·a·ture [-'mi-nē-ə-,chu̇r, -'mi-ni-,chu̇r, -'min-yə-, -chər, -,tyu̇r, -,tu̇r] -adj

  1. microminiaturized
  2. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. one millionth of a mole

mi·cro·mor·phol·o·gy [,mī-krō-mȯr-'fä-lə-jē] -n, adj

  1. microstructure

mi·cron ['mī-,krän] -n

  1. micrometer

Mi·cro·ne·sian [,mī-krə-'nē-zhən, -shən] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Micronesia
  2. a group of Austronesian languages spoken in the Micronesian islands

mi·cron·ize ['mī-krə-,nīz] -vt

  1. to pulverize esp. into particles a few micrometers in diameter

mi·cro·nu·cle·us [,mī-krō-'nü-klē-əs, -'nyü-] -n

  1. a minute nucleus
  2. one that is primarily concerned with reproductive and genetic functions in most ciliated protozoans

mi·cro·nu·tri·ent [-'nü-trē-ənt, -'nyü-] -n

  1. trace element
  2. 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

  1. 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

  1. the study of microscopic fossils

mi·cro·par·ti·cle [-'pär-ti-kəl] -n

  1. a very small particle
  2. one that is microscopic in size

mi·cro·phage ['mī-krə-,fāj also -,fäzh] -n

  1. a small phagocyte

mi·cro·phone ['mī-krə-,fōn] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a small photograph that is normally magnified for viewing
  2. photomicrograph

mi·cro·pho·tom·e·ter [-fō-'tä-mə-tər] -n, adj, adv

  1. 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

  1. a leaf (as of a club moss) with single unbranched veins and no demonstrable gap around the leaf trace
  2. a small leaf

mi·cro·phys·ics [,mī-krō-'fi-ziks] -n, adj, adv

  1. the physics of molecules, atoms, and elementary particles

mi·cro·pi·pette [-pī-'pet] -n

  1. a pipette for the measurement of minute volumes
  2. a small and extremely fine-pointed pipette used in making microinjections

mi·cro·plank·ton [-'plaŋ(k)-tən, -,tän] -n

  1. microscopic plankton

mi·cro·pol·i·tan [,mī-krō-'pä-lə-tən] -adj

  1. 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

  1. a very fine pore

mi·cro·prism ['mī-krə-,pri-zəm] -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a computer processor contained on an integrated-circuit chip
  2. such a processor with memory and associated circuits

mi·cro·pro·gram [-'prō-,gram, -grəm] -n

  1. a routine composed of microinstructions used in microprogramming

mi·cro·pro·gram·ming [-,gra-miŋ] -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. publishing in microform

mi·cro·pul·sa·tion [-,pəl-'sā-shən] -n

  1. 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

  1. an extremely small puncture (as of a nephron)
  2. an act of making a micropuncture

mi·cro·pyle ['mī-krə-,pī(-ə)l] -n, adj

  1. a minute opening in the integument of an ovule of a seed plant
  2. a differentiated area of surface in an egg through which a sperm enters

mi·cro·quake ['mī-krō-,kwāk] -n

  1. microearthquake

mi·cro·ra·di·og·ra·phy [,mī-krō-,rā-dē-'ä-grə-fē] -n, adj

  1. radiography in which an X-ray photograph is prepared showing minute internal structure

mi·cro·sat·el·lite [,mī-krō-'sa-tə-,līt] -n

  1. 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

  1. a very small scale

mi·cro·scope ['mī-krə-,skōp] -n

  1. an optical instrument consisting of a lens or combination of lenses for making enlarged images of minute objects
  2. compound microscope
  3. a non-optical instrument (as one using radiations other than light or using vibrations) for making enlarged images of minute objects
    • an acoustic microscope

mi·cro·scop·ic [,mī-krə-'skä-pik] -adj, adv

  1. resembling a microscope esp. in perception
  2. invisible or indistinguishable without the use of a microscope
  3. very small or fine or precise
  4. of, relating to, or conducted with the microscope or microscopy

mi·cros·co·py [mī-'kräs-kə-pē] -n

  1. the use of or investigation with a microscope

mi·cro·sec·ond ['mī-krō-,se-kənd, -kənt] -n

  1. one millionth of a second

mi·cro·seism ['mī-krə-,sī-zəm] -n, adj

  1. a feeble rhythmically and persistently recurring earth tremor

mi·cro·sen·sor ['mī-krō-,sen-,sȯr, -,sen(t)-sər] -n

  1. a miniature sensor

mi·cro·some ['mī-krə-,sōm] -n, adj

  1. any of various minute cellular structures
  2. 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

  1. 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

  1. a minute sphere

mi·cro·spo·ran·gi·um [,mī-krō-spə-'ran-jē-əm] -n, adj

  1. a sporangium that develops only microspores

mi·cro·spore ['mī-krə-,spȯr] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. a microspore mother cell

mi·cro·spo·ro·gen·e·sis [,mī-krə-,spȯr-ə-'je-nə-səs] -n

  1. the formation and maturation of microspores

mi·cro·spo·ro·phyll [-,fil] -n

  1. a sporophyll that develops only microsporangia

mi·cro·state ['mī-krō-,stāt] -n

  1. a nation that is extremely small in area and population

mi·cro·struc·ture ['mī-krō-,strək-chər] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. minute dissection or manipulation (as by a micromanipulator or laser beam) of living structures or tissue

mi·cro·switch [-,swich] -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. technology on a small or microscopic scale

mi·cro·ti·ter ['mī-krō-,tī-tər] -n

  1. a titer determined by microanalytical titration usu. used attributively
    • a microtiter assay

mi·cro·tome ['mī-krə-,tōm] -n

  1. an instrument for cutting sections (as of biological tissues) for microscopic examination

mi·cro·tone ['mī-krə-,tōn] -n, adj, adv

  1. a musical interval smaller than a halftone

mi·cro·tu·bule [,mī-krō-'tü-(,)byül, -'tyü-] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a microscopic projection of a tissue, cell, or cell organelle
  2. any of the fingerlike outward projections of some cell surfaces

mi·cro·volt ['mī-krə-,vōlt] -n

  1. one millionth of a volt

mi·cro·watt [-,wät] -n

  1. one millionth of a watt

mi·cro·wave [-,wāv] -n

  1. a comparatively short electromagnetic wave
  2. one between about one millimeter and one meter in wavelength
  3. microwave oven

microwave [,mī-krə-'wā-və-bəl] -vt, adj

  1. to cook or heat in a microwave oven

microwave oven -n

  1. 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

  1. a small universe
  2. the natural universe observed at the microscopic or submicroscopic level

mic·tu·rate ['mik-chə-,rāt, 'mik-tə-] -vi, n

  1. urinate

mid ['mid] -adj, adv

  1. being the part in the middle or midst
    • in mid ocean
    often used in combination
    • mid -August
  2. occupying a middle position
  3. articulated with the arch of the tongue midway between its highest and its lowest elevation
  4. amid

mid·air ['mid-'er] -n

  1. a point or region in the air not immediately adjacent to the ground
    • the planes collided in midair

Mi·das ['mī-dəs] -n

  1. a legendary Phrygian king who is given the power of turning everything he touches to gold

Midas touch -n

  1. an uncanny ability for making money in every venture

mid·brain ['mid-,brān] -n

  1. 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

  1. being or occurring in the middle part of a course (as of a spacecraft)
    • a midcourse correction

mid·day ['mid-,dā, -'dā] -n

  1. the middle of the day

mid·den ['mi-dᵊn] -n

  1. dunghill
  2. a refuse heap
  3. kitchen midden
  4. a small pile (as of seeds, bones, or leaves) gathered by a rodent (as a pack rat)

mid·dle ['mi-dᵊl] -adj

  1. equally distant from the extremes : medial, central
    • the middle house in the row
  2. being at neither extreme : intermediate
  3. constituting a division intermediate between those prior and later or upper and lower
    • Middle Paleozoic
  4. constituting a period of a language or literature intermediate between one called Oldand one called Newor Modern
    • Middle Dutch
  5. typically asserting that a person or thing both performs and is affected by the action represented

middle -n

  1. a middle part, point, or position
  2. the central portion of the human body : waist
  3. the position of being among or in the midst of something
    • in the middle of the crowd
  4. something intermediate between extremes : mean
  5. the center of an offensive or defensive formation
  6. the area between the second baseman and the shortstop

middle age [,mi-dᵊl-'ājd] -n, adj

  1. the period of life from about 45 to about 64

Middle Ages -n pl

  1. the period of European history from about a.d.500 to about 1500

Middle America -n, adj

  1. the region of the western hemisphere including Mexico, Central America, often the West Indies, and sometimes Colombia and Venezuela
  2. the midwestern section of the U.S.
  3. the middle-class segment of the U.S. population
  4. the traditional or conservative element of the middle class

mid·dle·brow ['mi-dᵊl-,brau̇] -n, adj

  1. a person who is moderately but not highly cultivated

middle C -n

  1. 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

  1. of or relating to the middle class
  2. characterized by a high material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for property

middle class -n

  1. a class occupying a position between the upper class and the lower class
  2. 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

  1. a part of a pictorial representation or scene between the foreground and the background
  2. any footrace distance usu. from 800 to 1500 meters or from 880 yards to one mile

Middle Dutch -n

  1. the Dutch language in use from about 1100 to about 1500

middle ear -n

  1. 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

  1. the English in use from the 12th to 15th centuries

middle finger -n

  1. the midmost of the five digits of the hand

Middle French -n

  1. the French in use from the 14th to 16th centuries

middle game -n

  1. the middle phase of a board game
  2. 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

  1. the Greek language used in the 7th to 15th centuries

middle ground -n

  1. a standpoint or area midway between extreme or opposing positions, options, or objectives
  2. middle distance

Middle High German -n

  1. the High German in use from about 1100 to 1500

Middle Irish -n

  1. the Irish in use between the 10th and 13th centuries

middle lamella -n

  1. a layer of pectinaceous intercellular material lying between the walls of adjacent plant cells

Middle Low German -n

  1. the Low German in use from about 1100 to 1500

mid·dle·man ['mi-dᵊl-,man] -n

  1. an intermediary or agent between two parties
  2. a dealer, agent, or company intermediate between the producer of goods and the retailer or consumer

middle management -n

  1. management personnel intermediate between operational supervisors and policy-making administrators

middle name -n

  1. a name between one's first name and surname
  2. a term that is particularly apt to denote a person's qualities or affinities
    • patience is her middle name

middleoftheroad [-'rō-dər] -adj, n

  1. standing for or following a course of action midway between extremes
  2. being neither liberal nor conservative in politics

middle of the road

  1. a course of action or a standpoint midway between extremes

Middle Passage -n

  1. the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas

Middle Persian -n

  1. 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

  1. : one belonging to an intermediate group, division, or class: as
  2. a student in the second-year class of a three-year program (as at a seminary or law school)
  3. a student in the second- or third-year class in some private secondary schools having a four-year course
  4. a student in a division in some private schools that corresponds approximately to junior high school

middle school [-,skü-lər] -n

  1. a school usu. including grades five to eight or six to eight

Middle Scots -n

  1. the Scots language in use between the latter half of the 15th and the early decades of the 17th centuries

middle term -n

  1. the term of a syllogism that occurs in both premises

mid·dle·weight ['mi-dᵊl-,wāt] -n

  1. one of average weight
  2. a boxer in a weight division having a maximum limit of 160 pounds for professionals and 165 pounds for amateurs

