m ['em] -n
- the 13th letter of the English alphabet
- a graphic representation of this letter
- a speech counterpart of orthographic m
- one thousand
- a graphic device for reproducing the letter m
- one designated mesp. as the 13th in order or class
- something shaped like the letter M
- em
- pica
- male
- manual
- married
- martyr
- masculine
- mass
- measure
- meridian
- noon
- meter
- middle
- mile
- thousand
- milli-
- minute
- molal; molality
- mole
- month
- moon
- morning
- muscle
M -abbr
- Mach
- magnitude
- March
- May
- medium
- mega-
- million
- molar; molarity
- monsieur
ma ['mä, 'mȯ] -n
- mother
mA -abbr
- milliampere
Ma -abbr
- million years ago
MA -abbr
- master of arts
- Massachusetts
- mental age
- Middle Ages
MAA -abbr
- master of applied arts
ma'am ['mam, after “yes” often əm] -n
- madam
maandpa [,mä-ən-'pä, ,mȯ-ən-'pȯ] -adj
- mom-and-pop
Mab ['mab] -n
- a queen of fairies in English literature
mabe pearl ['mä-,bā-] -n
- a cultured pearl essentially hemispherical in form called also mabe
mac ['mak] -n
- mackintosh
Mac ['mak] -n
- fellow used informally to address a man whose name is not known
- Machabees
- Maccabees
MAC -abbr
- military airlift command
ma·ca·bre [mə-'käb; -'kä-brə, -bər; -'käbrᵊ] -adj
- having death as a subject : comprising or including a personalized representation of death
- dwelling on the gruesome
- tending to produce horror in a beholder
mac·ad·am [mə-'ka-dəm] -n
- macadamized roadway or pavement esp. with a bituminous binder
mac·a·da·mia nut [,ma-kə-'dā-mē-ə-] -n
- a hard-shelled nut somewhat resembling a filbert and produced by an Australian evergreen tree ( Macadamia integrifolia) of the protea family that is cultivated extensively in Hawaii called also macadamia
mac·ad·am·ize [mə-'ka-də-,mīz] -vt
- to construct or finish (a road) by compacting into a solid mass a layer of small broken stone on a convex well-drained roadbed and using a binder (as cement or asphalt) for the mass
ma·caque [mə-'kak, -'käk] -n
- any of a genus ( Macaca) of chiefly Asian monkeys typically having a sturdy build and including some short-tailed or tailless forms
- rhesus monkey
mac·a·ro·ni [,ma-kə-'rō-nē] -n
- pasta made from semolina and shaped in the form of slender tubes
- a member of a class of traveled young Englishmen of the late 18th and early 19th centuries who affected foreign ways
- an affected young man : fop
- macaroni penguin
mac·a·ron·ic [-'rä-nik] -adj, n
- characterized by a mixture of vernacular words with Latin words or with non-Latin words having Latin endings
- characterized by a mixture of two languages
macaroni penguin -n
- a small penguin ( Eudyptes chrysolophus) that has an orange, yellow, and black crest on the head and a black chin and that breeds on subantarctic islands
mac·a·roon [,ma-kə-'rün] -n
- a small cookie composed chiefly of egg whites, sugar, and ground almonds or coconut
ma·caw [mə-'kȯ] -n
- any of numerous parrots (esp. genus Ara) of South and Central America including some of the largest and showiest of parrots
Mac·beth [mək-'beth, mak-] -n
- a Scottish general who is the protagonist of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth
Mac·ca·bees ['ma-kə-(,)bēz] -n pl, adj
- a priestly family leading a Jewish revolt begun in 168 b.c.against Hellenism and Syrian rule and reigning over Palestine from 142 b.c.to 63 b.c.
- either of two narrative and historical books included in the Roman Catholic canon of the Old Testament and in the Protestant Apocrypha
mace ['mās] -n
- an aromatic spice consisting of the dried external fibrous covering of a nutmeg
- a heavy often spiked staff or club used esp. in the Middle Ages for breaking armor
- a club used as a weapon
- an ornamental staff borne as a symbol of authority before a public official or a legislative body
- one who carries a mace
- to attack with the liquid Mace
Mace ['mās] -trademark
- used for a temporarily disabling liquid usu. used as a spray
ma·ce·doine [,ma-sə-'dwän] -n
- a confused mixture : medley
- a mixture of fruits or vegetables served as a salad or cocktail or in a jellied dessert or used in a sauce or as a garnish
Mac·e·do·nian [,ma-sə-'dō-nyən, -nē-ən] -n
- the language of ancient Macedonia of uncertain affinity but generally assumed to be Indo-European
- a native or inhabitant of Macedonia
- the Slavic language of modern Macedonia
mac·er·ate ['ma-sə-,rāt] -vb, n
- to cause to waste away by or as if by excessive fasting
- to cause to become soft or separated into constituent elements by or as if by steeping in fluid
- steep, soak
- to soften and wear away esp. as a result of being wetted or steeped
Mac·Guf·fin [mə-'gə-fən] -n
- an object, event, or character in a film or story that serves to set and keep the plot in motion despite usu. lacking intrinsic importance
mach -abbr
- machine; machinery; machinist
Mach ['mäk] -n
- a usu. high speed expressed by a Mach number
- an airplane flying at Mach 2
Mach·a·bees ['ma-kə-(,)bēz] -n pl but sing in constr
- maccabees
mache ['mäsh] -n
- corn salad
ma·chete [mə-'she-tē, -'che-; -'shet] -n
- a large heavy knife used for cutting sugarcane and underbrush and as a weapon
Ma·chi·a·vel·lian [,ma-kē-ə-'ve-lē-ən, -'vel-yən] -adj, n
- of or relating to Machiavelli or Machiavellianism
- suggesting the principles of conduct laid down by Machiavelli
- marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith
Ma·chi·a·vel·lian·ism [-'ve-lē-ə-,ni-zəm, -'vel-yə-,ni-zəm] -n
- the political theory of Machiavelli
- the view that politics is amoral and that any means however unscrupulous can justifiably be used in achieving political power
ma·chic·o·la·tion [mə-,chi-kə-'lā-shən] -n, adj
- an opening between the corbels of a projecting parapet or in the floor of a gallery or roof of a portal for discharging missiles upon assailants below
- a gallery or parapet containing such openings
- construction imitating medieval machicolation
mach·i·nate ['ma-kə-,nāt, 'ma-shə-] -vb, n
- to plan or plot esp. to do harm
- to scheme or contrive to bring about : plot
mach·i·na·tion [,ma-kə-'nā-shən, ,ma-shə-] -n
- an act of machinating
- a scheming or crafty action or artful design intended to accomplish some usu. evil end
- backstage machination s ...that have dominated the film industry -- Peter Bogdanovich
ma·chine [mə-'shēn] -n
- a constructed thing whether material or immaterial
- conveyance, vehicle
- automobile
- a military engine
- any of various apparatuses formerly used to produce stage effects
- an assemblage of parts that transmit forces, motion, and energy one to another in a predetermined manner
- an instrument (as a lever) designed to transmit or modify the application of power, force, or motion
- a mechanically, electrically, or electronically operated device for performing a task
- a coin-operated device
- machinery used with the or in pl.