Middle Welsh -n

  1. the Welsh in use from about 1150 to 1500

mid·dling ['mid-liŋ, -lən] -adj, adv

  1. of middle, medium, or moderate size, degree, or quality
  2. mediocre, second-rate
  3. of, relating to, or being a middle class

middling -n

  1. any of various commodities of intermediate size, quality, or position
  2. a granular product of grain milling
  3. a wheat milling by-product used in animal feeds

mid·dor·sal ['mid-'dȯr-səl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or situated in the middle part or median line of the back

mid·dy ['mi-dē] -n

  1. midshipman
  2. a loosely fitting blouse with a sailor collar worn by women and children

mid·field ['mid-,fēld, ,mid-'] -n

  1. the middle portion of a field
  2. the portion of a playing field (as in football) that is midway between goals
  3. the players on a team (as in lacrosse or soccer) that normally play in the midfield

mid·field·er [-,fēl-dər, -'fēl-] -n

  1. a member of a midfield

Mid·gard ['mid-,gärd] -n

  1. the abode of human beings in Norse mythology

midge ['mij] -n

  1. a tiny dipteran fly (as a chironomid)

midg·et ['mi-jət] -n

  1. something (as an animal) much smaller than usual
  2. a very small person
  3. a person of unusually small size who is physically well-proportioned
  4. 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

  1. the middle part of an alimentary canal

midi ['mi-dē] -n

  1. a dress, skirt, or coat that usu. extends to the mid-calf

MIDI ['mi-dē] -n

  1. an electronic standard used for the transmission of digitally encoded music

Mid·i·an·ite ['mi-dē-ə-,nīt] -n

  1. a member of an ancient northern Arabian people

mid·land ['mid-lənd, -,land] -n, adj

  1. the interior or central region of a country
  2. the dialect of English spoken in the midland counties of England
  3. 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

  1. latitudes of the temperate zones or from about 30 to 60 degrees north or south of the equator

mid·life ['mid-'līf] -n, adj

  1. middle age

midlife crisis -n

  1. a period of emotional turmoil in middle age characterized esp. by a strong desire for change

mid·line ['mid-,līn, -'līn] -n

  1. a median line
  2. the median line or median plane of the body or some part of the body

mid·most [-,mōst] -adj, adv or n

  1. being in or near the exact middle
  2. most intimate : innermost

Midn -abbr

  1. midshipman

mid·night ['mid-,nīt] -n, adj, adv or adj

  1. the middle of the night
  2. 12 o'clock at night
  3. deep or extended darkness or gloom

midnight blue -n

  1. a deep blackish blue

midnight sun -n

  1. the sun above the horizon at midnight in the arctic or antarctic summer

midocean ridge ['mid-'ō-shən-] -n

  1. 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

  1. a point at or near the center or middle

mid·rash ['mi-,dräsh] -n, adj

  1. a haggadic or halachic exposition of the underlying significance of a Bible text
  2. a collection of midrashim
  3. the midrashic literature written during the first Christian millennium

mid·rib ['mid-,rib] -n

  1. the central vein of a leaf

mid·riff ['mi-,drif] -n

  1. diaphragm
  2. the mid-region of the human torso
  3. a section of a woman's garment that covers the midriff
  4. a woman's garment that exposes the midriff

midrise ['mid-,rīz, -'rīz] -adj

  1. being approximately 5 to 10 stories high
    • midrise condominiums

mid·sag·it·tal ['mid-'sa-jə-tᵊl] -adj

  1. median and sagittal

mid·sec·tion [-,sek-shən] -n

  1. a section midway between the extremes
  2. midriff

mid·ship·man ['mid-,ship-mən, ,mid-'] -n

  1. a person in training for a naval commission
  2. a student in a naval academy

mid·ships ['mid-,ships] -adv

  1. amidships

mid·size [-,sīz] -adj

  1. of intermediate size
    • a midsize car

mid·sole [-,sōl] -n

  1. a layer (as of leather or rubber) between the insole and the outsole of a shoe

midst ['midst, 'mitst] -n, prep

  1. the interior or central part or point : middle
    • in the midst of the forest
  2. a position of proximity to the members of a group
    • a traitor in our midst
  3. the condition of being surrounded or beset
    • in the midst of his troubles
  4. a period of time about the middle of a continuing act or condition
    • in the midst of a meal

mid·stream ['mid-'strēm, -,strēm] -n

  1. the middle of a stream
  2. an intermediate stage in an act or process
    • the tone changes in midstream

mid·sum·mer [-'sə-mər, -,səm-] -n, adj

  1. the middle of summer
  2. the summer solstice

Midsummer Day -n

  1. June 24 celebrated as the feast of the nativity of John the Baptist

mid·term ['mid-,tərm (usual for 1b), -'tərm] -n

  1. the middle of an academic term
  2. an examination at midterm
  3. the approximate middle of a term of office

mid·town ['mid-,tau̇n, -'tau̇n] -n, adj

  1. a central section of a city
  2. one situated between sections conventionally called downtownand uptown

mid·way ['mid-,wā, -'wā] -adv

  1. in the middle of the way or distance : halfway
  2. an avenue at a fair, carnival, or amusement park for concessions and amusements

mid·week [-,wēk] -n, adj or adv

  1. the middle of the week

mid·wife ['mid-,wīf] -n

  1. a person who assists women in childbirth
  2. one that helps to produce or bring forth something

midwife [-,wīft] -vt

  1. to assist in producing, bringing forth, or bringing about

mid·wife·ry [,mid-'wi-f(ə-)rē, -'wī-; 'mid-,wī-] -n

  1. the art or act of assisting at childbirth
  2. obstetrics
  3. the art, act, or process of producing, bringing forth, or bringing about

mid·win·ter ['mid-'win-tər, -,win-] -n, adj

  1. the winter solstice
  2. the middle of winter

mid·year [-,yir] -n, adj

  1. an examination at the middle of an academic year
  2. the set of examinations at the middle of an academic year
  3. the period of such examinations
  4. the middle or middle portion of a calendar year
  5. the middle of an academic year

mien ['mēn] -n

  1. air or bearing esp. as expressive of attitude or personality : demeanor
    • of aristocratic mien
  2. appearance, aspect
    • dresses of formal mien

mi·fep·ris·tone [,mi-fə-'pris-,tōn, mi-'fe-pri-,stōn] -n

  1. ru-486

miff ['mif] -n

  1. a fit of ill humor
  2. a trivial quarrel
  3. to put into an ill humor : offend

might ['mīt] -verbal auxiliary

  1. 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
  2. the power, authority, or resources wielded (as by an individual or group)
  3. bodily strength
  4. the power, energy, or intensity of which one is capable
    • striving with might and main
  5. a great deal

might·i·ly ['mī-tə-lē] -adv

  1. in a mighty manner : vigorously
    • applauded mightily
  2. very much
    • depressed me mightily

might·i·ness ['mī-tē-nəs] -n

  1. the quality or state of being mighty

mightn't ['mī-tᵊnt]

  1. might not

mighty ['mī-tē] -adj

  1. possessing might : powerful
  2. accomplished or characterized by might
    • a mighty thrust
  3. great or imposing in size or extent : extraordinary
  4. extremely, very
    • a mighty handy gadget

mi·gnon [mēn-'yōⁿ, min-'yȯn] -n

  1. filet mignon

mi·gnon·ette [,min-yə-'net] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Resedaof the family Resedaceae, the mignonette family) of herbs
  2. a garden annual ( R. odorata) bearing racemes of fragrant whitish flowers
  3. a sauce made typically with vinegar, pepper, and herbs and served esp. with oysters

mi·graine ['mī-,grān, Brit often 'mē-] -n, adj

  1. a condition marked by recurrent severe headache often with nausea and vomiting
  2. an episode or attack of migraine

mi·grain·eur [,mē-gre-'nər] -n

  1. an individual who experiences migraines

mi·grant ['mī-grənt] -n, adj

  1. : one that migrates: as
  2. a person who moves regularly in order to find work esp. in harvesting crops
  3. an animal that shifts from one habitat to another

mi·grate ['mī-,grāt, mī-'] -vi, n, adj

  1. to move from one country, place, or locality to another
  2. to pass usu. periodically from one region or climate to another for feeding or breeding
  3. to change position in an organism or substance
    • filarial worms migrate within the human body

mi·gra·to·ry ['mī-grə-,tȯr-ē] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characterized by migration
  2. wandering, roving

mih·rab ['mē-rəb] -n

  1. a niche or chamber in a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca

mi·ka·do [mə-'kä-(,)dō] -n

  1. an emperor of Japan

mike ['mīk] -n

  1. microphone
  2. to supply with a microphone

Mike ['mīk]

  1. a communications code word for the letter m

mil ['mil] -n

  1. thousand
    • found a salinity of 38.4 per mil
  2. a monetary unit formerly used in Cyprus equal to pound
  3. a unit of length equal to inch used esp. in measuring thickness (as of plastic films)
  4. a unit of angular measurement equal to of 360 degrees and used esp. in artillery
  5. a million dollars
  6. military

mi·la·dy [mi-'lā-dē, US also mī-] -n

  1. an Englishwoman of noble or gentle birth
  2. a woman of fashion

milch ['milk, 'milch, 'milks] -adj

  1. milk

mil·chig ['mil-k̲ik] -adj

  1. made of or derived from milk or dairy products

mild ['mī(-ə)ld] -adj, adv, n

  1. gentle in nature or behavior
    • has a mild disposition
  2. moderate in action or effect
    • a mild sedative
  3. not sharp, spicy, or bitter
    • mild cheese
    • mild ale
  4. not being or involving what is extreme
    • an analysis under mild conditions
  5. not severe : temperate
    • a mild climate
    • mild symptoms of disease

mil·dew ['mil-,dü, -,dyü] -n, adj

  1. a superficial usu. whitish growth produced esp. on organic matter or living plants by fungi (as of the families Erysiphaceae and Peronosporaceae)
  2. a fungus producing mildew
  3. a discoloration caused by fungi

mildew -vt

  1. to affect with or as if with mildew
  2. to become affected with mildew

mil·dew·cide ['mil-,d(y)ü-,sīd] -n

  1. an agent that destroys mildew

mild steel -n

  1. a low-carbon structural steel that is easily worked

mile ['mī(-ə)l] -n

  1. : any of various units of distance: as
  2. a unit equal to 5280 feet
  3. nautical mile
  4. a race of a mile
  5. 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

  1. an allowance for traveling expenses at a certain rate per mile
  2. : aggregate length or distance in miles: as
  3. the total miles traveled esp. in a given period of time
  4. the amount of service that something will yield esp. as expressed in terms of miles of travel
  5. the average number of miles a motor vehicle will travel on a gallon of gasoline that is used as a measure of fuel economy
    • gets good mileage
  6. usefulness
    • got a lot of mileage left in it
  7. benefit derived from something
    • got good political mileage from the debates

mile·post ['mī(-ə)l-,pōst] -n

  1. a post indicating the distance in miles from or to a given point
  2. a post placed a mile from a similar post
  3. milestone

mil·er ['mī-lər] -n

  1. one that is a specified number of miles in length used in combination
    • a 15- miler
  2. one that competes in mile races often qualified in combination
    • a quarter- miler

mi·les glo·ri·o·sus ['mē-,lās-,glȯr-ə-'ō-səs] -n

  1. a boastful soldier
  2. a stock character of this type in comedy

mile·stone ['mī(-ə)l-,stōn] -n

  1. a stone serving as a milepost
  2. a significant point in development

mil·foil ['mil-,fȯi(-ə)l] -n

  1. yarrow
  2. water milfoil

mil·i·ar·ia [,mi-lē-'er-ē-ə] -n, adj

  1. 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
  2. prickly heat

mil·i·ary ['mi-lē-,er-ē] -adj

  1. having or made up of many small projections or lesions
    • miliary tubercles

mi·lieu [mēl-'yə(r), -'yü, -'yœ; 'mēl-,yü] -n

  1. the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment

mil·i·tance ['mi-lə-tən(t)s] -n

  1. militancy

mil·i·tan·cy [-tən(t)-sē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being militant

mil·i·tant [-tənt] -adj, n, adv

  1. engaged in warfare or combat : fighting
  2. aggressively active (as in a cause) : combative
    • militant conservationists
    • a militant attitude

mil·i·tar·ia [,mi-lə-'ter-ē-ə] -n pl

  1. military objects (as firearms and uniforms) of historical value or interest

mil·i·tari·ly [,mi-lə-'ter-ə-lē] -adv

  1. in a military manner
  2. from a military standpoint

mil·i·ta·rise ['mi-lə-tə-,rīz] -vt, n

(variant of militarize)

  1. to give a military character to
  2. to equip with military forces and defenses
  3. to adapt for military use

mil·i·ta·rism ['mi-lə-tə-,ri-zəm] -n, n or adj, adj, adv

  1. predominance of the military class or its ideals
  2. exaltation of military virtues and ideals
  3. a policy of aggressive military preparedness

mil·i·ta·rize ['mi-lə-tə-,rīz] -vt, n

  1. to give a military character to
  2. to equip with military forces and defenses
  3. to adapt for military use

mil·i·tary ['mi-lə-,ter-ē] -adj

  1. of or relating to soldiers, arms, or war
  2. of or relating to armed forces
  3. of or relating to ground or sometimes ground and air forces as opposed to naval forces
  4. performed or made by armed forces
  5. supported by armed force
  6. of or relating to the army

military -n

  1. military persons
  2. army officers
  3. armed forces

militaryindustrial complex -n

  1. an informal alliance of the military and related government departments with defense industries that is held to influence government policy

military police -n

  1. a branch of an army that exercises guard and police functions

military press -n

  1. press

military science -n

  1. the principles of military conflict

military time -n

  1. 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

  1. to have weight or effect
    • his boyish appearance militated against his getting an early promotion

mi·li·tia [mə-'li-shə] -n

  1. a part of the organized armed forces of a country liable to call only in emergency
  2. a body of citizens organized for military service
  3. 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

  1. a member of a militia

mil·i·um ['mi-lē-əm] -n

  1. whitehead

milk ['milk] -n

  1. a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young
  2. cow's milk used as a food by humans
  3. lactation
    • cows in milk
  4. : a liquid resembling milk in appearance: as
  5. the latex of a plant
  6. the juice of a coconut composed of liquid endosperm
  7. the contents of an unripe kernel of grain
  8. to draw milk from the breasts or udder of
  9. suckle
  10. to draw (milk) from the breast or udder
  11. suckle used of domestic animals
  12. : to draw something from as if by milking: as
  13. to induce (a snake) to eject venom
  14. to draw or coerce profit or advantage from illicitly or to an extreme degree : exploit
    • milk the joke for all it's worth
  15. to draw or yield milk
  16. giving milk
  17. bred or suitable primarily for milk production
    • milk cows

milkandwater -adj

  1. weak, insipid

milk chocolate -n

  1. chocolate made with milk solids

milk·er ['mil-kər] -n

  1. one that milks an animal
  2. one that yields milk

milk fat -n

  1. butterfat

milk fever -n

  1. a febrile disorder following parturition
  2. 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

  1. 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

  1. an opaque and typically milky white glass used esp. for novelty and ornamental objects

milk house -n

  1. a building for the cooling, handling, or bottling of milk

milk leg -n

  1. 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

  1. cowardly, timorous

milk·maid [-,mād] -n

  1. dairymaid

milk·man [-,man, -mən] -n

  1. a person who sells or delivers milk and milk products

milk of magnesia

  1. a milky white suspension of magnesium hydroxide in water used as an antacid and laxative

milk punch -n

  1. a mixed drink of alcoholic liquor, milk, and sugar

milk run -n

  1. a short, routine, or uneventful flight

milk shake -n

  1. a thoroughly shaken or blended drink made of milk, a flavoring syrup, and often ice cream

milk sickness -n

  1. an acute disease characterized by weakness, vomiting, and constipation and caused by eating dairy products or meat from cattle poisoned by various plants
  2. tremble

milk snake -n

  1. 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
  2. king snake

milk·sop ['milk-,säp] -n

  1. an unmanly man : mollycoddle

milk sugar -n

  1. lactose

milk thistle -n

  1. 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.
  2. an extract of milk thistle and esp. its seeds that is held to protect the liver from damage or disease

milk tooth -n

  1. a temporary tooth of a young mammal
  2. 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

  1. 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

  1. any of a genus ( Astragalus) of annual or perennial leguminous herbs of north temperate regions

milk·weed ['milk-,wēd] -n

  1. any of various plants that secrete latex
  2. 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

  1. a large black and reddish-orange bug ( Oncopeltus fasciatus) that feeds chiefly on milkweed

milkweed butterfly -n

  1. any of a family (Danaidae) or nymphalid subfamily (Danaine) of large butterflies feeding on plants of the milkweed family as larvae
  2. monarch butterfly

milk·wort ['milk-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n

  1. 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

  1. resembling milk in color or consistency
  2. mild, timorous
  3. consisting of, containing, or abounding in milk
  4. yielding milk
  5. having the characteristics of a good milk producer

milky disease -n

  1. 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

  1. 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
  2. milky way galaxy

Milky Way galaxy -n

  1. 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

  1. a building provided with machinery for grinding grain into flour
  2. a machine or apparatus (as a quern) for grinding grain
  3. a machine for crushing or comminuting
  4. a machine that manufactures by the continuous repetition of some simple action
  5. a building or collection of buildings with machinery for manufacturing
  6. a machine formerly used for stamping coins
  7. a machine for expelling juice from vegetable tissues by pressure or grinding
  8. milling machine, milling cutter
  9. a slow, laborious, or mechanical process or routine
  10. one that produces or processes people or things mechanically or in large numbers
    • a diploma mill
    • a rumor mill
  11. a difficult and often educational experience used in the phrase through the mill
  12. the engine of an automobile or boat
  13. : to subject to an operation or process in a mill: as
  14. to grind into flour, meal, or powder
  15. to shape or dress by means of a rotary cutter
  16. to mix and condition (as rubber) by passing between rotating rolls
  17. to give a raised rim or a ridged or corrugated edge to (a coin)
  18. to cut grooves in the metal surface of (as a knob)
  19. to hit out with the fists
  20. to move in a circle or in an eddying mass
  21. wander
  22. to undergo milling
  23. a money of account equal to cent

mill ['mil] -n

(variant of mil)

  1. thousand
    • found a salinity of 38.4 per mil
  2. a monetary unit formerly used in Cyprus equal to pound
  3. a unit of length equal to inch used esp. in measuring thickness (as of plastic films)
  4. a unit of angular measurement equal to of 360 degrees and used esp. in artillery
  5. a million dollars
  6. military

mill·age ['mi-lij] -n

  1. a rate (as of taxation) expressed in mills per dollar

mill·dam ['mil-,dam] -n

  1. a dam to make a millpond
  2. millpond

mille ['mil] -n

  1. thousand

millefeuille [mēl-'fwē, mēl-'fœ-ē] -n

  1. 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

  1. ornamental glass produced by cutting cross sections of fused bundles of glass rods of various colors and sizes

mille·fleur [(,)mēl-'flər, -'flu̇r] -adj

  1. having an allover pattern of small flowers and plants
    • millefleur tapestry

mil·le·nar·i·an [,mi-lə-'ner-ē-ən] -adj

  1. of or relating to belief in a millennium
  2. apocalyptic
  3. of or relating to 1000 years

millenarian -n

  1. one that believes in a millennium

mil·le·nar·i·an·ism [-ē-ə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. belief in the millennium of Christian prophecy
  2. 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

  1. a group of 1000 units or things
  2. 1000 years : millennium
  3. millenarian

millenary -adj

  1. suggesting a millennium
  2. relating to or consisting of 1000

mil·len·ni·al [mə-'le-nē-əl] -adj

  1. of or relating to a millennium

mil·len·ni·al·ism [-ē-ə-,li-zəm] -n

  1. millenarianism

mil·len·ni·al·ist [-list] -n

  1. millenarian

mil·len·ni·um [mə-'le-nē-əm] -n

  1. the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20 during which holiness is to prevail and Christ is to reign on earth
  2. a period of great happiness or human perfection
  3. a period of 1000 years
  4. one reckoned from the beginning of the Christian era
    • at the start of the third millennium
  5. a 1000th anniversary or its celebration

mill·er ['mi-lər] -n

  1. one that operates a mill
  2. one that grinds grain into flour
  3. any of various moths having powdery wings
  4. milling machine
  5. a tool for use in a milling machine

mil·ler·ite ['mi-lə-,rīt] -n

  1. sulfide of nickel NiS usu. occurring as a mineral in capillary yellow crystals

mill·er'sthumb [,mi-lərz-'thəm] -n

  1. 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

  1. the quotient of a unit divided by 1000 : one of 1000 equal parts

mil·let ['mi-lət] -n

  1. : any of various small-seeded annual cereal and forage grasses:
  2. a Eurasian grass ( Panicum miliaceum) cultivated for its grain which is used for food
  3. any of several grasses related to common millet
  4. the seed of a millet

milli- -comb form

  1. one thousandth part of
    • milli ampere

mil·li·am·pere [,mi-lē-'am-,pir] -n

  1. one thousandth of an ampere called also mil*li*amp mi-le-amp

mil·liard ['mil-,yärd, 'mi-lē-,ärd] -n

  1. a thousand millions

mil·li·ary ['mi-lē-,er-ē] -adj

  1. marking the distance of a Roman mile

mil·li·bar ['mi-lə-,bär] -n

  1. a unit of atmospheric pressure equal to bar or 100 pascals

mil·li·cu·rie [,mi-lə-'kyu̇r-(,)ē, -kyu̇-'rē] -n

  1. one thousandth of a curie

mil·li·de·gree [-di-'grē] -n

  1. one thousandth of a degree

mil·lieme [mē(l)-'yem] -n

  1. a unit of value of Egypt and Sudan equal to pound

mil·li·gal ['mi-lə-,gal] -n

  1. a unit of acceleration equivalent to gal

mil·li·gauss ['mi-lə-,gau̇s] -n

  1. one thousandth of a gauss

mil·li·hen·ry [-,hen-rē] -n

  1. one thousandth of a henry

mil·li·lam·bert [-,lam-bərt] -n

  1. one thousandth of a lambert

mil·lime [mə-'lēm] -n

  1. see dinar at

mil·li·mi·cron [,mi-lə-'mī-,krän] -n

  1. nanometer

mil·li·mole ['mi-lə-,mōl] -n, adj

  1. one thousandth of a mole (as of a substance)

mil·li·ner ['mi-lə-nər] -n

  1. a person who designs, makes, trims, or sells women's hats

mil·li·nery ['mi-lə-,ner-ē] -n

  1. women's apparel for the head
  2. the business or work of a milliner

mill·ing ['mi-liŋ] -n

  1. a corrugated edge on a coin

milling cutter -n

  1. a rotary tool-steel cutter used in a milling machine for shaping and dressing metal surfaces

milling machine -n

  1. 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

  1. a very large number
    • million s of cars on the road
  2. 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