- a living organism or one of its functional systems
- one that resembles a machine (as in being methodical, tireless, or consistently productive)
- a gifted publicist and quote machine -- John Lancaster
- a combination of persons acting together for a common end along with the agencies they use
- a highly organized political group under the leadership of a boss or small clique
- a literary device or contrivance introduced for dramatic effect
machine [-,shē-nə-'bi-lə-tē] -vt, n, adj
- to process by or as if by machine
- to reduce or finish by or as if by turning, shaping, planing, or milling by machine-operated tools
ma·chinegun [mə-'shēn-,gən] -adj
- characterized by rapidity and sharpness : rapid-fire
- a comic's machinegun delivery
machine gun -n, vb
- a gun for sustained rapid fire that uses bullets
- an automatic weapon
machine language -n
- the set of symbolic instruction codes usu. in binary form that is used to represent operations and data in a machine (as a computer) called also machine code
- assembly language
ma·chine·like [mə-'shēn-,līk] -adj
- resembling or suggesting a machine esp. in regularity of action or stereotyped uniformity of product
machine pistol -n
- a small submachine gun with a pistol grip
machinereadable -adj
- directly usable by a computer
ma·chin·ery [mə-'shē-nə-rē, -'shēn-rē] -n
- machines in general or as a functioning unit
- the working parts of a machine
- the means or system by which something is kept in action or a desired result is obtained
- the machinery of government
- genetic machinery of cells
machine shop -n
- a workshop in which work is machined to size and assembled
machine tool -n
- a machine designed for shaping solid work
ma·chin·ist [mə-'shē-nist] -n
- a worker who fabricates, assembles, or repairs machinery
- a craftsman skilled in the use of machine tools
- one who operates a machine
- a person in charge of the mechanical aspects of a theatrical production
- a warrant officer who supervises machinery and engine operation
ma·chis·mo [mä-'chēz-(,)mō, mə-, -'kēz-, -'kiz-, -'chiz-] -n
- a strong sense of masculine pride : an exaggerated masculinity
- an exaggerated or exhilarating sense of power or strength
Mach number ['mäk-] -n
- a number representing the ratio of the speed of a body (as an aircraft) to the speed of sound in a surrounding medium (as air)
ma·cho ['mä-(,)chō] -adj
- characterized by machismo : aggressively virile
macho -n
- one who exhibits machismo
- machismo
mack ['mak] -n
(variant of mac)
- mackintosh
mack daddy ['mak-] -n
- a conspicuously successful pimp
- a slick womanizer
- one that is the best
mack·er·el ['ma-k(ə-)rəl] -n
- a scombroid fish ( Scomber scombrusof the family Scombridae) of the No. Atlantic that is green above with dark blue bars and silvery below and is a commercially important food fish
- any of various fishes (as the wahoo and king mackerel) in the same family as the mackerel esp. when distinguished from the related bonito or tuna by a comparatively smaller size
mackerel shark -n
- any of a family (Lamnidae) of large pelagic sharks including the great white shark and mako sharks
- porbeagle
mackerel sky -n
- a sky covered with rows of altocumulus or cirrocumulus clouds resembling the patterns on a mackerel's back
mack·i·naw ['ma-kə-,nȯ] -n
- a heavy woolen blanket formerly distributed by the U.S. government to the Indians
- a heavy cloth of wool or wool and other fibers often with a plaid design and usu. heavily napped and felted
- a short coat of mackinaw or similar heavy fabric
- mackinaw trout
mackinaw trout -n
- a large dark No. American char ( Salvelinus namaycush) that is an important commercial food fish in northern lakes called also lake trout mackinaw
mack·in·tosh ['ma-kən-,täsh] -n
- raincoat
- a lightweight waterproof fabric orig. of rubberized cotton
Mac·lau·rin series [mə-'klȯr-ən(z)-] -n
- a Taylor's series that is expanded about the reference point zero and that takes the form
ma·cle ['ma-kəl] -n, adj
- a twin crystal
- a flat often triangular diamond that is usu. a twin crystal
ma·con [ma-'kōⁿ] -n
- a dry red or white wine produced in the area around Macon, France
Mac·Pher·son strut [mək-'fir-sᵊn-, -'fər-] -n
- a component of an automobile suspension consisting of a shock absorber mounted within a coil spring
macr- -comb form
- long
- large
mac·ra·me ['ma-krə-,mā] -n
- a coarse lace or fringe made by knotting threads or cords in a geometrical pattern
- the art of tying knots in patterns
mac·ro ['ma-(,)krō] -adj
- being large, thick, or exceptionally prominent
- of, involving, or intended for use with relatively large quantities or on a large scale
- of or relating to macroeconomics
- gross
- of or relating to a macro lens or to close-up photography
macro -n
- a single computer instruction that stands for a sequence of operations
mac·ro·ag·gre·gate [,ma-krō-'a-gri-gət] -n, adj
- a relatively large particle (as of soil)
mac·ro·bi·ot·ic [-bī-'ä-tik, -bē-] -adj, n pl but sing in constr
- of, relating to, or being a diet based on the Chinese cosmological principles of yin and yang that consists of whole cereals and grains supplemented esp. with beans and vegetables and that in its esp. former more restrictive forms has been linked to nutritional deficiencies
mac·ro·cosm ['ma-krə-,kä-zəm] -n, adj, adv
- the great world : universe
- a complex that is a large-scale reproduction of one of its constituents
mac·ro·cy·clic [,ma-krō-'si-klik, -'sī-] -adj
- containing or being a chemical ring that consists usu. of 15 or more atoms
mac·ro·cyte ['ma-krə-,sīt] -n, adj
- an exceptionally large red blood cell occurring chiefly in anemias
mac·ro·cy·to·sis [,ma-krə-sī-'tō-səs, -krə-sə-] -n
- the occurrence of macrocytes in the blood
mac·ro·eco·nom·ics ['ma-krō-,e-kə-'nä-miks, -,ē-kə-] -n pl but usu sing in constr, adj
- a study of economics in terms of whole systems esp. with reference to general levels of output and income and to the interrelations among sectors of the economy
mac·ro·evo·lu·tion ['ma-krō-,e-və-'lü-shən also -,ē-və-] -n, adj
- evolution that results in relatively large and complex changes (as in species formation)
mac·ro·fos·sil ['ma-krō-,fä-səl] -n
- a fossil large enough to be observed by direct inspection
mac·ro·ga·mete [,ma-krō-'ga-,mēt also -gə-'mēt] -n
- the larger and usu. female gamete of a heterogamous organism
mac·ro·glob·u·lin [-'glä-byə-lən] -n
- a highly polymerized globulin (as IgM) of high molecular weight
mac·ro·glob·u·li·ne·mia [-,glä-byə-lə-'nē-mē-ə] -n, adj
- a disorder characterized by increased blood serum viscosity and the presence of macroglobulins in the serum
mac·ro·in·struc·tion [,ma-krō-in-'strək-shən] -n
- macro
macro lens -n
- a camera lens designed to focus at very short distances with up to life-size magnification of the image
mac·ro·lep·i·dop·tera ['ma-krō-,le-pə-'däp-tə-rə] -n pl
- lepidoptera (as butterflies, skippers, saturniids, and noctuids) that include most of the large forms and none of the minute ones
mac·ro·mere ['ma-krə-,mir] -n
- a large blastomere
mac·ro·mol·e·cule [,ma-krō-'mä-li-,kyü(ə)l] -n, adj
- a very large molecule (as of a protein or rubber)
ma·cron ['mā-,krän, 'ma-, -krən] -n
- a mark placed over a vowel to indicate that the vowel is long or placed over a syllable or used alone to indicate a stressed or long syllable in a metrical foot
mac·ro·nu·cle·us [,ma-krō-'nü-klē-əs, -'nyü-] -n, adj
- a relatively large densely staining nucleus of most ciliate protozoans that is derived from micronuclei and controls various nonreproductive functions
mac·ro·nu·tri·ent [-'nü-trē-ənt, -'nyü-] -n
- a chemical element (as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium) of which relatively large quantities are essential to the growth and health of a plant
- a substance (as protein or carbohydrate) essential in large amounts to the growth and health of an animal
mac·ro·phage ['ma-krə-,fāj] -n, adj
- a phagocytic tissue cell of the immune system that may be fixed or freely motile, is derived from a monocyte, functions in the destruction of foreign antigens (as bacteria and viruses), and serves as an antigen-presenting cell
mac·ro·pho·tog·ra·phy [,ma-krō-fə-'tä-grə-fē] -n
- the making of photographs in which the object is either unmagnified or slightly magnified up to a limit often of about 10 diameters
mac·ro·phyte ['ma-krə-,fīt] -n, adj
- a member of the macroscopic plant life esp. of a body of water
mac·rop·ter·ous [ma-'kräp-tə-rəs] -adj
- having long or large wings
mac·ro·scale ['ma-krō-,skāl] -n
- a large often macroscopic scale
mac·ro·scop·ic [,ma-krə-'skä-pik] -adj, adv
- observable by the naked eye
- involving large units or elements
mac·ro·struc·ture ['ma-krō-,strək-chər] -n, adj
- the structure (as of metal, a body part, or the soil) revealed by visual examination with little or no magnification
mac·u·la ['ma-kyə-lə] -n, adj
- spot, blotch
- macule
- an anatomical structure having the form of a spot differentiated from surrounding tissues
- macula lutea
macula lu·tea [-'lü-tē-ə] -n
- a small yellowish area lying slightly lateral to the center of the retina that constitutes the region of maximum visual acuity called also yellow spot
macular degeneration -n
- a gradual loss of the central part of the field of vision usu. affecting both eyes that occurs esp. in the elderly and that in a slowly progressing form is marked esp. by accumulation of yellow deposits in and thinning of the macula lutea and in a rapidly progressing form by scarring produced by bleeding and fluid leakage below the macula lutea
mac·u·late ['ma-kyə-lət] -adj
- marked with spots : blotched
- impure, besmirched
mac·u·la·tion [,ma-kyə-'lā-shən] -n
- the state of being spotted
- a blemish in the form of a discrete spot
- acne scars and maculation s
- the arrangement of spots and markings on an animal or plant
mac·ule ['ma-(,)kyü(ə)l] -n
- a patch of skin that is altered in color but usu. not elevated and that is a characteristic feature of various diseases (as smallpox)