  1. a person whose wealth is estimated at a million or more (as of dollars or pounds)

mil·lion·air·ess [-'er-əs, -,er-] -n

  1. a woman who is a millionaire
  2. the wife of a millionaire

mil·li·os·mol [,mi-lē-'äz-,mōl, -'äs-] -n

  1. one thousandth of an osmol

mil·li·pede ['mi-lə-,pēd] -n

  1. 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

  1. one thousandth of a radian

mil·li·rem ['mi-lə-,rem] -n

  1. one thousandth of a rem

mil·li·roent·gen [,mi-lə-'rent-gən, -'rənt-, -jən, -shən] -n

  1. one thousandth of a roentgen

mil·li·sec·ond ['mi-lə-,se-kənd, -kənt] -n

  1. one thousandth of a second

mil·li·volt [-,vōlt] -n

  1. one thousandth of a volt

mil·li·watt [-,wät] -n

  1. one thousandth of a watt

mill·pond ['mil-,pänd] -n

  1. a pond created by damming a stream to produce a head of water for operating a mill

mill·race [-,rās] -n

  1. a canal in which water flows to and from a mill wheel
  2. the current that drives the wheel

mill·stone ['mil-,stōn] -n

  1. either of two circular stones used for grinding (as grain)
  2. something that grinds or crushes
  3. a heavy burden

mill·stream [-,strēm] -n

  1. a stream whose flow is utilized to run a mill
  2. millrace

mill wheel -n

  1. a waterwheel that drives a mill

mill·work ['mil-,wərk] -n

  1. woodwork (as doors, sashes, or trim) manufactured at a mill

mill·wright [-,rīt] -n

  1. a person whose occupation is planning and building mills or setting up their machinery
  2. a person who maintains and cares for mechanical equipment (as of a mill or factory)

mi·lo ['mī-(,)lō] -n

  1. 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

  1. an Englishman of noble or gentle birth

mil·pa ['mil-pə] -n

  1. 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
  2. a maize field in Mexico or Central America
  3. the maize plant

milque·toast ['milk-,tōst] -n

  1. a timid, meek, or unassertive person

mil·reis [mil-'rāsh, -'rās] -n

  1. a Portuguese unit of value equal before 1911 to 1000 reis
  2. the basic monetary unit of Brazil until 1942
  3. a coin representing one milreis

milt ['milt] -n

  1. the sperm-containing fluid of a male fish

mim ['mim] -adj

  1. affectedly shy or modest

mime ['mīm also 'mēm] -n

  1. an ancient dramatic entertainment representing scenes from life usu. in a ridiculous manner
  2. an actor in a mime
  3. one that practices mime
  4. mimic
  5. pantomime
  6. to act a part with mimic gesture and action usu. without words
  7. mimic
  8. to act out in the manner of a mime

MIME -abbr

  1. multipurpose Internet mail extensions

mim·eo·graph ['mi-mē-ə-,graf] -n, vt

  1. a duplicator for making many copies that utilizes a stencil through which ink is pressed

mi·me·sis [mə-'mē-səs, mī-] -n

  1. imitation, mimicry

mi·met·ic [-'me-tik] -adj, adv

  1. imitative
  2. relating to, characterized by, or exhibiting mimicry
    • mimetic coloring of a butterfly

mim·ic ['mi-mik] -n

  1. mime
  2. one that mimics

mimic -adj

  1. imitative
  2. imitation, mock
    • a mimic battle
  3. of or relating to mime or mimicry
  4. to imitate closely : ape
  5. to ridicule by imitation
  6. simulate
  7. to resemble by biological mimicry

mim·ic·ry ['mi-mi-krē] -n

  1. an instance of mimicking
  2. the action, practice, or art of mimicking
  3. 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

  1. 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
  2. silk tree
  3. a mixed drink consisting of champagne and orange juice

min -abbr

  1. minim
  2. minimum
  3. mining
  4. minister
  5. minor
  6. minute; minutes

mi·na ['mī-nə] -n

  1. an ancient unit of weight and value equal to talent

min·able ['mī-nə-bəl] -adj

  1. capable of being mined

min·a·ret [,mi-nə-'ret, 'mi-nə-,] -n

  1. 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

  1. having a menacing quality : threatening

min·au·diere [,mē-nōd-'yer] -n

  1. a small decorative case for carrying small articles (as cosmetics or jewelry)

mince ['min(t)s] -vb, n

  1. to cut or chop into very small pieces
  2. to subdivide minutely
  3. to damage by cutting up
  4. to utter or pronounce with affectation
  5. minimize
  6. to restrain (words) within the bounds of decorum
  7. to walk with short steps in a prim affected manner
  8. small chopped bits (as of food)
  9. mincemeat
  10. hamburger

mince·meat ['min(t)s-,mēt] -n

  1. minced meat
  2. a finely chopped mixture (as of raisins, apples, and spices) sometimes with meat that is often used as pie filling
  3. a state of destruction or annihilation used in the phrase make mincemeat of

mincing ['min(t)-siŋ-lē] -adj, adv

  1. affectedly dainty or delicate
    • taking mincing steps

mind ['mīnd] -n

  1. recollection, memory
    • keep that in mind
    • time out of mind
  2. the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and esp. reasons
  3. the conscious mental events and capabilities in an organism
  4. the organized conscious and unconscious adaptive mental activity of an organism
  5. intention, desire
    • I changed my mind
  6. the normal or healthy condition of the mental faculties
  7. opinion, view
  8. disposition, mood
  9. a person or group embodying mental qualities
    • the public mind
  10. intellectual ability
  11. god
  12. a conscious substratum or factor in the universe
  13. attention
    • pay him no mind
  14. remind
  15. remember
  16. to attend to closely
  17. to become aware of : notice
  18. 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
  19. intend, purpose
  20. to give heed to attentively in order to obey
  21. to follow the orders or instructions of
  22. to be concerned about
  23. dislike
    • I don't mind going
  24. to be careful : see
    • mind you finish it
  25. to be cautious about
    • mind the broken rung
  26. to give protective care to : tend
  27. to be attentive or wary
  28. to become concerned : care
  29. to pay obedient heed or attention

mindal·ter·ing ['mīn(d)-,ȯl-t(ə-)riŋ] -adj

  1. psychoactive

mindbend·ing ['mīn(d)-,ben-diŋ] -adj, adv

  1. mind-blowing

mindblow·ing [-,blō-iŋ] -adj, n, adv

  1. psychedelic
  2. mind-boggling

mindbog·gling [-,bä-g(ə-)liŋ] -adj, adv

  1. mentally or emotionally exciting or overwhelming

mind·ed ['mīn-dəd] -adj, n

  1. inclined, disposed
  2. having a mind esp. of a specified kind or concerned with a specified thing usu. used in combination
    • narrow- minded
    • health- minded

mindex·pand·ing ['mīnd-ik-,span-diŋ] -adj

  1. psychedelic

mind·ful ['mīn(d)-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. bearing in mind : aware
  2. inclined to be aware

mind game -n

  1. a psychological tactic used to manipulate or intimidate usu. used in pl.
    • played mind games with his opponent

mind·less [-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by a lack of mind or consciousness
    • a mindless sleep
  2. marked by or displaying no use of the powers of the intellect
    • mindless violence
  3. requiring little attention or thought
  4. not intellectually challenging or stimulating
    • mindless work
    • a mindless movie
  5. not mindful : heedless
    • mindless of the consequences

mindnumb·ing ['mīn(d)-,nə-miŋ] -adj, adv

  1. relentlessly tedious : dull

mind reader -n

  1. one that professes or is held to be able to perceive another's thought without normal means of communication

mindset ['mīn(d)-,set] -n

  1. a mental attitude or inclination
  2. a fixed state of mind

mind's eye -n

  1. the mental faculty of conceiving imaginary or recollected scenes
  2. the mental picture so conceived
    • in the mind's eye one sees dinosaurs, mammoths, and sabertoothed tigers -- F. P. Brooks Jr.

mine ['mīn] -adj

  1. 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
  2. that which belongs to me used without a following noun as a pronoun equivalent in meaning to the adjective my
  3. a pit or excavation in the earth from which mineral substances are taken
  4. an ore deposit
  5. a subterranean passage under an enemy position
  6. an encased explosive that is placed in the ground or in water and set to explode when disturbed
  7. a rich source of supply
  8. to dig under to gain access or cause the collapse of (an enemy position)
  9. undermine
  10. to get (as ore) from the earth
  11. to extract from a source
    • information mined from the files
  12. to burrow beneath the surface of
    • larva that mine s leaves
  13. to place military mines in, on, or under
    • mine a harbor
  14. to dig into for ore or metal
  15. to process for obtaining a natural constituent
    • mine the air for nitrogen
  16. to seek valuable material in
  17. to dig a mine

mine·field ['mīn-,fēld] -n

  1. an area (as of water or land) set with mines
  2. something resembling a minefield esp. in having many dangers or requiring extreme caution
    • a political minefield

mine·lay·er [-,lā-ər, -,ler] -n

  1. a naval vessel for laying underwater mines

min·er·al ['min-rəl, 'mi-nə-] -n

  1. ore
  2. an inorganic substance (as in the ash of calcined tissue)
  3. mine
  4. something neither animal nor vegetable
  5. a solid homogeneous crystalline chemical element or compound that results from the inorganic processes of nature
  6. any of various naturally occurring homogeneous substances (as stone, coal, salt, sulfur, sand, petroleum, water, or natural gas) obtained usu. from the ground
  7. a synthetic substance having the chemical composition and crystalline form and properties of a naturally occurring mineral
  8. mineral water

mineral -adj

  1. of or relating to minerals
  2. inorganic
  3. impregnated with mineral substances

min·er·al·ise ['min-rə-,līz, 'mi-nə-] -vt, adj, n

(variant of mineralize)

  1. to transform (a metal) into an ore
  2. to impregnate or supply with minerals or an inorganic compound
  3. to convert into mineral or inorganic form
  4. petrify

min·er·al·ize ['min-rə-,līz, 'mi-nə-] -vt, adj, n

  1. to transform (a metal) into an ore
  2. to impregnate or supply with minerals or an inorganic compound
  3. to convert into mineral or inorganic form
  4. petrify

mineral kingdom -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a science dealing with minerals, their crystallography, properties, classification, and the ways of distinguishing them
  2. the mineralogical characteristics of an area, a rock, or a rock formation

mineral oil -n

  1. an oil of mineral origin
  2. a refined petroleum oil used esp. as a laxative

mineral spirits -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a petroleum distillate that is used esp. as a paint or varnish thinner

mineral water -n

  1. water naturally or artificially infused with mineral salts or gases (as carbon dioxide)

mineral wax -n

  1. a wax of mineral origin
  2. ozokerite

mineral wool -n

  1. any of various lightweight vitreous fibrous materials used esp. in heat and sound insulation

miner's lettuce -n

  1. 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

  1. the Roman goddess of wisdom

min·e·stro·ne [,mi-nə-'strō-nē, -'strōn] -n

  1. a rich thick vegetable soup usu. with dried beans and pasta (as macaroni or vermicelli)

mine·sweep·er ['mīn-,swē-pər] -n

  1. a warship for removing or neutralizing mines by dragging

Ming ['miŋ] -n

  1. 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

  1. to bring or mix together or with something else usu. without fundamental loss of identity : intermix
  2. to prepare by mixing : concoct
  3. to become mingled
  4. to come into contact : associate
  5. to move about (as in a group)
    • mingled with the guests

ming tree ['miŋ-] -n

  1. a dwarfed evergreen conifer grown as bonsai
  2. an artificial plant resembling this

min·gy ['min-jē] -adj

  1. mean, stingy

mini ['mi-nē] -n

  1. : something small of its kind: as
  2. minicar
  3. miniskirt
  4. minicomputer
  5. small in relation to others of the same kind
  6. of short length or duration : brief

mini- -comb form

  1. smaller or briefer than usual, normal, or standard
    • mini course
    • mini bus

min·i·a·ture ['mi-nē-ə-,chu̇r, 'mi-ni-,chu̇r, 'min-yə-, -chər, -,tyu̇r, -,tu̇r] -n, adj

  1. a copy on a much reduced scale
  2. something small of its kind
  3. a painting in an illuminated book or manuscript
  4. the art of painting miniatures
  5. a very small portrait or other painting (as on ivory or metal)

miniature -adj

  1. being or represented on a small scale

miniature golf -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. to design or construct in small size

mini·bar ['mi-nē-,bär] -n

  1. a small refrigerator in a hotel room that is stocked with esp. alcoholic beverages and snacks for guests

mini·bike ['mi-nē-,bīk] -n

  1. a small one-passenger motorcycle with a low frame and raised handlebars

mini·bus [-,bəs] -n

  1. a small bus or van

Mini·cam [-,kam] -trademark

  1. used for a portable television camera

mini·camp [-,kamp] -n

  1. a special abbreviated training camp for football players held usu. in the spring or early summer

mini·car [-,kär] -n

  1. a very small automobile
  2. subcompact

mini·com·put·er [,mi-nē-kəm-'pyü-tər] -n

  1. 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

  1. a brief course of study usu. lasting less than a semester

mini·disc ['mi-nē-,disk] -n

  1. a miniature optical disk

mini·dress ['mi-nē-,dres] -n

  1. a short close-fitting dress

min·ie ball ['mi-nē-, ,mi-nē-'ā-] -n

  1. a rifle bullet with a conical head used in muzzle-loading firearms

min·i·fy ['mi-nə-,fī] -vt

  1. lessen

min·i·kin ['mi-ni-kən] -n, adj

  1. a small or dainty creature

mini·lab ['mi-nē-,lab] -n

  1. a retail outlet offering rapid on-site film development and printing

min·im ['mi-nəm] -n, adj

  1. half note
  2. something very minute

min·i·mal ['mi-nə-məl] -adj, adv

  1. : relating to or being a minimum: as
  2. the least possible
    • a victory won with minimal loss of life
  3. barely adequate
    • a minimal standard of living
  4. very small or slight
    • a minimal interest in art
  5. of, relating to, or being minimal art or minimalism

minimal art -n

  1. abstract art consisting primarily of simple geometric forms executed in an impersonal style

minimal brain dysfunction -n

  1. attention deficit disorder

min·i·mal·ism ['mi-nə-mə-,li-zəm] -n

  1. a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity
  2. minimal art

min·i·mal·ist [-list] -n

  1. one who favors restricting the functions and powers of a political organization or the achievement of a set of goals to a minimum
  2. a minimal artist
  3. an adherent of minimalism

minimalist -adj

  1. of, relating to, or done in the style of minimalism

minimal pair -n

  1. 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

  1. convenience store

mini·max ['mi-ni-,maks] -n

  1. the minimum of a set of maxima
  2. 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

  1. a relatively small-scale steel mill that uses scrap metal as starting material

min·i·mise ['mi-nə-,mīz] -vt, n

(variant of minimize)

  1. to reduce or keep to a minimum
  2. 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

  1. to reduce or keep to a minimum
  2. 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

  1. the least quantity assignable, admissible, or possible
  2. the least of a set of numbers
  3. the smallest value assumed by a continuous function defined on a closed interval
  4. the lowest degree or amount of variation (as of temperature) reached or recorded
  5. the lowest speed allowed on a highway

minimum wage -n

  1. living wage
  2. the lowest wage paid or permitted to be paid
  3. 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

  1. the process or business of working mines

min·ion ['min-yən] -n

  1. a servile dependent, follower, or underling
  2. one highly favored : idol
  3. a subordinate or petty official

mini·park ['mi-nē-,pärk] -n

  1. a small city park

mini·pill ['mi-nē-,pil] -n

  1. 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

  1. an experimental school offering specialized or individual instruction to its students

min·is·cule ['mi-nəs-,kyül also mi-'nəs-] -n

(variant of minuscule)

  1. a lowercase letter
  2. one of several ancient and medieval writing styles developed from cursive and having simplified and small forms
  3. a letter in this style

mini·se·ries ['mi-nē-,sir-(,)ēz] -n

  1. a television production of a story presented in sequential episodes

mini·skirt ['mi-nē-,skərt] -n, adj

  1. a woman's short skirt with the hemline several inches above the knee

mini·state [-,stāt] -n

  1. a small independent nation

min·is·ter ['mi-nə-stər] -n

  1. agent
  2. one officiating or assisting the officiant in church worship
  3. a clergyman esp. of a Protestant communion
  4. the superior of one of several religious orders called also minister-general
  5. the assistant to the rector or the bursar of a Jesuit house
  6. a high officer of state entrusted with the management of a division of governmental activities
  7. a diplomatic representative (as an ambassador) accredited to the court or seat of government of a foreign state
  8. a diplomatic representative ranking below an ambassador

minister [-st(ə-)riŋ] -vi

  1. to function as a minister of religion
  2. to give aid or service
    • minister to the sick

min·is·te·ri·al [,mi-nə-'stir-ē-əl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a minister or the ministry
  2. being or having the characteristics of an act or duty prescribed by law as part of the duties of an administrative office
  3. 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
  4. acting or active as an agent

minister plenipotentiary -n

  1. a diplomatic agent ranking below an ambassador but possessing full power and authority

minister resident -n

  1. 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

  1. performing service in attendance on someone

ministrant -n

  1. one that ministers

min·is·tra·tion [,mi-nə-'strā-shən] -n

  1. the act or process of ministering

ministroke ['mi-nē-,strōk] -n

  1. transient ischemic attack

min·is·try ['mi-nə-strē] -n

  1. ministration
  2. the office, duties, or functions of a minister
  3. the body of ministers of religion : clergy
  4. a person or thing through which something is accomplished : agency, instrumentality
  5. the period of service or office of a minister or ministry
  6. the body of ministers governing a nation or state from which a smaller cabinet is sometimes selected
  7. the group of ministers constituting a cabinet
  8. a government department presided over by a minister
  9. the building in which the business of a ministry is transacted

mini·tow·er ['mi-nē-,tau̇(-ə)r] -n

  1. a midsize personal computer case that usu. stands upright

mini·van ['mi-nē-,van] -n

  1. a small passenger van

min·i·ver ['mi-nə-vər] -n

  1. a white fur worn orig. by medieval nobles and used chiefly for robes of state

mink ['miŋk] -n

  1. soft fur or pelt of the mink varying in color from white to dark brown
  2. 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

  1. a small grayish baleen whale ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata) with a whitish underside called also minke

Minn -abbr

  1. Minnesota

min·ne·sing·er ['mi-nə-,siŋ-ər, -,ziŋ-] -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a small cyprinid, killifish, or topminnow
  2. any of various small fish that are less than a designated size and are not game fish
  3. a live or artificial minnow used as bait

Mi·no·an [mə-'nō-ən, mī-] -adj

  1. of or relating to a Bronze Age culture of Crete that flourished about 3000 b.c.1100 b.c.

Minoan -n

  1. a native or inhabitant of ancient Crete

mi·nor ['mī-nər] -adj

  1. inferior in importance, size, or degree : comparatively unimportant
  2. not having reached majority
  3. having half steps between the second and third, the fifth and sixth, and sometimes the seventh and eighth degrees
    • minor scale
  4. based on a minor scale
    • minor key
  5. less by a semitone than the corresponding major interval
    • minor third
  6. having a minor third above the root
    • minor triad
  7. not serious or involving risk to life
    • minor illness
  8. of or relating to an academic subject requiring fewer courses than a major

minor -n

  1. a person who has not attained majority
  2. a minor musical interval, scale, key, or mode
  3. a minor academic subject
  4. a student taking a specified minor
  5. a determinant or matrix obtained from a given determinant or matrix by eliminating the row and column in which a given element lies
  6. minor league baseball used with the
  7. to take courses in a minor subject

minor axis -n

  1. the chord of an ellipse passing through the center and perpendicular to the major axis

minor element -n

  1. trace element

Mi·nor·ite ['mī-nə-,rīt] -n

  1. franciscan

mi·nor·i·ty [mə-'nȯr-ə-tē, mī-, -'när-] -n

  1. the period before attainment of majority
  2. the state of being a legal minor
  3. the smaller in number of two groups constituting a whole
  4. a group having less than the number of votes necessary for control
  5. a part of a population differing from others in some characteristics and often subjected to differential treatment
  6. a member of a minority group
    • an effort to hire more minorities

minority leader -n

  1. the leader of the minority party in a legislative body

minor league -n, adj

  1. a league of professional clubs in a sport other than the recognized major leagues

minor order -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a 2-minute suspension of a player in ice hockey with no substitute allowed

minor planet -n

  1. asteroid

minor premise -n

  1. the premise of a syllogism that contains the minor term

minor seminary -n

  1. 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

  1. either of the suits diamonds or clubs having inferior scoring value in bridge

minor term -n

  1. the term of a syllogism that forms the subject of the conclusion

Mi·nos ['mī-nəs] -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a large or important church often having cathedral status

min·strel ['min(t)-strəl] -n

  1. one of a class of medieval musical entertainers
  2. a singer of verses to the accompaniment of a harp
  3. musician
  4. poet
  5. any of a troupe of performers typically giving a program of black American melodies, jokes, and impersonations and usu. wearing blackface
  6. a performance by a troupe of minstrels

min·strel·sy [-sē] -n

  1. the singing and playing of a minstrel
  2. a body of minstrels
  3. a group of songs or verse

mint ['mint] -n, adj

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. a confection flavored with mint
  4. a place where coins, medals, or tokens are made
  5. a place where something is manufactured
  6. a vast sum or amount
    • worth a mint
  7. to make (as coins) out of metal : coin
  8. create, produce
  9. to cause to attain an indicated status
    • newly mint ed doctors
  10. unmarred as if fresh from a mint
    • in mint condition