ma·cum·ba [mə-'küm-bə] -n
- a polytheistic religion of African origin involving syncretistic elements and practiced mainly by Brazilian blacks in urban areas
mad ['mad] -adj
- disordered in mind : insane
- completely unrestrained by reason and judgment
- incapable of being explained or accounted for
- carried away by intense anger : furious
- carried away by enthusiasm or desire
- affected with rabies : rabid
- marked by wild gaiety and merriment : hilarious
- intensely excited : frantic
- marked by intense and often chaotic activity : wild
- madden
- a fit or mood of bad temper
- anger, fury
MAD -abbr
- mutual assured destruction; mutually assured destruction
Mad·a·gas·car periwinkle [,ma-də-'gas-kər-] -n
- rosy periwinkle
mad·am ['ma-dəm] -n
- lady used without a name as a form of respectful or polite address to a woman
- mistress used as a title formerly with the given name but now with the surname or esp. with a designation of rank or office
- the female head of a house of prostitution
- the female head of a household : wife
ma·dame [mə-'dam, ma-', before a surname also 'ma-dəm] -n
- used as a title equivalent to Mrs. for a married woman not of English-speaking nationality
- madam
madbrained ['mad-'brānd] -adj
- rash, hotheaded
mad·cap ['mad-,kap] -adj, n
- marked by capriciousness, recklessness, or foolishness
mad cow disease -n
- bovine spongiform encephalopathy
mad·den ['ma-dᵊn] -vb
- to become or act as if mad
- to drive mad : craze
- to make intensely angry : enrage
maddening [-lē] -adj, adv
- tending to craze
- tending to infuriate
- tending to vex : irritating
mad·der ['ma-dər] -n
- a Eurasian herb ( Rubia tinctorumof the family Rubiaceae, the madder family) with whorled leaves and small yellowish panicled flowers succeeded by dark berries
- any of several related herbs (genus Rubia)
- the root of the Eurasian madder used formerly in dyeing
- an alizarin dye prepared from it
- a moderate to strong red
madding -adj
- acting in a frenzied manner usu. used in the phrase madding crowd to denote esp. the crowded world of human activity and strife
- built his home far from the madding crowd
made ['mād] -adj
- fictitious, invented
- artificially produced
- put together of various ingredients
- assured of success usu. used in the phrase have it made
Ma·dei·ra [mə-'dir-ə, -'der-] -n
- an amber-colored fortified wine from Madeira
- a similar wine made elsewhere
mad·e·leine ['ma-də-lən, ,ma-də-'lān] -n
- a small rich shell-shaped cake
- one that evokes a memory
ma·de·moi·selle [,mad-mwə-'zel, ,ma-də-, -mə-'zel, sometimes mam-'zel] -n
- an unmarried French girl or woman used as a title equivalent to Miss for an unmarried woman not of English-speaking nationality
- a French governess
- silver perch
madetomeasure -adj
- fashioned to measurements specifically required : custom-made
madetoorder -adj
- produced to supply a special or an individual demand : custom-made
- ideally suited (as to a particular purpose)
- started the double play on a madetoorder grounder
madeup ['mād-'əp] -adj
- fully manufactured
- marked by the use of makeup
- fancifully conceived or falsely devised
mad·house ['mad-,hau̇s] -n
- a place where insane persons are detained and treated
- a place of uproar or confusion
Mad·i·son Avenue ['ma-də-sən-] -n
- the American advertising industry
mad·ly ['mad-lē] -adv
- in a mad manner
- to an extreme or excessive degree
mad·man ['mad-,man, -mən] -n
- a man who is or acts as if insane
mad money -n
- money that a woman carries to pay her fare home in case a date ends in a quarrel
- money set aside for an emergency or personal use
mad·ness ['mad-nəs] -n
- : the quality or state of being mad: as
- rage
- insanity
- extreme folly
- ecstasy, enthusiasm
- any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior
- rabies
Ma·don·na [mə-'dä-nə] -n
- lady used as a form of respectful address
- an Italian lady
- virgin mary
- an artistic depiction (as a painting or statue) of the Virgin Mary
- a morally pure and chaste woman
Madonna lily -n
- a widely cultivated Eurasian lily ( Lilium candidum) with bell-shaped to broad funnel-shaped white flowers
ma·dras ['ma-drəs; mə-'dras, -'dräs] -n
- a large silk or cotton kerchief usu. of bright colors that is often worn as a turban
- a fine plain-woven shirting and dress fabric usu. of cotton with varied designs (as plaid) in bright colors or in white
- a light open usu. cotton fabric with a heavy design used for curtains
ma·dras·sa [mə-'dra-sə, -'drä-] -n
- a Muslim school, college, or university that is often part of a mosque
mad·re·pore ['ma-drə-,pȯr] -n, adj or n, adj
- any of various stony reef-building corals (order Madreporaria) of tropical seas that assume a variety of branching, encrusting, or massive forms
mad·re·por·ite ['ma-drə-,pȯr-,īt] -n
- a perforated or porous body that is situated at the distal end of the stone canal in echinoderms
mad·ri·gal ['ma-dri-gəl] -n, adj
- a medieval short lyrical poem in a strict poetic form
- a complex polyphonic unaccompanied vocal piece on a secular text developed esp. in the 16th and 17th centuries
- part-song
- glee
ma·dri·lene [,ma-drə-'len, -'lān] -n
- a consomme flavored with tomato
ma·dro·ne [mə-'drō-nə] -n
- any of several evergreen trees (genus Arbutus) of the heath family
- one ( A. menziesii) of the Pacific coast of No. America with smooth red bark, thick shining leaves, and edible red berries
ma·du·ro [mə-'du̇r-(,)ō] -n
- a dark-colored relatively strong cigar
mad·wom·an ['mad-,wu̇-mən] -n
- a woman who is or acts as if insane
mad·wort [-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n
- alyssum
- a low hairy annual European herb ( Asperugo procumbens) of the borage family with blue flowers and a root used as a substitute for madder
MAE -abbr
- master of arts in education
Mae·ce·nas [mi-'sē-nəs] -n
- a generous patron esp. of literature or art
mael·strom ['māl-strəm, -,sträm] -n
- a powerful often violent whirlpool sucking in objects within a given radius
- something resembling a maelstrom in turbulence
mae·nad ['mē-,nad] -n, adj
- bacchante
- an unnaturally excited or distraught woman
mae·sto·so [mī-'stō-(,)sō, -(,)zō] -adj or adv
- majestic and stately used as a direction in music
mae·stro ['mī-(,)strō] -n
- a master usu. in an art
- an eminent composer, conductor, or teacher of music
Mae West ['mā-'west] -n
- an inflatable life jacket in the form of a collar extending down the chest that was worn by fliers in World War II
maf·fick ['ma-fik] -vi
- to celebrate with boisterous rejoicing and hilarious behavior
Ma·fia ['mä-fē-ə, 'ma-] -n
- a secret criminal society of Sicily or Italy
- a similarly conceived criminal organization in the U.S.
- a similar organization elsewhere
- a criminal organization associated with a particular traffic
- a group of people likened to the Mafia
- a group of people of similar interests or backgrounds prominent in a particular field or enterprise : clique
maf·ic ['ma-fik] -adj
- of, relating to, or being a group of usu. dark-colored minerals rich in magnesium and iron
ma·fi·o·so [,mä-fē-'ō-(,)sō, ,ma-, -(,)zō] -n
- a member of the Mafia or a mafia
mag ['mag] -n
- magazine
- magnesium
- magnetism
- magneto
- magnitude
mag·a·zine ['ma-gə-,zēn, ,ma-gə-'] -n
- a place where goods or supplies are stored : warehouse
- a room in which powder and other explosives are kept in a fort or a ship
- : the contents of a magazine: as
- an accumulation of munitions of war
- a stock of provisions or goods
- a periodical containing miscellaneous pieces (as articles, stories, poems) and often illustrated
- such a periodical published online
- a similar section of a newspaper usu. appearing on Sunday
- a radio or television program presenting usu. several short segments on a variety of topics
- : a supply chamber: as
- a holder in or on a gun for cartridges to be fed into the gun chamber
- a lightproof chamber for films or plates on a camera or for film on a motion-picture projector
mag·a·zin·ist [-,zē-nist, -'zē-] -n
- a person who writes for or edits a magazine
mag·da·len ['mag-də-lən] -n
- a reformed prostitute
- a house of refuge or reformatory for prostitutes
Mag·da·le·ni·an [,mag-də-'lē-nē-ən] -adj
- of or relating to an Upper Paleolithic culture characterized by flint, bone, and ivory implements, carving, and paintings
mage ['māj] -n
- magus
Mag·el·lan·ic Cloud [,ma-jə-'la-nik-, chiefly Brit ,ma-gə-] -n
- either of the two small galaxies that appear as conspicuous patches of light near the south celestial pole and are companions to the Milky Way galaxy
Magellanic penguin -n
- a penguin ( Spheniscus magellanicus) of the southern tip of So. America and surrounding islands that has a pink mark above the eyes and two broad black bands on the neck and upper chest
Ma·gen Da·vid ['mȯ-gən-'dȯ-vid, -'də-; 'mō-gən-'dā-vəd] -n
- a hexagram used as a symbol of Judaism
ma·gen·ta [mə-'jen-tə] -n
- fuchsin
- a deep purplish red
mag·got ['ma-gət] -n, adj
- a soft-bodied legless grub that is the larva of a dipterous insect (as the housefly)
- a fantastic or eccentric idea : whim
magi ['mā-gəs] -n
(variant of magus)
- a member of a hereditary priestly class among the ancient Medes and Persians
- one of the traditionally three wise men from the East paying homage to the infant Jesus
- magician, sorcerer
Ma·gi·an ['mā-jē-ən] -n
- magus
- of or relating to the Magi
mag·ic ['ma-jik] -n
- the use of means (as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces
- magic rites or incantations
- an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source
- something that seems to cast a spell : enchantment
- the art of producing illusions by sleight of hand
magic ['ma-ji-kəl] -adj, adv
- of or relating to magic
- having seemingly supernatural qualities or powers
- giving a feeling of enchantment
- to produce, remove, or influence by magic
magic bullet -n
- a substance or therapy capable of destroying pathogens (as bacteria or cancer cells) or providing an effective remedy for a disease or condition without deleterious side effects
- something providing an effective solution to a difficult or previously unsolvable problem
- a magic bullet to stem voter apathy
ma·gi·cian [mə-'ji-shən] -n
- one skilled in magic
- sorcerer
- one who performs tricks of illusion and sleight of hand
magic lantern -n
- an early form of optical projector of still pictures using a transparent slide
Magic Marker -trademark
- used for a felt-tipped pen
magic mushroom -n
- a fungus (as genus Psilocybe) containing hallucinogenic alkaloids (as psilocybin)
magic realism -n
- painting in a meticulously realistic style of imaginary or fantastic scenes or images
- a literary genre or style associated esp. with Latin America that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction called also magical realism
magic square -n
- a square containing a number of integers arranged so that the sum of the numbers is the same in each row, column, and main diagonal and often in some or all of the other diagonals
Ma·gi·not Line ['ma-zhə-,nō-, 'ma-jə-] -n
- a line of defensive fortifications built before World War II to protect the eastern border of France but easily outflanked by German invaders
- a defensive barrier or strategy that inspires a false sense of security
mag·is·te·ri·al [,ma-jə-'stir-ē-əl] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a master or teacher : authoritative
- marked by an overbearingly dignified or assured manner or aspect
- of, relating to, or required for a master's degree
- of or relating to a magistrate or a magistrate's office or duties
mag·is·te·ri·um [,ma-jə-'stir-ē-əm] -n
- teaching authority esp. of the Roman Catholic Church
mag·is·tra·cy ['ma-jə-strə-sē] -n
- the state of being a magistrate
- the office, power, or dignity of a magistrate
- a body of magistrates
- the district under a magistrate
ma·gis·tral ['ma-jə-strəl, mə-'jis-trəl] -adj, adv
- magisterial
mag·is·trate ['ma-jə-,strāt, -strət] -n, adj
- : an official entrusted with administration of the laws: as
- a principal official exercising governmental powers over a major political unit (as a nation)
- a local official exercising administrative and often judicial functions
- a local judiciary official having limited original jurisdiction esp. in criminal cases
magistrate's court -n
- police court
- a court that has minor civil and criminal jurisdiction
mag·is·tra·ture ['ma-jə-,strā-chər, -strə-,chu̇r] -n
- magistracy
mag·lev ['mag-lev] -n
- the use of the physical properties of magnetic fields generated by superconducting magnets to cause an object (as a vehicle) to float above a solid surface
- a train utilizing maglev technology
mag·ma ['mag-mə] -n, adj
- dregs, sediment
- a thin pasty suspension (as of a precipitate in water)
- molten rock material within the earth from which igneous rock results by cooling
Mag·na Car·ta ['mag-nə-'kär-tə] -n
- a charter of liberties to which the English barons forced King John to give his assent in June 1215 at Runnymede
- a document constituting a fundamental guarantee of rights and privileges
mag·na cum lau·de ['mäg-nə-(,)ku̇m-'lau̇-də, -'lau̇-dē; 'mag-nə-,kəm-'lȯ-dē] -adv or adj
- with great distinction
- graduated magna cum laude
mag·na·nim·i·ty [,mag-nə-'ni-mə-tē] -n
- the quality of being magnanimous : loftiness of spirit enabling one to bear trouble calmly, to disdain meanness and pettiness, and to display a noble generosity
- a magnanimous act
mag·nan·i·mous [mag-'na-nə-məs] -adj, adv, n
- showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit
- the irreproachable lives and magnanimous sufferings of their followers -- Joseph Addison
- showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind
- too sincere for dissimulation, too magnanimous for resentment -- Ellen Glasgow
mag·nate ['mag-,nāt, -nət] -n
- a person of rank, power, influence, or distinction often in a specified area
mag·ne·sia [mag-'nē-shə, -zhə] -n, adj
- magnesium oxide
mag·ne·site ['mag-nə-,sīt] -n
- native magnesium carbonate used esp. in making refractories and magnesium oxide
mag·ne·sium [mag-'nē-zē-əm, -zhəm] -n
- a silver-white malleable ductile light metallic element that occurs abundantly in nature and is used in metallurgical and chemical processes, in photography, signaling, and pyrotechnics because of the intense white light it produces on burning, and in construction esp. in the form of light alloys
magnesium carbonate -n
- a carbonate of magnesium
- a white crystalline salt MgCO 3that occurs naturally as dolomite and magnesite
magnesium chloride -n
- a bitter deliquescent salt MgCl 2used esp. as a source of magnesium metal
magnesium hydroxide -n
- a slightly alkaline crystalline compound Mg(OH) 2used esp. as a laxative and gastric antacid
magnesium oxide -n
- a white highly infusible compound MgO used esp. in refractories, cements, insulation, and fertilizers, in rubber manufacture, and in medicine as an antacid and mild laxative
magnesium sulfate -n
- : a sulfate of magnesium: as
- a white salt MgSO 4used in medicine and in industry
- epsom salts
mag·net ['mag-nət] -n
- lodestone
- a body having the property of attracting iron and producing a magnetic field external to itself
- a mass of iron, steel, or alloy that has this property artificially imparted
- something that attracts
magnet- -comb form
- magnetic force
- magnetism : magnetic
- magnetoelectric
- magnetosphere
mag·net·ic [mag-'ne-tik] -adj, adv
- possessing an extraordinary power or ability to attract
- of or relating to a magnet or to magnetism
- of, relating to, or characterized by the earth's magnetism
- magnetized or capable of being magnetized
- actuated by magnetic attraction
magnetic -n
- a magnetic substance
magnetic bubble -n
- a tiny movable magnetized cylindrical volume in a thin magnetic material that along with other like volumes can be used to represent a bit of information (as in a computer)
magnetic disk -n
- disk
magnetic equator -n
- an imaginary line roughly parallel to the geographical equator and passing through those points where a magnetic needle has no dip
magnetic field -n
- the portion of space near a magnetic body or a current-carrying body in which the magnetic forces due to the body or current can be detected
magnetic flux -n
- a measure of magnetic induction represented by lines of force
magnetic levitation -n
- maglev
magnetic mirror -n
- a magnetic field that confines a plasma by reflecting ions back toward the main plasma concentration
magnetic moment -n
- a vector quantity that is a measure of the torque exerted on a magnetic system (as a bar magnet or dipole) when placed in a magnetic field and that for a magnet is the product of the distance between its poles and the strength of either pole
magnetic north -n
- the northerly direction in the earth's magnetic field indicated by the north-seeking pole of a compass needle
magnetic pole -n
- either of two small regions which are located respectively in the polar areas of the northern and southern hemispheres and toward which a compass needle points from any direction throughout adjacent regions
- either of two comparable regions on a celestial body
- either of the poles of a magnet
magnetic quantum number -n
- an integer that expresses the component of the quantized angular momentum of an electron, atom, or molecule in the direction of an externally applied magnetic field
magnetic recording -n
- the process of recording sound, data (as for a computer), or a television program by producing varying local magnetization of a moving tape or disc
magnetic resonance -n
- the excitation of particles (as atomic nuclei or electrons) in a magnetic field by exposure to electromagnetic radiation of a specific frequency
magnetic resonance imaging -n
- a noninvasive diagnostic technique that produces computerized images of internal body tissues and is based on nuclear magnetic resonance of atoms within the body induced by the application of radio waves abbr. MRI
magnetic storm -n
- a marked temporary disturbance of the earth's magnetic field held to be related to sunspots
magnetic tape -n
- a thin ribbon (as of plastic) coated with a magnetic material on which information (as sound or television images) may be stored
mag·ne·tise ['mag-nə-,tīz] -vt, adj, n
(variant of magnetize)
- to induce magnetic properties in
- to attract like a magnet : charm
mag·ne·tism ['mag-nə-,ti-zəm] -n
- a class of physical phenomena that include the attraction for iron observed in lodestone and a magnet, are inseparably associated with moving electricity, are exhibited by both magnets and electric currents, and are characterized by fields of force
- a science that deals with magnetic phenomena
- an ability to attract or charm
mag·ne·tite ['mag-nə-,tīt] -n
- a black isometric mineral of the spinel group that is an oxide of iron and an important iron ore
mag·ne·ti·za·tion [,mag-nə-tə-'zā-shən] -n
- an instance of magnetizing or the state of being magnetized
- the degree to which a body is magnetized
mag·ne·tize ['mag-nə-,tīz] -vt, adj, n
- to induce magnetic properties in
- to attract like a magnet : charm
mag·ne·to [mag-'nē-(,)tō] -n
- a magnetoelectric machine
- an alternator with permanent magnets used to generate current for the ignition in an internal combustion engine
mag·ne·to·elec·tric [-,nē-tō-ə-'lek-trik, -,ne-] -adj
- relating to or characterized by electromotive forces developed by magnetic means
mag·ne·to·en·ceph·a·log·ra·phy [mag-,nē-tō-in-,se-fə-'lä-grə-fē, -,ne-] -n
- a noninvasive technique that detects and records the magnetic field associated with electrical activity in the brain
mag·ne·to·flu·id·dy·nam·ics [-,nē-tō-,flü-ə-dī-'na-miks, -,ne-, -də-'] -n pl but sing or pl in constr
- the study of magnetohydrodynamic phenomena
- magnetohydrodynamics
mag·ne·to·graph [-,graf] -n
- an automatic instrument for recording measurements of a magnetic field (as of the earth or the sun)