mint·age ['min-tij] -n

  1. the action or process of minting coins
  2. an impression placed upon a coin
  3. coins produced by minting or in a single period of minting

mint julep -n

  1. julep

min·u·end ['min-yə-,wend] -n

  1. a number from which the subtrahend is to be subtracted

min·u·et [,min-yə-'wet] -n

  1. a slow graceful dance in time characterized by forward balancing, bowing, and toe pointing
  2. music for or in the rhythm of a minuet

mi·nus ['mī-nəs] -prep

  1. diminished by : less
    • seven minus four is three
  2. deprived of : without
    • minus his hat

minus -n

  1. a negative quantity
  2. a negative quality
  3. drawback
  4. algebraically negative
    • a minus quantity
    • minus ten degrees
  5. having a negative quality
  6. 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)
  7. falling low in a specified range
    • B minus

mi·nus·cule ['mi-nəs-,kyül also mi-'nəs-] -n

  1. a lowercase letter
  2. one of several ancient and medieval writing styles developed from cursive and having simplified and small forms
  3. a letter in this style

minuscule ['mi-nəs-,kyül] -adj

  1. written in or in the size or style of minuscules
  2. very small
    • minuscule amounts

minus sign -n

  1. a sign used in mathematics to indicate subtraction (as in 862) or a negative quantity (as in 10)

min·ute ['mi-nət] -n

  1. the 60th part of an hour of time : 60 seconds
  2. the 60th part of a degree of angular measure
  3. the distance one can traverse in a minute
  4. a short space of time : moment
  5. a brief note (as of summary or recommendation)
  6. memorandum, draft
  7. the official record of the proceedings of a meeting

minute -vt

  1. to make notes or a brief summary of

mi·nute [mī-'nüt, mə-, -'nyüt] -adj, n

  1. very small : infinitesimal
  2. of small importance : trifling
  3. marked by close attention to details

minute hand -n

  1. the long hand that marks the minutes on the face of a watch or clock

mi·nute·ly [mī-'nüt-lē, mə-, -'nyüt-] -adv

  1. into very small pieces
  2. in a minute manner or degree
    • a minutely detailed analysis

min·ute·ly ['mi-nət-lē] -adj

  1. minute by minute

min·ute·man ['mi-nət-,man] -n

  1. 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

  1. a small thin steak that can be quickly cooked

mi·nu·tia [mə-'nü-sh(ē-)ə, mī-, -'nyü-] -n

  1. a minute or minor detail usu. used in pl.

minx ['miŋ(k)s] -n

  1. a pert girl
  2. a wanton woman

min·yan ['min-yən] -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

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

mi·ot·ic [-'ä-tik] -n

  1. an agent that causes miosis

miotic -adj

  1. relating to or characterized by miosis

MIPS -abbr

  1. million instructions per second

mi·que·let [,mi-kə-'let, ,mē-] -n

  1. a Spanish or French irregular soldier during the Peninsular War

mir ['mir] -n

  1. 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]

  1. wonderful to relate

mi·ra·cid·i·um [,mir-ə-'si-dē-əm, ,mī-rə-] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs
  2. an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment
  3. a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law

miracle drug -n

  1. a drug usu. newly discovered that elicits a dramatic response in a patient's condition called also wonder drug

miracle fruit -n

  1. 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
  2. its fruit

miracle play -n

  1. a medieval drama based on episodes from the life of a saint or martyr
  2. mystery play

mi·rac·u·lous [mə-'ra-kyə-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. of the nature of a miracle : supernatural
    • a miraculous event
  2. suggesting a miracle : marvelous
    • proof of a miraculous memory -- Time
  3. working or able to work miracles
    • miraculous power

mir·a·dor ['mir-ə-,dȯr, ,mir-ə-'] -n

  1. a turret, window, or balcony designed to command an extensive outlook

mi·rage [mə-'räzh] -n

  1. 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
  2. something illusory and unattainable like a mirage

Mi·ran·da [mə-'ran-də] -adj

  1. 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
    • Miranda warnings

Mi·ran·dize [mə-'ran-,dīz] -vt

  1. to recite the Miranda warnings to (a person under arrest)

mire ['mī(-ə)r] -n, adj

  1. wet spongy earth (as of a bog or marsh)
  2. heavy often deep mud or slush
  3. a troublesome or intractable situation
    • found themselves in a mire of debt
  4. to cause to stick fast in or as if in mire
  5. to hamper or hold back as if by mire : entangle
  6. to cover or soil with mire
  7. to stick or sink in mire

mire·poix [mir-'pwä] -n

  1. 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

  1. an organochlorine insecticide C 10Cl 12formerly used esp. against ants

mir·in ['mir-in] -n

  1. a sweet Japanese cooking wine made from fermented rice

mir·li·ton [,mir-lə-'tōⁿ] -n

  1. chayote

mir·ror ['mir-ər, mi-rər] -n, adj

  1. a polished or smooth surface (as of glass) that forms images by reflection
  2. something that gives a true representation
  3. an exemplary model

mirror -vt

  1. to reflect in or as if in a mirror
  2. resemble

mirror image -n

  1. 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
  2. the direct opposite
  3. image

mirth ['mərth] -n, adj, adv

  1. gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied with laughter

MIRV ['mərv] -n

  1. a missile with two or more warheads designed to strike separate enemy targets
  2. any of the warheads of such a missile
  3. to equip with MIRV warheads
  4. to arm one's forces with MIRVs

MIS -abbr

  1. management information systems

mis- -prefix

  1. badly : wrongly
    • mis judge
  2. unfavorably
    • mis esteem
  3. in a suspicious manner
    • mis doubt
  4. bad : wrong
    • mis deed
  5. opposite or lack of
    • mis trust
  6. not
    • mis know

mis·ad·ven·ture [,mi-səd-'ven-chər] -n

  1. misfortune, mishap

mis·al·li·ance [,mi-sə-'lī-ən(t)s] -n

  1. an improper alliance
  2. mesalliance
  3. a marriage between persons unsuited to each other

mis·an·dry ['mi-,san-drē] -n, n or adj

  1. a hatred of men

mis·an·thrope ['mi-sᵊn-,thrōp] -n

  1. a person who hates or distrusts humankind

mis·an·throp·ic [,mi-sᵊn-'thrä-pik] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a misanthrope
  2. marked by a hatred or contempt for humankind

mis·an·thro·py [mi-'san(t)-thrə-pē] -n

  1. a hatred or distrust of humankind

mis·ap·pre·hend [(,)mis-,a-pri-'hend] -vt, n

  1. to apprehend wrongly : misunderstand

mis·ap·pro·pri·ate [,mi-sə-'prō-prē-,āt] -vt, n

  1. to appropriate wrongly (as by theft or embezzlement)

mis·be·come [,mis-bi-'kəm] -vt

  1. to be inappropriate or unbecoming to

mis·be·got·ten [-bi-'gä-tᵊn] -adj

  1. unlawfully conceived : illegitimate
    • a misbegotten child
  2. having a disreputable or improper origin : ill-conceived
    • antiquated and misbegotten tax laws -- R. M. Blough
  3. contemptible, deformed
    • a misbegotten scoundrel

mis·be·lief [,mis-bə-'lēf] -n

  1. erroneous or false belief : heresy

mis·be·lieve [-'lēv] -vi

  1. to hold a false or unorthodox belief

mis·be·liev·er [-'lē-vər] -n

  1. heretic, infidel

mis·brand [,mis-'brand] -vt

  1. to brand falsely or in a misleading way
  2. to label in violation of statutory requirements

misc -abbr

  1. miscellaneous

mis·call [,mis-'kȯl] -vt

  1. to call by a wrong name : misname

mis·car·riage [,mis-'ker-ij, -'ka-rij, 'mis-,] -n

  1. corrupt or incompetent management
  2. a failure in the administration of justice
  3. 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

  1. to come to harm
  2. to suffer miscarriage of a fetus
  3. to fail to achieve the intended purpose : go wrong or amiss
    • the plan miscarried
  4. to fail to reach the intended destination
    • the letter has miscarried

mis·cast [,mis-'kast] -vt

  1. 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

  1. a mixture of races
  2. 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

  1. a collection of miscellaneous objects or writings

mis·cel·la·neous [,mi-sə-'lā-nē-əs, -nyəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. consisting of diverse things or members : heterogeneous
  2. having various traits
  3. 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

  1. separate writings collected in one volume
  2. a collection of writings on various subjects
  3. a mixture of various things

mis·chance [,mis-'chan(t)s] -n

  1. bad luck
  2. a piece of bad luck : mishap

mis·chief ['mis-chəf, 'mish-] -n

  1. a specific injury or damage attributed to a particular agent
  2. a cause or source of harm, evil, or irritation
  3. a person who causes mischief
  4. action that annoys or irritates
  5. the quality or state of being mischievous : mischievousness
    • had mischief in his eyes

mis·chie·vous ['mis-chə-vəs, 'mish-; ÷mis-'chē-vē-əs, mish-] -adj, adv, n

  1. harmful, injurious
    • mischievous gossip
  2. able or tending to cause annoyance, trouble, or minor injury
  3. irresponsibly playful
    • mischievous behavior

misch metal ['mish-] -n

  1. 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

  1. capable of being mixed
  2. capable of mixing in any ratio without separation of two phases
    • miscible liquids

mis·com·mu·ni·ca·tion [,mis-kə-,myü-nə-'kā-shən] -n

  1. failure to communicate clearly

mis·con·duct [-'kän-(,)dəkt] -n, vt

  1. mismanagement esp. of governmental or military responsibilities
  2. intentional wrongdoing
  3. deliberate violation of a law or standard esp. by a government official : malfeasance
  4. improper behavior
  5. adultery
  6. a penalty (as in ice hockey) for improper behavior or abusive language (as toward an official)

mis·cre·ant ['mis-krē-ənt] -adj

  1. unbelieving, heretical
  2. depraved, villainous
    • miscreant behavior

miscreant -n

  1. infidel, heretic
  2. one who behaves criminally or viciously

mis·cue [,mis-'kyü, 'mis-,kyü] -n

  1. a faulty stroke in billiards in which the cue slips
  2. mistake, slip

miscue -vi

  1. to make a miscue

mis·deal [,mis-'dēl] -vb, n

  1. to deal cards incorrectly
  2. to deal incorrectly

mis·deed [-'dēd] -n

  1. a wrong deed : offense

mis·de·mean·ant [-di-'mē-nənt] -n

  1. a person convicted of a misdemeanor

mis·de·mean·or [-di-'mē-nər] -n

  1. a crime less serious than a felony
  2. misdeed

mis·de·mean·our [-di-'mē-nər] -n

(variant of misdemeanor)