mag·ne·to·hy·dro·dy·nam·ic [mag-,nē-tō-,hī-drə-dī-'na-mik, -'ne-, -də-'] -adj, n pl but sing or pl in constr
- of, relating to, or being phenomena arising from the motion of electrically conducting fluids (as plasmas) in the presence of electric and magnetic fields
mag·ne·tom·e·ter [,mag-nə-'tä-mə-tər] -n, adj
- an instrument used to detect the presence of a metallic object or to measure the intensity of a magnetic field
mag·ne·to·mo·tive force [mag-,nē-tə-'mō-tiv-, -,ne-] -n
- a force that is the cause of a flux of magnetic induction
mag·ne·ton ['mag-nə-,tän] -n
- a unit of the quantized magnetic moment of a particle (as an atom)
mag·ne·toop·tic [mag-,nē-tō-'äp-tik, -,ne-] -adj, n pl but sing or pl in constr
- of, relating to, or utilizing the influence of a magnetic field upon light
- a magnetooptic disk drive
mag·ne·to·pause [mag-'nē-tə-,pȯz, -'ne-] -n
- the outer boundary of a magnetosphere
mag·ne·to·re·sis·tance [-,nē-tō-ri-'zis-tən(t)s, -,ne-] -n, adj
- a change in electrical resistance due to the presence of a magnetic field
mag·ne·to·sphere [mag-'nē-tə-,sfir, -'ne-] -n, adj
- a region of space surrounding a celestial object (as a planet or star) that is dominated by the object's magnetic field so that charged particles are trapped in it
mag·ne·to·stat·ic [mag-,nē-tō-'sta-tik, -,ne-] -adj
- of, relating to, or being a stationary magnetic field
mag·ne·to·stric·tion [-'strik-shən] -n, adj, adv
- the change in the dimensions of a ferromagnetic body caused by a change in its state of magnetization
mag·ne·tron ['mag-nə-,trän] -n
- a vacuum tube in which the flow of electrons is controlled by an applied magnetic field to generate power at microwave frequencies
magnet school -n
- a school with superior facilities and staff and often a specialized curriculum designed to attract pupils from throughout a city or school district
mag·nif·ic [mag-'ni-fik] -adj, adv
- magnificent
- imposing in size or dignity
- sublime, exalted
- characterized by grandiloquence : pompous
- commenced the conversation in the most magnific style -- S. T. Coleridge
mag·nif·i·cat [mag-'ni-fi-,kat, -,kät; män-'yi-fi-,kät] -n
- the canticle of the Virgin Mary in Luke 1:4655
- a musical setting for the Magnificat
- an utterance of praise
mag·ni·fi·ca·tion [,mag-nə-fə-'kā-shən] -n
- the act of magnifying
- the state of being magnified
- the apparent enlargement of an object by an optical instrument called also power
mag·nif·i·cence [mag-'ni-fə-sən(t)s, məg-] -n
- the quality or state of being magnificent
- splendor of surroundings
mag·nif·i·cent [-sənt] -adj, adv
- great in deed or exalted in place used only of former famous rulers
- marked by stately grandeur and lavishness
- a magnificent way of life
- sumptuous in structure and adornment
- strikingly beautiful or impressive
- impressive to the mind or spirit : sublime
- exceptionally fine
mag·nif·i·co [mag-'ni-fi-,kō] -n
- a nobleman of Venice
- a person of high position
mag·ni·fi·er ['mag-nə-,fī(-ə)r] -n
- one that magnifies
- a lens or combination of lenses that makes something appear larger
mag·ni·fy ['mag-nə-,fī] -vb
- extol, laud
- to cause to be held in greater esteem or respect
- to increase in significance : intensify
- exaggerate
- magnifies every minor issue to crisis proportions
- to enlarge in fact or in appearance
- to have the power of causing objects to appear larger than they are
mag·nil·o·quence [mag-'ni-lə-kwən(t)s] -n
- the quality or state of being magniloquent
mag·nil·o·quent [-kwənt] -adj, adv
- speaking in or characterized by a high-flown often bombastic style or manner
mag·ni·tude ['mag-nə-,tüd, -,tyüd] -n
- great size or extent
- spatial quality : size
- quantity, number
- the importance, quality, or caliber of something
- a number representing the intrinsic or apparent brightness of a celestial body on a logarithmic scale in which an increase of one unit corresponds to a reduction in the brightness of light by a factor of 2.512
- a numerical quantitative measure expressed usu. as a multiple of a standard unit
- the intensity of an earthquake represented by a number on an arbitrary scale
- a magnitude six earthquake
mag·no·lia [mag-'nōl-yə] -n
- any of a genus ( Magnoliaof the family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of American and Asian shrubs and trees with entire evergreen or deciduous leaves and usu. showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers usu. appearing in early spring
mag·num ['mag-nəm] -n
- a large wine bottle holding about 1.5 liters
Magnum -trademark
- used for revolvers
mag·num opus ['mag-nəm-'ō-pəs] -n
- a great work
- the greatest achievement of an artist or writer
mag·pie ['mag-,pī] -n
- any of various birds (esp. Pica pica) related to the jays but having a long graduated tail and black-and-white or brightly colored plumage
- a person who chatters noisily
- one who collects indiscriminately
magpie -adj
- collected indiscriminately : miscellaneous
- magpie compilations of unrelated tidbits -- Helen R. Cross
- given to indiscriminate collecting : acquisitive
- what possible magpie instinct had impelled me to retain them -- S. J. Perelman
mag tape ['mag-] -n
- magnetic tape
ma·guey [mə-'gā] -n
- any of various fleshy-leaved agaves (as the century plant)
- any of several hard fibers derived from magueys
- cantala
ma·gus ['mā-gəs] -n
- a member of a hereditary priestly class among the ancient Medes and Persians
- one of the traditionally three wise men from the East paying homage to the infant Jesus
- magician, sorcerer
Mag·yar ['mag-,yär, 'mäg-; 'mä-,jär] -n, adj
- a member of the dominant people of Hungary
- hungarian
ma·ha·ra·ja [,mä-hə-'rä-jə, -'rä-zhə] -n
- a Hindu prince ranking above a raja
ma·ha·ra·ni [-'rä-nē] -n
- the wife of a maharaja
- a Hindu princess ranking above a rani
ma·ha·ri·shi [,mä-hə-'rē-shē, -hä-, -'ri-] -n
- a Hindu teacher of mystical knowledge
ma·hat·ma [mə-'hät-mə, -'hat-] -n
- a person to be revered for high-mindedness, wisdom, and selflessness
- a person of great prestige in a field of endeavor
Ma·ha·ya·na [,mä-hə-'yä-nə] -n, n or adj, adj
- a liberal and theistic branch of Buddhism comprising sects chiefly in China and Japan, recognizing a large body of scripture in addition to the Pali canon, and teaching social concern and universal salvation
Mah·di ['mä-dē] -n
- the expected messiah of Muslim tradition
- a Muslim leader who assumes a messianic role
Ma·hi·can [mə-'hē-kən] -n
- a member of an American Indian people of the upper Hudson River valley
- the extinct Algonquian language of the Mahican people
ma·hi·ma·hi [,mä-hē-'mä-(,)hē] -n
- the flesh of a dolphinfish ( Coryphaena hippurus) used for food
- the fish
mahjongg [,mä-'zhäŋ, -'jäŋ, -'zhȯŋ, -'jȯŋ, 'mä-,] -n
- a game of Chinese origin usu. played by four persons with 144 tiles that are drawn and discarded until one player secures a winning hand
mahlstick ['mȯl-stik] -n
(variant of maulstick)
- a stick used by painters as a rest for the hand while working
ma·hoe [mə-'hō, 'mä-,] -n
- either of two tropical hibiscus trees ( Hibiscus elatusand H. tiliaceus)
ma·hog·a·ny [mə-'hä-gə-nē] -n
- : the wood of any of various chiefly tropical trees (family Meliaceae, the mahogany family):
- the durable yellowish-brown to reddish-brown usu. moderately hard and heavy wood of a West Indian tree ( Swietenia mahagoni) that is widely used for cabinetwork and fine finish work
- a wood similar to mahogany from a congeneric tropical American tree (esp. S. macrophylla)
- the rather hard heavy usu. odorless wood of any of several African trees (genus Khaya)
- the rather lightweight cedar-scented wood of any of several African trees (genus Entandrophragma) that varies in color from pinkish to deep reddish brown
- any of various woods resembling or substituted for mahogany obtained from trees of the mahogany family
- a tree that yields mahogany
- a moderate reddish brown
ma·ho·nia [mə-'hō-nē-ə] -n
- any of a genus ( Mahonia) of American and Asian shrubs (as the Oregon grape) of the barberry family
ma·hout [mə-'hau̇t] -n
- a keeper and driver of an elephant
ma huang ['mä-'hwäŋ] -n
- any of several eastern Asian ephedras (esp. Ephedra sinica) having stems and roots yielding ephedrine
- ephedra
maid ['mād] -n
- an unmarried girl or woman esp. when young : virgin
- maidservant
- a woman or girl employed to do domestic work
maid·en ['mā-dᵊn] -n
- an unmarried girl or woman : maid
- a former Scottish beheading device resembling the guillotine
- a horse that has never won a race
maiden -adj
- not married
- virgin
- never yet mated
- never having borne young
- of, relating to, or befitting a maiden
- first, earliest
- the maiden flight of a spacecraft
maid·en·hair fern [-,her-] -n
- any of a genus ( Adiantum) of ferns with delicate palmately branched fronds called also maidenhair
maidenhair tree -n
- ginkgo
maid·en·head ['mā-dᵊn-,hed] -n
- the quality or state of being a maiden : virginity
- hymen
maid·en·hood [-,hu̇d] -n
- the quality, state, or time of being a maiden
maid·en·li·ness [-lē-nəs] -n
- conduct or traits befitting a maiden
maid·en·ly [-lē] -adj
- of, resembling, or suitable to a maiden
maiden name -n
- the surname of a woman before she marries
maid·hood ['mād-,hu̇d] -n
- maidenhood
maidinwait·ing ['mād-ᵊn-'wā-tiŋ] -n
- a young woman of a queen's or princess's household appointed to attend her
Maid Mar·i·an [-'mer-ē-ən] -n
- a companion of Robin Hood in some forms of his legend
maid of honor
- an unmarried lady usu. of noble birth whose duty it is to attend a queen or a princess
- a bride's principal unmarried wedding attendant
maid·ser·vant ['mād-,sər-vənt] -n
- a female servant
ma·ieu·tic [mā-'yü-tik, mī-] -adj
- relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas from another
mail ['māl] -n
- payment, rent
- bag, wallet
- material sent or carried in the postal system
- a conveyance that transports mail
- e-mail
- a nation's postal system often used in pl.
- to send by mail : post
- armor made of metal links or sometimes plates
- a hard enclosing covering of an animal (as a tortoise)
mail·bag ['māl-,bag] -n
- a letter carrier's shoulder bag
- a pouch used in the shipment of mail
mail·box [-,bäks] -n
- a box at or near a dwelling for the occupant's mail
- a public box for deposit of outgoing mail
- a computer file in which e-mail is collected
mail carrier -n
- letter carrier
mail drop -n
- an address used in transmitting secret communications
- a receptacle or a slot for deposit of mail
mai·le ['mī-lē] -n
- a Pacific island vine ( Alyxia oliviformis) of the dogbane family with fragrant leaves and bark that are used for decoration and in Hawaii for leis
mailed fist -n
- a threat of armed or overbearing force
mail·er ['mā-lər] -n
- one that mails
- a container for mailing something
- something (as an advertisement) sent by mail
Mail·gram ['māl-,gram] -service mark
- used for a message sent by wire to a post office that delivers it to the addressee
mail·ing ['mā-liŋ] -n
- mail sent at one time to multiple addressees by a sender (as for promotional purposes)
Mail·lard reaction [mə-'lärd-, -'yär-] -n
- a nonenzymatic reaction between sugars and proteins that occurs upon heating and that produces browning of some foods (as meat and bread)
mail·lot [mī-'ō, mä-'yō] -n
- tights for dancers or gymnasts
- jersey
- a woman's one-piece bathing suit
mail·man ['māl-,man] -n
- a man who delivers mail called also postman
mail order [-,ȯr-dər] -n, adj
- an order for goods that is received and filled by mail
maim ['mām] -vt, n
- to commit the felony of mayhem upon
- to mutilate, disfigure, or wound seriously
- serious physical injury
- loss of a member of the body
- a serious loss
main ['mān] -n
- physical strength : force used in the phrase with might and main
- mainland
- high sea
- the chief part : essential point
- they are in the main well-trained
- a pipe, duct, or circuit which carries the combined flow of tributary branches of a utility system
- mainmast
- mainsail
- chief, principal
- fully exerted : sheer
- of or relating to a broad expanse (as of sea)
- connected with or located near the mainmast or mainsail
- expressing the chief predication in a complex sentence
main chance -n
- the best chance for personal or financial gain
- kept an eye on the main chance
Maine coon -n
- any of a breed of large long-haired domestic cats that have a very full tapered tail called also coon cat Maine cat
main·frame ['mān-,frām] -n
- a computer with its cabinet and internal circuits
- a large fast computer that can handle multiple tasks concurrently
main·land ['mān-,land, -lənd] -n
- a continent or the main part of a continent as distinguished from an offshore island or sometimes from a cape or peninsula
main·line ['mān-,līn] -vt
- to take by or as if by injecting into a principal vein
- to mainline a narcotic drug
mainline -adj
- being part of an established group
- being in the mainstream
main line -n
- a principal highway or railroad line
- a principal vein of the circulatory system
main·ly ['mān-lē] -adv
- in a forceful manner
- for the most part : chiefly
main man -n
- best male friend
- a man whose character or work is most admired
- most significant or important person
- chief
main·mast ['mān-,mast, -məst] -n
- a sailing ship's principal mast
mains ['mānz] -adj
- of or relating to utility distribution mains
main·sail ['mān-,sāl, 'mān(t)-səl] -n
- the principal sail on the mainmast
main sequence -n
- the group of stars that on a graph of spectrum versus luminosity forms a band comprising 90 percent of stellar types and that includes stars representative of the stages a normal star passes through during the majority of its lifetime
main·sheet ['mān-,shēt] -n
- a line by which the mainsail is trimmed and secured
main·spring ['mān-,spriŋ] -n
- the chief spring in a mechanism esp. of a watch or clock
- the chief or most powerful motive, agent, or cause
main·stay ['mān-,stā] -n
- a ship's stay extending from the maintop forward usu. to the foot of the foremast
- a chief support
main stem -n
- : a main trunk or channel: as
- the main course of a river or stream
- the main street of a city or town
main·stream ['mān-,strēm] -n, adj
- a prevailing current or direction of activity or influence
- to place (as a disabled child) in regular school classes
- to incorporate in the mainstream
Main Street ['mān-,strē-tər] -n
- the principal street of a small town
- the sections of a country centering about its small towns
- a place or environment characterized by materialistic self-complacent provincialism
- middle america
main·tain [mān-'tān, mən-] -vt, n, adj
- to keep in an existing state (as of repair, efficiency, or validity) : preserve from failure or decline
- to sustain against opposition or danger : uphold and defend
- to continue or persevere in : carry on, keep up
- couldn't maintain his composure
- to support or provide for
- sustain
- enough food to maintain life
- to affirm in or as if in argument : assert
- maintain ed that the earth is flat
main·te·nance ['mānt-nən(t)s, 'mān-tə-nən(t)s] -n
- the act of maintaining : the state of being maintained : support
- something that maintains
- the upkeep of property or equipment
- an officious or unlawful intermeddling in a legal suit by assisting either party with means to carry it on
main·top ['mān-,täp] -n
- a platform about the head of the mainmast of a square-rigged ship
maintop·mast [mān-'täp-,mast, -məst] -n
- a mast next above the mainmast
main yard -n
- the yard of a mainsail
mair ['mȯr] -adj
(variant of more)
- greater
- something more than she expected
- additional, further
- in addition
- moreover
- to a greater or higher degree often used with an adjective or adverb to form the comparative
- a greater quantity, number, or amount
- liked the idea better the more I thought about it
- something additional : an additional amount
- persons of higher rank
- additional persons or things or a greater amount
mai·son·ette [,mā-zə-'net, -sə-] -n
- a small house
- an apartment often on two floors
mai tai ['mī-,tī] -n
- a cocktail made with rum, curaao, orgeat, lime, and fruit juices
mai·tre d' [,mā-trə-'dē, ,me-, -tər-] -n
- maitre d'hotel, headwaiter
mai·tre d'ho·tel [,mā-trə-(,)dō-'tel, ,me-; ,māt-dō-, ,met-] -n
- majordomo
- headwaiter
- a sauce of butter, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice called also maitre d'hotel butter
maize ['māz] -n
- indian corn
Maj -abbr
- major
ma·jes·tic [mə-'jes-tik] -adj, adv
- having or exhibiting majesty : stately
maj·es·ty ['ma-jə-stē] -n
- sovereign power, authority, or dignity
- used in addressing or referring to reigning sovereigns and their consorts
- royal bearing or aspect : grandeur
- greatness or splendor of quality or character
Maj Gen -abbr
- major general
ma·jol·i·ca [mə-'jä-li-kə] -n
- earthenware covered with an opaque tin glaze and decorated on the glaze before firing
- an Italian ware of this kind
- a 19th century earthenware modeled in naturalistic shapes and glazed in lively colors
ma·jor ['mā-jər] -adj
- greater in dignity, rank, importance, or interest
- greater in number, quantity, or extent
- the major part of his work
- having attained majority
- notable or conspicuous in effect or scope : considerable
- prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree
- involving grave risk : serious
- of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization
- having half steps between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth degrees
- based on a major scale
- equivalent to the distance between the keynote and another tone (except the fourth and fifth) of a major scale
- having a major third above the root
major -n
- a person who has attained majority
- one that is superior in rank, importance, size, or performance
- economic power of the oil major s
- a major musical interval, scale, key, or mode
- a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a captain and below a lieutenant colonel
- an academic subject chosen as a field of specialization
- a student specializing in such a field
- major league baseball used with the
- any of several high-level tournaments in professional golf
- to pursue an academic major
major axis -n
- the axis passing through the foci of an ellipse
major depression -n
- major depressive disorder
- an episode of depression characteristic of major depressive disorder
major depressive disorder -n
- a mood disorder having a clinical course involving one or more episodes of serious psychological depression lasting two or more weeks each with no intervening episodes of mania
ma·jor·do·mo [,mā-jər-'dō-(,)mō] -n
- a head steward of a large household (as a palace)
- butler, steward
- a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another
- the person who runs an enterprise
- the majordomo of the fair
ma·jor·ette [,mā-jə-'ret] -n
- drum majorette
major general -n
- a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps who ranks above a brigadier general and whose insignia is two stars
major histocompatibility complex -n
- a group of genes in mammals that code for cell-surface polymorphic glycoprotein molecules which display antigenic peptide fragments for T cell recognition and aid in the ability of the immune system to determine self from nonself
ma·jor·i·tar·i·an [mə-,jȯr-ə-'ter-ē-ən, -,jär-] -n, adj
- a person who believes in or advocates majoritarianism
ma·jor·i·tar·i·an·ism [-ē-ə-,ni-zəm] -n
- the philosophy or practice according to which decisions of an organized group should be made by a numerical majority of its members
ma·jor·i·ty [mə-'jȯr-ə-tē, -'jär-] -n, adj
- the quality or state of being greater
- the age at which full civil rights are accorded
- the status of one who has attained this age
- a number or percentage equaling more than half of a total
- the excess of a majority over the remainder of the total : margin
- won by a majority of 10 votes
- the greater quantity or share
- the group or political party having the greater number of votes (as in a legislature)
- the military office, rank, or commission of a major
majority leader -n
- a leader of the majority party in a legislative body (as the U.S. Senate)
majority rule -n
- a political principle providing that a majority usu. constituted by fifty percent plus one of an organized group will have the power to make decisions binding upon the whole
major league -n, adj
- a league of highest classification in U.S. professional baseball
- a league of major importance in any of various sports
- big time
ma·jor·ly ['mā-jər-lē] -adv
- in a major way
- primarily
- extremely
majormedical -adj
- of, relating to, or being a form of insurance designed to pay all or part of the medical bills of major illnesses usu. after deduction of a fixed initial sum
major order -n
- one of the Roman Catholic or Eastern clerical orders that are sacramentally conferred and have a sacred character that implies major religious obligations (as clerical celibacy) usu. used in pl.
major party -n
- a political party having electoral strength sufficient to permit it to win control of a government usu. with comparative regularity and when defeated to constitute the principal opposition to the party in power
major penalty -n
- a 5-minute suspension of a player in ice hockey or lacrosse
major premise -n
- the premise of a syllogism containing the major term
major seminary -n
- a Roman Catholic seminary giving usu. the entire six years of senior college and theological training required for major orders
major suit -n
- either of the suits hearts or spades having superior scoring value in bridge
major term -n
- the term of a syllogism constituting the predicate of the conclusion
ma·jus·cule ['ma-jəs-,kyül, mə-'jəs-] -n, adj
- a large letter (as a capital)
makable ['mā-kə-bəl] -adj
(variant of makeable)
- capable of being made
- reasonably likely to be made
Ma·kah ['mä-(,)kä] -n
- a member of an American Indian people of the Pacific Northwest
- the Wakashan language of the Makah people
mak·ar ['mä-kər, 'mā-] -n
- poet
make ['māk] -vb
- behave, act
- to begin or seem to begin (an action)
- to cause to happen to or be experienced by someone
- to cause to exist, occur, or appear : create
- to favor the growth or occurrence of
- to fit, intend, or destine by or as if by creating
- to bring into being by forming, shaping, or altering material : fashion
- compose, write
- to lay out and construct
- to frame or formulate in the mind
- to put together from components : constitute
- to compute or estimate to be
- to form and hold in the mind
- to assemble and set alight the materials for (a fire)
- to set in order
- prepare, fix
- to shuffle (a deck of cards) in preparation for dealing
- to prepare (hay) by cutting, drying, and storing
- to cause to be or become
- appoint
- enact, establish
- to execute in an appropriate manner
- set, name
- shut
- the doors are made against you -- Shak.