  1. a crime less serious than a felony
  2. misdeed

mis·di·rect [-də-'rekt, -(,)dī-] -vt

  1. to give a wrong direction to
  2. to direct wrongly
    • misdirect ed their energies

mis·di·rec·tion [-'rek-shən] -n

  1. a wrong direction
  2. the act or an instance of misdirecting or diverting
  3. the state of being misdirected

mis·do [,mis-'dü] -vb, n

  1. to act wrongly : transgress the laws of God
    • the erring soul not wilfully misdo ing -- John Milton
  2. to do (something) incorrectly or poorly

misdoing -n

  1. the act or an instance of misbehaving : misconduct

mis·doubt [,mis-'dau̇t] -vt, n

  1. doubt
  2. suspect, fear

miseenscene [,mē-,zäⁿ-'sen, -'sān] -n

  1. the arrangement of actors and scenery on a stage for a theatrical production
  2. stage setting
  3. the physical setting of an action (as of a narrative or a motion picture) : context
  4. environment, milieu

mi·ser ['mī-zər] -n

  1. a mean grasping person
  2. one who is extremely stingy with money

mis·er·a·ble ['mi-zər-bəl, 'miz-rə-, 'mi-zə-rə-] -adj, n, adv

  1. being in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness (as from want or shame)
    • miserable refugees
  2. wretchedly inadequate or meager
    • a miserable hovel
  3. causing extreme discomfort or unhappiness
    • a miserable situation
  4. 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

  1. the 50th Psalm in the Vulgate
  2. misericord
  3. a vocal complaint or lament

mi·ser·i·cord [mə-'zer-ə-,kȯrd, -'ser-] -n

  1. 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

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a miser
  2. marked by grasping meanness and penuriousness

mis·ery ['mi-zə-rē, 'miz-rē] -n

  1. a state of suffering and want that is the result of poverty or affliction
  2. a circumstance, thing, or place that causes suffering or discomfort
  3. a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress

misery index -n

  1. the sum of the rate of unemployment and the rate of inflation used as an economic indicator

mis·es·teem [,mi-sə-'stēm] -vt

  1. to esteem wrongly
  2. to hold in too little regard

mis·fea·sance [mis-'fē-zᵊn(t)s] -n

  1. trespass
  2. the performance of a lawful action in an illegal or improper manner

mis·fire [,mis-'fī(-ə)r] -vi

  1. to have the explosive or propulsive charge fail to ignite at the proper time
    • the engine misfired
  2. to fail to fire
    • the gun misfired
  3. to miss an intended effect or objective
    • the new ad campaign misfired
  4. a failure (as of a cartridge or firearm) to fire
  5. something that misfires

mis·fit ['mis-,fit also ,mis-'fit] -n

  1. something that fits badly
  2. a person who is poorly adapted to a situation or environment
    • social misfit s

mis·for·tune [,mis-'fȯr-chən] -n

  1. 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
  2. an unhappy situation
    • always ready to help people in misfortune
  3. a distressing or unfortunate incident or event
    • misfortune s never come singly

mis·give [,mis-'giv] -vb

  1. to suggest doubt or fear to
  2. to be fearful or apprehensive

mis·giv·ing [-'gi-viŋ] -n

  1. a feeling of doubt or suspicion esp. concerning a future event

mis·guid·ance [,mis-'gī-dᵊn(t)s] -n

  1. misdirection

mis·guide [-'gīd] -vt, n

  1. to lead astray : misdirect
    • prejudice misguide s our minds

mis·guid·ed [(,)mis-'gī-dəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. led or prompted by wrong or inappropriate motives or ideals
    • well-meaning but misguided do-gooders

mis·han·dle [-'han-dᵊl] -vt

  1. to treat roughly : maltreat
  2. to deal with or manage wrongly or ignorantly

mis·hap ['mis-,hap, mis-'] -n

  1. an unfortunate accident
  2. bad luck : misfortune

mis·hear [,mis-'hir] -vb

  1. to hear wrongly
  2. to misunderstand what is heard

mis·hit [,mis-'hit] -vt, n

  1. to hit in a faulty manner

mish·mash ['mish-,mash, -,mäsh] -n

  1. hodgepodge, jumble

Mish·nah ['mish-nə] -n, adj

  1. 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

  1. a mistaken impression

mis·in·ter·pret [,mi-sᵊn-'tər-prət, -pət] -vt, n

  1. to explain wrongly
  2. to understand wrongly

mis·join·der [,mis-'jȯin-dər] -n

  1. an improper union of parties or of causes of action in a single legal proceeding

mis·judge [,mis-'jəj] -vi, n

  1. to be mistaken in judgment
  2. to estimate wrongly
  3. to have an unjust opinion of

Mi·ski·to [mis-'kē-(,)tō] -n

  1. a member of an American Indian people of the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua and Honduras
  2. the language of the Miskito people

mis·know [,mis-'nō] -vt, n

  1. misunderstand

mis·lay [,mis-'lā] -vt

  1. to put in an unremembered place : lose
    • he mislaid his car keys

mis·lead [,mis-'lēd] -vb, n, adv

  1. to lead in a wrong direction or into a mistaken action or belief often by deliberate deceit
  2. to lead astray : give a wrong impression

mis·leared [-'lird, -'lerd] -adj

  1. unmannerly, ill-bred

mis·like [-'līk] -vt, n

  1. displease
  2. dislike

mis·name [-'nām] -vt

  1. to name incorrectly : miscall

mis·no·mer [,mis-'nō-mər] -n, adj

  1. the misnaming of a person in a legal instrument
  2. a use of a wrong or inappropriate name
  3. a wrong name or inappropriate designation

mi·so ['mē-(,)sō] -n

  1. 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

  1. a hatred of marriage

mi·sog·y·ny [mə-'sä-jə-nē] -n, adj, n or adj

  1. a hatred of women

mi·sol·o·gy [mə-'sä-lə-jē] -n

  1. a hatred of argument, reasoning, or enlightenment

miso·ne·ism [,mi-sə-'nē-,i-zəm] -n

  1. a hatred, fear, or intolerance of innovation or change

mi·so·pros·tol [,mī-sō-'präs-,tōl, -,tȯl] -n

  1. 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

  1. to put in a wrong or inappropriate place
    • misplace a comma
  2. mislay
    • misplaced the keys
  3. to set on a wrong object or eventuality
    • his trust had been misplaced

mis·play ['mis-,plā] -n, vt

  1. a wrong or unskillful play : error

mis·pri·sion [(,)mis-'pri-zhən] -n

  1. neglect or wrong performance of official duty
  2. concealment of treason or felony by one who is not a participant in the treason or felony
  3. seditious conduct against the government or the courts
  4. misunderstanding, misinterpretation

misprision -n

  1. contempt, scorn

mis·prize [,mis-'prīz] -vt

  1. to hold in contempt : despise
  2. undervalue

mis·pro·nounce [,mis-prə-'nau̇n(t)s] -vt

  1. 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

  1. the act or an instance of mispronouncing

mis·read [,mis-'rēd] -vt

  1. to read incorrectly
  2. 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

  1. to give a false or misleading representation of usu. with an intent to deceive or be unfair
    • misrepresent ed the facts
  2. to serve badly or improperly as a representative of

mis·rule [,mis-'rül] -vt

  1. to rule incompetently : misgovern

misrule -n

  1. the action of misruling : the condition of being misruled
  2. disorder, anarchy

miss ['mis] -vb, adj

  1. to fail to hit, reach, or contact
    • miss the target
  2. to discover or feel the absence of
  3. to fail to obtain
  4. escape, avoid
    • just miss ed hitting the other car
  5. to leave out : omit
  6. to fail to comprehend, sense, or experience
    • miss ed the point of the speech
  7. to fail to perform or attend
    • had to miss school for a week
  8. to fail to get, reach, or do something
  9. to fail to hit something
  10. to be unsuccessful
  11. misfire
    • the engine miss ed
  12. disadvantage or regret resulting from loss
    • we know the miss of you, and even hunger...to see you -- Samuel Richardson
  13. a failure to hit
  14. a failure to attain a desired result
  15. misfire
  16. used as a title prefixed to the name of an unmarried woman or girl
  17. 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
    • Miss America
  18. young lady used without a name as a conventional term of address to a young woman
  19. a young unmarried woman or girl
  20. a clothing size for women of average height and build

Miss -abbr

  1. Mississippi

mis·sa can·ta·ta [,mi-sə-kən-'tä-tə] -n

  1. high mass

mis·sal ['mi-səl] -n

  1. a book containing all that is said or sung at mass during the entire year

mis·sal·ette [,mis-sə-'let] -n

  1. a shortened form of a missal published periodically for congregational use

mis·send [,mis-'send] -vt

  1. to send incorrectly (as to a wrong destination)
    • missent mail

mis·sense ['mis-,sen(t)s] -adj

  1. 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

  1. capable of being thrown or projected to strike a distant object
  2. adapted for throwing or hurling missiles

missile -n

  1. : 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
  2. guided missile
  3. ballistic missile

mis·sil·eer [,mi-sə-'lir] -n

  1. missileman

mis·sile·man ['mi-səl-mən] -n

  1. one engaged in designing, building, or operating guided missiles

mis·sile·ry ['mi-səl-rē] -n

  1. missiles
  2. guided missiles

miss·ing ['mi-siŋ] -adj

  1. absent
  2. lost
    • missing in action

missing link -n

  1. an absent member needed to complete a series or resolve a problem
  2. a hypothetical intermediate evolutionary form between humans and their presumed simian progenitors
  3. 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

  1. the study of the church's mission esp. with respect to missionary activity

mis·sion ['mi-shən] -n

  1. the act or an instance of sending
  2. a ministry commissioned by a religious organization to propagate its faith or carry on humanitarian work
  3. assignment to or work in a field of missionary enterprise
  4. a mission establishment
  5. a local church or parish dependent on a larger religious organization for direction or financial support
  6. organized missionary work
  7. a course of sermons and services given to convert the unchurched or quicken Christian faith
  8. : a body of persons sent to perform a service or carry on an activity: as
  9. a group sent to a foreign country to conduct diplomatic or political negotiations
  10. a permanent embassy or legation
  11. a team of specialists or cultural leaders sent to a foreign country
  12. a specific task with which a person or a group is charged
  13. a definite military, naval, or aerospace task
    • a bombing mission
    • a space mission
  14. a flight operation of an aircraft or spacecraft in the performance of a mission
    • a mission to Mars
  15. a preestablished and often self-imposed objective or purpose
    • statement of the company's mission
  16. calling, vocation

mission ['mi-sh(ə-)niŋ] -vt

  1. to send on or entrust with a mission
  2. to carry on a religious mission among or in
  3. of or relating to a style used in the early Spanish missions of the southwestern U.S.
    • mission architecture
  4. 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

  1. a person undertaking a mission and esp. a religious mission

missionary -adj

  1. relating to, engaged in, or devoted to missions
  2. characteristic of a missionary

missionary position -n

  1. 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

  1. missionary

mis·sion·ize ['mi-shə-,nīz] -vb, n

  1. to carry on missionary work
  2. to do missionary work among

Mis·sis·sip·pi·an [,mi-sə-'si-pē-ən, (,)mis-'si-] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to Mississippi, its people, or the Mississippi River
  2. 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