- to cause (an electric circuit) to be completed
- to conclude as to the nature or meaning of something
- what do you make of this development?
- to regard as being
- not the fool some make him
- to carry out (an action indicated or implied by the object)
- to perform with a bodily movement
- to produce as a result of action, effort, or behavior with respect to something
- tried to make a thorough job of it
- to turn into another language by translation
- to cause to act in a certain way : compel
- to cause or assure the success or prosperity of
- can either make you or break you
- to amount to in significance
- make s a great difference
- to form the essential being of
- to form by an assembling of individuals
- to count as
- that make s the third time you've said it
- to be or be capable of being changed or fashioned into
- to develop into
- she will make a fine judge
- form
- reach, attain
- made port before the storm
often used with it - you'll never make it that far
- to gain the rank of
- to gain a place on or in
- the story made the papers
- to succeed in providing or obtaining
- to gain (as money) by working, trading, or dealing
- to act so as to earn or acquire
- to score in a game or sport
- to convert (a split) into a spare in bowling
- to succeed in holing
- to fulfill (a contract) in a card game
- to win a trick with (a card)
- to include in a route or itinerary
- make New York on the return trip
often used with it - catch
- made the bus just in time
- to persuade to consent to sexual intercourse : seduce
- to provide the most enjoyable or satisfying experience of
- meeting the star of the show really made our day
- to compose poetry
- behave, act
- to begin or seem to begin a certain action
- made as though to hand it to me
- to act so as to be or to seem to be
- to play a part usu. used with like
- set out, head
- to increase in height or size
- to reach or extend in a certain direction
- to have considerable effect
- courtesy make s for safer driving
- to undergo manufacture or processing
- the silk make s up beautifully
- the manner or style in which a thing is constructed
- brand
- the physical, mental, or moral constitution of a person
- the action of producing or manufacturing
- the actual yield or amount produced over a specified period : output
- the act of shuffling cards
- turn to shuffle
make·able ['mā-kə-bəl] -adj
- capable of being made
- reasonably likely to be made
make·bate ['māk-,bāt] -n
- one that excites contention and quarrels
makebe·lieve ['māk-bə-,lēv] -n
- a pretending that what is not real is real
- a fiction writer's childish willingness to immerse himself in makebelieve -- John Updike
makebelieve -adj
- imaginary, pretended
makedo ['māk-'dü] -adj, n
- makeshift
make·fast [-,fast] -n
- something (as a post or buoy) to which a boat can be fastened
make off -vi
- to leave in haste
makeorbreak ['māk-ər-'brāk] -adj
- allowing no middle ground between success and failure
make out -vt
- to complete (as a printed form) by supplying required information
- to find or grasp the meaning of
- tried to make out what had really happened
- to form an opinion or idea about : conclude
- to represent as being
- made them out to be losers
- to pretend to be true
- made out that he had never heard of me
- to represent or delineate in detail
- to see and identify with difficulty or effort : discern
- make out a ship through the fog
- get along, fare
- how are you making out with the new job
- to engage in sexual intercourse
- neck
make·over ['māk-,ō-vər] -n
- an act or instance of making over
- a makeover of the tax system
- a changing of a person's appearance (as by the use of cosmetics or a different hairdo)
make over -vt
- to transfer the title of (property)
- remake, remodel, redesign
- made the whole house over
- reform
mak·er ['mā-kər] -n
- : one that makes: as
- god
- poet
- a person who borrows money on a promissory note
- manufacturer
make·ready ['māk-,re-dē] -n
- final preparation (as of a form on a printing press) for running
make·shift ['māk-,shift] -n, adj
- a usu. crude and temporary expedient : substitute
make·up ['mā-,kəp] -n
- the way in which the parts or ingredients of something are put together : composition
- physical, mental, and moral constitution
- the operation of making up esp. pages for printing
- design or layout of printed matter
- cosmetics used to color and beautify the face
- a cosmetic applied to other parts of the body
- materials (as wigs and cosmetics) used in making up or in special costuming (as for a play)
- replacement
- material added (as in a manufacturing process) to replace material that has been used up
- something that makes up for a previous postponement, omission, failure, or deficiency
make up -vt
- to form by fitting together or assembling
- to arrange typeset matter in (as pages) for printing
- to combine to produce (a sum or whole)
- constitute, compose
- 10 chapters make up this volume
- to compensate for (as a deficiency or omission)
- make up the difference in lost pay
- to do or take in order to correct an omission
- settle, decide
- made up my mind to depart
- to wrap or fasten up
- make the books up into a parcel
- to prepare in physical appearance for a role
- to apply cosmetics to
- invent, improvise
- to set in order
- to become reconciled
- quarreled but later made up
- to act ingratiatingly and flatteringly
- made up to his aunt for a new bicycle
- to make advances : court
- compensate
- to put on costumes or makeup (as for a play)
- to apply cosmetics
make·weight ['māk-,wāt] -n
- something thrown into a scale to bring the weight to a desired value
- something of little independent value thrown in to fill a gap
- counterweight, counterpoise
makework ['māk-,wərk] -n
- work assigned or done chiefly to keep one busy
ma·ki·mo·no [,mä-ki-'mō-(,)nō] -n
- a horizontal Japanese ornamental pictorial or calligraphic scroll
making -n
- the act or process of forming, causing, doing, or coming into being
- spots problems in the making
- a process or means of advancement or success
- something made
- a quantity produced at one time : batch
- potentiality often used in pl.
- had the making s of a great artist
- the material from which something is to be made
- paper and tobacco for rolling cigarettes by hand
ma·ko shark ['mā-(,)kō-, 'mä-] -n
- either of two relatively slender mackerel sharks ( Isurus paucusand I. oxyrinchus) that are dark blue above and white below with long pointed snouts and that are notable sport fish called also mako
makuta [li-'kü-tə] -n
(variant of likuta)
- a former monetary unit equal to zaire
Mal -abbr
- Malachi
mal- -comb form
- bad
- badly
- abnormal
- abnormally
- inadequate
- inadequately
mal·ab·sorp·tion [,ma-ləb-'sȯrp-shən, -'zȯrp-] -n
- faulty absorption esp. of nutrient materials from the gastrointestinal tract
ma·lac·ca [mə-'la-kə] -adj, n
- made or consisting of the cane of an Asian rattan palm ( Calamus rotang)
- an umbrella with a malacca handle
Mal·a·chi ['ma-lə-,kī] -n
- a prophetic book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture
- used as the conventional name for the unidentified fifth century b.c. writer of the book of Malachi
Mal·a·chi·as [,ma-lə-'kī-əs] -n
- malachi
mal·a·chite ['ma-lə-,kīt] -n
- a green mineral that is a basic carbonate of copper used esp. for making ornamental objects
mal·a·col·o·gy [,ma-lə-'kä-lə-jē] -n, adj
- a branch of zoology dealing with mollusks
mal·a·cos·tra·can [,ma-lə-'käs-tri-kən] -n, adj
- any of a large subclass (Malacostraca) of crustaceans having a thorax consisting of eight segments usu. covered by a carapace and including the decapods and isopods
mal·ad·ap·ta·tion [,ma-,la-,dap-'tā-shən] -n
- poor or inadequate adaptation
mal·adapt·ed [,ma-lə-'dap-təd] -adj
- unsuited or poorly suited (as to a particular use, purpose, or situation)
mal·adap·tive [-tiv] -adj
- marked by poor or inadequate adaptation
- not conducive to adaptation
mal·ad·just·ed [,ma-lə-'jəs-təd] -adj
- poorly or inadequately adjusted
- lacking harmony with one's environment from failure to adjust one's desires to the conditions of one's life
mal·ad·jus·tive [-'jəs-tiv] -adj
- not conducive to adjustment
mal·ad·just·ment [-'jəs(t)-mənt] -n
- poor, faulty, or inadequate adjustment
mal·ad·min·is·tra·tion [,ma-ləd-,mi-nə-'strā-shən] -n, vt
- corrupt or incompetent administration (as of a public office)
- incorrect administration (as of a drug)
mal·adroit [,ma-lə-'drȯit] -adj, adv, n
- lacking adroitness : inept
mal·a·dy ['ma-lə-dē] -n
- a disease or disorder of the animal body
- an unwholesome or disordered condition
ma·la fi·de [,ma-lə-'fī-dē, -də] -adv or adj
- with or in bad faith
- claimed the government acted mala fide
Ma·la·ga ['ma-lə-gə] -n
- a sweet brown fortified wine from Malaga, Spain
- a similar wine made elsewhere
Mal·a·gasy [,ma-lə-'ga-sē; ,mä-lə-'gä-sē, -shē] -n, adj
- a member of a people of Indonesian and African origin who inhabit Madagascar
- the Austronesian language of the Malagasy people
ma·la·gue·na [,ma-lə-'gān-yə, ,mä-] -n
- a folk tune native to Malaga that is similar to a fandango
- a Spanish dance for couples that is similar to a fandango
mal·aise [mə-'lāz, ma-, -'lez] -n
- an indefinite feeling of debility or lack of health often indicative of or accompanying the onset of an illness