  1. a written communication : letter

miss·out ['mis-,au̇t] -n

  1. a throw of dice that loses the main bet

miss out -vt

  1. to leave out : omit

mis·speak [,mis-'spēk] -vb

  1. to speak (as a word) incorrectly
  2. to express (oneself) imperfectly or incorrectly
    • claims now that he misspoke himself
  3. to speak incorrectly : misspeak oneself

mis·spell [,mis-'spel] -vt

  1. to spell incorrectly

mis·spell·ing [-'spe-liŋ] -n

  1. an incorrect spelling

mis·spend [,mis-'spend] -vt

  1. to spend wrongly : squander
    • a misspent life

mis·state [,mis-'stāt] -vt, n

  1. to state incorrectly : give a false account of

mis·step [-'step] -n

  1. a mistake in judgment or action : blunder
  2. a wrong step

mis·sus ['mi-səz, -səs, esp Southern -zəz] -n

  1. mistress
  2. wife
    • men spend money on themselves, but argue over every dime the missus wants -- W. A. Lydgate

missy ['mi-sē] -n

  1. a young girl : miss

mist ['mist] -n

  1. 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
  2. something that obscures understanding
    • mist s of antiquity
  3. a film before the eyes
  4. a cloud of small particles or objects suggestive of a mist
  5. a suspension of a finely divided liquid in a gas
  6. a fine spray
  7. a drink of liquor served over cracked ice
  8. to be or become misty
  9. to become moist or blurred
  10. to cover or spray with or convert to mist

mis·tak·able [mə-'stā-kə-bəl] -adj

  1. capable of being misunderstood or mistaken

mis·take [mə-'stāk] -vb, adv, n

  1. to blunder in the choice of
    • mistook her way in the dark
  2. to misunderstand the meaning or intention of : misinterpret
    • don't mistake me, I mean exactly what I said
  3. to make a wrong judgment of the character or ability of
  4. to identify wrongly : confuse with another
    • I mistook him for his brother
  5. to be wrong
    • you mistook when you thought I laughed at you -- Thomas Hardy

mistake -n

  1. a wrong judgment : misunderstanding
  2. 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

  1. mr. used sometimes in writing instead of Mr.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. husband

mist·er ['mis-tər] -n

  1. a device for spraying a mist

mis·think [,mis-'thiŋk] -vb

  1. to think mistakenly or unfavorably
  2. to think badly or unfavorably of

mis·tle·toe ['mi-səl-,tō, chiefly Brit 'mi-zəl-] -n

  1. a European semiparasitic green shrub ( Viscum albumof the family Loranthaceae, the mistletoe family) with thick leaves, small yellowish flowers, and waxy-white glutinous berries
  2. any of various plants of the mistletoe family (as of an American genus Phoradendron) resembling the true mistletoe

mist net -n

  1. a finely woven large mesh net erected to entangle and capture birds or bats in flight

mis·tral ['mis-trəl, mi-'sträl] -n

  1. a strong cold dry northerly wind of southern France

mis·treat [,mis-'trēt] -vt, n

  1. to treat badly : abuse

mis·tress ['mis-trəs] -n

  1. : a woman who has power, authority, or ownership: as
  2. the female head of a household
  3. a woman who employs or supervises servants
  4. a woman who is in charge of a school or other establishment
  5. a woman of the Scottish nobility having a status comparable to that of a master
  6. a female teacher or tutor
  7. a woman who has achieved mastery in some field
  8. something personified as female that rules, directs, or dominates
    • when Rome was mistress of the world
  9. a woman other than his wife with whom a married man has a continuing sexual relationship
  10. sweetheart
  11. used archaically as a title prefixed to the name of a married or unmarried woman
  12. mrs.

mistress of ceremonies

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a lack of confidence : distrust

mistrust -vt

  1. to have no trust or confidence in : suspect
    • mistrust ed his neighbors
  2. to doubt the truth, validity, or effectiveness of
    • mistrust ed his own judgment
  3. surmise
    • your mind mistrust ed there was something wrong -- Robert Frost
  4. to be suspicious

misty ['mis-tē] -adj, adv, n

  1. obscured by mist
  2. consisting of or marked by mist
  3. indistinct
    • a misty recollection of the event
  4. vague, confused
    • avoided the large, vague, misty issues -- Reuben Abel
  5. tearful

mistyeyed ['mis-tē-,īd] -adj

  1. having tearful eyes
  2. dreamy, sentimental
    • mistyeyed recollections

mis·un·der·stand [(,)mi-,sən-dər-'stand] -vt

  1. to fail to understand
  2. to interpret incorrectly

mis·un·der·stand·ing -n

  1. a failure to understand : misinterpretation
  2. quarrel, disagreement

mis·us·age [,mis-'yü-sij, ,mish-, -zij] -n

  1. bad treatment : abuse
  2. wrong or improper use (as of words)

mis·use [-'yüz] -vt, n

  1. to use incorrectly : misapply
    • misused his talents
  2. abuse, mistreat
    • misused his servants
  3. incorrect or improper use : misapplication

mite ['mīt] -n

  1. any of numerous small acarid arachnids that often infest animals, plants, and stored foods and include important disease vectors
  2. a small coin or sum of money
  3. a very little : bit
  4. a very small object or creature

mi·ter ['mī-tər] -n

  1. a liturgical headdress worn by bishops and abbots
  2. 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
  3. miter joint

miter ['mī-tə-riŋ] -vt, n

  1. to confer a miter on
  2. to match or fit together in a miter joint
  3. to bevel the ends of for making a miter joint

miter box -n

  1. a device for guiding a handsaw at the proper angle in making a miter joint in wood

miter joint -n

  1. a usu. perpendicular joint made by fastening together parts with the ends cut at an angle

miter square -n

  1. a bevel with an immovable arm at an angle of 45 degrees for striking marking lines
  2. a square with an arm adjustable to any angle

Mith·ra·ic [mi-'thrā-ik] -adj, n, n or adj

  1. 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

  1. an antidote against poison
  2. a confection held to be effective against poison

mi·ti·cide ['mī-tə-,sīd] -n, adj

  1. an agent used to kill mites

mit·i·gate ['mi-tə-,gāt] -vt, n, adj

  1. to cause to become less harsh or hostile : mollify
  2. to make less severe or painful : alleviate
  3. extenuate

mitochondrial DNA -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a substance that induces mitosis

mi·to·my·cin [,mī-tə-'mī-sᵊn] -n

  1. a complex of antibiotic substances that is produced by a Japanese streptomyces ( Streptomyces caespitosus)
  2. 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

  1. 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
  2. cell division in which mitosis occurs

mi·tral ['mī-trəl] -adj

  1. resembling a miter
  2. of, relating to, being, or adjoining a mitral valve or orifice

mitral valve -n

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. a woman's glove that leaves the fingers uncovered
  2. mitten
  3. a baseball catcher's or first baseman's glove made in the style of a mitten
  4. hand

mit·ten ['mi-tᵊn] -n, adj

  1. a covering for the hand and wrist having a separate section for the thumb only
  2. mitt

mit·ti·mus ['mi-tə-məs] -n

  1. a warrant of commitment to prison

mitz·vah ['mits-və] -n

  1. a commandment of the Jewish law
  2. a meritorious or charitable act

mix ['miks] -vb, adj

  1. to combine or blend into one mass
  2. to combine with another
  3. to bring into close association
    • mix business with pleasure
  4. to form by mixing components
    • mix a drink at the bar
  5. to produce (a sound recording) by electronically combining or adjusting sounds from more than one source
  6. confuse often used with up
    • mix es things up in his eagerness to speak out -- Irving Howe
  7. to become mixed
  8. to be capable of mixing
  9. to enter into relations : associate
  10. crossbreed
  11. to become involved : participate
    • decided not to mix in politics
  12. an act or process of mixing
  13. : a product of mixing: as
  14. a commercially prepared mixture of food ingredients
    • a cake mix
  15. a combination of different kinds
    • the right mix of jobs, people and amenities -- London Times
  16. mixer

mixed ['mikst] -adj

  1. combining characteristics of more than one kind
  2. combining features of two or more systems of government
    • a mixed constitution
  3. : made up of or involving individuals or items of more than one kind: as
  4. made up of or involving persons differing in race, national origin, religion, or class
  5. made up of or involving individuals of both sexes
    • mixed company
  6. including or accompanied by inconsistent, incompatible, or contrary elements
    • mixed emotions
    • received mixed reviews
    • a mixed blessing
  7. deriving from two or more races or breeds
    • a stallion of mixed blood

mixed alphabet -n

  1. an alphabet (as in a cryptographic system) that has been rearranged or disordered systematically or randomly

mixed bag -n

  1. a miscellaneous collection : assortment
  2. one having both positive and negative qualities or aspects
    • his performance was a mixed bag

mixed bud -n

  1. a bud that produces a branch and leaves as well as flowers

mixed drink -n

  1. an alcoholic beverage prepared from two or more ingredients

mixed farming -n

  1. the growing of food or cash crops, feed crops, and livestock on the same farm

mixed grill -n

  1. meats (as lamb chop, kidney, and bacon) and vegetables broiled together and served on one plate

mixed marriage -n

  1. a marriage between persons of different races or religions

mixed martial arts -n

  1. a contact sport that allows a wide range of fighting techniques including striking, kicking, and grappling

mixedmedia -adj

  1. multimedia

mixed metaphor -n

  1. a figure of speech combining inconsistent or incongruous metaphors

mixed nerve -n

  1. a nerve containing both sensory and motor fibers

mixed number -n

  1. a number (as 5) composed of an integer and a fraction

mixedup ['mikst-'əp] -adj

  1. marked by bewilderment, perplexity, or disorder : confused

mixeduse ['mikst-'yüs] -adj

  1. used or suitable for several different functions
    • a mixeduse building

mix·er ['mik-sər] -n

  1. : one that mixes: as
  2. one whose work is mixing the ingredients of a product
  3. one who balances and controls the dialogue, music, and sound effects to be recorded for or with a motion picture or television
  4. a container, device, or machine for mixing
  5. 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
  6. the get-together itself
  7. : one that mixes with others: as
  8. a person considered in regard to casual sociability
    • was shy and a poor mixer
  9. a nonalcoholic beverage (as ginger ale) used in a mixed drink

mix·ol·o·gy [mik-'sä-lə-jē] -n

  1. the art or skill of preparing mixed drinks

mix·tape ['miks-,tāp] -n

  1. a compilation of songs recorded (as onto a cassette tape or a CD) from various sources

Mix·tec [mēs-'tek, mis-, mēsh-, mish-] -n

  1. the language of the Mixtec people
  2. a member of an American Indian people of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico

mix·ture ['miks-chər] -n

  1. the act, the process, or an instance of mixing
  2. the state of being mixed
  3. the relative proportions of constituents
  4. the proportion of fuel to air produced in a carburetor
  5. : a product of mixing : combination: as
  6. a portion of matter consisting of two or more components in varying proportions that retain their own properties
  7. a fabric woven of variously colored threads
  8. a combination of several different kinds

mixup ['miks-,əp] -n

  1. a state or instance of confusion
  2. mixture
  3. conflict, fight

mi·zu·na [mi-'zü-nə] -n

  1. a Japanese mustard ( Brassica rapa nipposinicasyn. B. rapa japonica) having mild tasting deeply dissected leaves used esp. in salads
  2. its leaves

miz·zen ['mi-zᵊn] -n

  1. a fore-and-aft sail set on the mizzenmast
  2. mizzenmast

mizzen -adj

  1. of or relating to the mizzenmast

miz·zen·mast [-,mast, -məst] -n

  1. the mast aft or next aft of the mainmast in a ship

miz·zle ['mi-zəl] -vi, n, adj

  1. to rain in very fine drops : drizzle

mizzle ['mi-zə-liŋ, 'miz-liŋ] -vi

  1. to depart suddenly