- a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being
- a malaise of cynicism and despair -- Malcolm Boyd
mal·a·mute ['ma-lə-,myüt, -,müt] -n
- a sled dog of northern No. America
- alaskan malamute
ma·lan·ga [mə-'läŋ-gə] -n
- taro
- yautia
mal·a·pert [,ma-lə-'pərt] -adj
- impudently bold : saucy
mal·ap·por·tioned [,ma-lə-'pȯr-shənd] -adj, n
- characterized by an inequitable or unsuitable apportioning of representatives to a legislative body
mal·a·prop ['ma-lə-,präp] -n
- an example of malapropism
- was famed for malaprop s: he always said polo bears and Remember Pearl Island and neon stockings -- Time
malaprop [,ma-lə-'prä-pē-ən] -adj
- using or marked by the use of malapropisms
mal·a·prop·ism ['ma-lə-,prä-,pi-zəm] -n
- the usu. unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase
- the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context
- malaprop
mal·ap·ro·pos [,ma-,la-prə-'pō] -adv, adj
- in an inappropriate or inopportune way
ma·lar ['mā-lər, -,lär] -adj
- of or relating to the cheek or the side of the head
malar -n
- zygomatic bone called also malar bone
ma·lar·ia [mə-'ler-ē-ə] -n, adj
- air infected with a noxious substance capable of causing disease
- miasma
- a human disease that is caused by sporozoan parasites (genus Plasmodium) in the red blood cells, is transmitted by the bite of anopheline mosquitoes, and is characterized by periodic attacks of chills and fever
- any of various diseases of birds and mammals caused by blood protozoans
ma·lar·i·ol·o·gy [-,ler-ē-'ä-lə-jē] -n
- the scientific study of malaria
ma·lar·key [mə-'lär-kē] -n
- insincere or foolish talk : bunkum
ma·late ['ma-,lāt, 'mā-] -n
- a salt or ester of malic acid
mal·a·thi·on [,ma-lə-'thī-ən, -,än] -n
- an organophosphate broad-spectrum insecticide C 10H 19O 6PS 2that is considerably less toxic to mammals than parathion
Ma·lay [mə-'lā, 'mā-(,)lā] -n, adj, n or adj
- a member of a people of the Malay Peninsula, eastern Sumatra, parts of Borneo, and some adjacent islands
- the Austronesian language of the Malays
Mal·a·ya·lam [,ma-lə-'yä-ləm, ,mä-] -n
- the Dravidian language of Kerala, southwest India, closely related to Tamil
mal·con·tent [,mal-kən-'tent] -n
- : a discontented person:
- one who bears a grudge from a sense of grievance or thwarted ambition
- one who is in active opposition to an established order or government : rebel
malcontent -adj
- dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs : discontented
mal·con·tent·ed [-'ten-təd] -adj, adv, n
- malcontent
mal de mer [,mal-də-'mer] -n
- seasickness
mal·dis·tri·bu·tion [,mal-,dis-trə-'byü-shən] -n
- bad or faulty distribution : undesirable inequality or unevenness of placement or apportionment (as of population, resources, or wealth) over an area or among members of a group
male ['māl] -n
- a male person : a man or a boy
- an individual that produces small usu. motile gametes (as spermatozoa or spermatozoids) which fertilize the eggs of a female
- a staminate plant
- of, relating to, or being the sex that produces gametes which fertilize the eggs of a female
- staminate
- having only staminate flowers and not producing fruit or seeds
- of, relating to, or characteristic of the male sex
- made up of usu. adult male individuals
- masculine
- designed with a projecting part for fitting into a corresponding female part
male alto -n
- countertenor
ma·le·ate ['mā-lē-,āt, -lē-ət] -n
- a salt or ester of maleic acid
mal·e·dict [,ma-lə-'dikt] -adj
- accursed
maledict -vt
- curse, execrate
mal·e·dic·tion [,ma-lə-'dik-shən] -n, adj
- curse, execration
mal·e·fac·tion [,ma-lə-'fak-shən] -n
- an evil deed : crime
mal·e·fac·tor ['ma-lə-,fak-tər] -n
- one who commits an offense against the law
- felon
- one who does ill toward another
male fern -n
- a fern ( Dryopteris filix-mas) producing an oleoresin used in expelling tapeworms
ma·lef·ic [mə-'le-fik] -adj
- having malignant influence : baleful
- malicious
ma·lef·i·cence [mə-'le-fə-sən(t)s] -n
- the act of committing harm or evil
- a harmful or evil act
- the quality or state of being maleficent
ma·lef·i·cent [-sənt] -adj
- working or productive of harm or evil : baleful
ma·le·ic acid [mə-'lē-ik-, -'lā-] -n
- a crystalline dicarboxylic acid C 4H 4O 4that is isomeric with fumaric acid and is used esp. in organic synthesis
maleic anhydride -n
- a caustic crystalline cyclic anhydride C 4H 2O 3used esp. in making resins
maleic hydrazide -n
- a crystalline cyclic hydrazide C 4H 4N 2O 2used to retard plant growth
male menopause -n
- andropause
malemute ['ma-lə-,myüt, -,müt] -n
(variant of malamute)
- a sled dog of northern No. America
- alaskan malamute
malepattern baldness -n
- typical hereditary baldness in the male characterized by loss of hair on the crown and temples
malester·ile ['māl-'ster-əl] -adj
- having male gametes lacking or nonfunctional
ma·lev·o·lence [mə-'le-və-lən(t)s] -n
- the quality or state of being malevolent
- malevolent behavior
ma·lev·o·lent [-lənt] -adj, adv
- having, showing, or arising from intense often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred
- productive of harm or evil
mal·fea·sance [,mal-'fē-zᵊn(t)s] -n
- wrongdoing or misconduct esp. by a public official
mal·for·ma·tion [,mal-fȯr-'mā-shən, -fər-] -n
- irregular, anomalous, abnormal, or faulty formation or structure
mal·formed [,mal-'fȯrmd] -adj
- characterized by malformation : badly or imperfectly formed : misshapen
mal·func·tion [,mal-'fəŋ(k)-shən] -vi, n
- to function imperfectly or badly : fail to operate normally
mal·gre [mal-'grā, 'mal-,] -prep
- despite
ma·lic ['ma-lik, 'mā-] -adj
- involved in and esp. catalyzing a reaction in which malic acid participates
malic acid -n
- a crystalline dicarboxylic acid C 4H 6O 5
- the levorotatory isomer of malic acid that is found in various fruits (as apples) and is formed as an intermediate in the Krebs cycle
mal·ice ['ma-ləs] -n
- desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another
- intent to commit an unlawful act or cause harm without legal justification or excuse
ma·li·cious [mə-'li-shəs] -adj, adv, n
- given to, marked by, or arising from malice
malicious mischief -n
- willful, wanton, or reckless damage to or destruction of another's property
ma·lign [mə-'līn] -adj, adv
- evil in nature, influence, or effect : injurious
- the malign effects of illicit drugs
- malignant, virulent
- having or showing intense often vicious ill will : malevolent
malign -vt
- to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about : speak evil of
ma·lig·nance [mə-'lig-nən(t)s] -n
- malignancy
ma·lig·nan·cy [-nən(t)-sē] -n
- the quality or state of being malignant
- exhibition (as by a tumor) of malignant qualities : virulence
- a malignant tumor
ma·lig·nant [mə-'lig-nənt] -adj, adv
- malcontent, disaffected
- evil in nature, influence, or effect : injurious
- passionately and relentlessly malevolent : aggressively malicious
- tending to produce death or deterioration
- tending to infiltrate, metastasize, and terminate fatally
malignant melanoma -n
- melanoma
ma·lig·ni·ty [mə-'lig-nə-tē] -n
- malignancy, malevolence
- an instance of malignant or malicious behavior or nature
ma·li·hi·ni [,mä-li-'hē-nē] -n
- a newcomer or stranger among the people of Hawaii
ma·lines [mə-'lēn] -n
- mechlin
- a fine stiff net with a hexagonal mesh that is usu. made of silk or rayon and that is often used for veils
ma·lin·ger [mə-'liŋ-gər] -vi, n
- to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work)
Ma·lin·ke [mə-'liŋ-kē] -n
- a member of a people of Mandingo affiliation widespread in the western part of Africa
- the language of the Malinke people
Ma·li·nois [,ma-lən-'wä] -n
- belgian malinois
mal·i·son ['ma-lə-sən, -zən] -n
- curse, malediction
mal·kin ['mȯ(l)-kən, 'mal-] -n
- an untidy woman : slattern
- cat
- hare
mall ['mȯl, esp Brit & for 1 'mal] -n
- an alley used for pall-mall
- a usu. public area often set with shade trees and designed as a promenade or as a pedestrian walk
- a usu. paved or grassy strip between two roadways
- an urban shopping area featuring a variety of shops surrounding a usu. open-air concourse reserved for pedestrian traffic
- a usu. large suburban building or group of buildings containing various shops with associated passageways
mal·lard ['ma-lərd] -n
- a common and widely distributed wild duck ( Anas platyrhynchos) of the northern hemisphere the males of which have a green head and white-ringed neck and which is the source of the domestic ducks
mal·lea·ble ['ma-lē-ə-bəl, 'mal-yə-bəl, 'ma-lə-bəl] -adj, n
- capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer or by the pressure of rollers
- capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences
- having a capacity for adaptive change
mal·lee ['ma-lē] -n
- any of various low-growing shrubby Australian eucalypts (as Eucalyptus dumosaand E. oleosa)
- a dense thicket or growth of mallees
- land covered by such growth
mal·let ['ma-lət] -n
- : a hammer with a typically barrel-shaped head: as
- a tool with a large head for driving another tool or for striking a surface without marring it
- a long-handled wooden implement used for striking a ball (as in polo or croquet)
- a light hammer with a small rounded or spherical usu. padded head used in playing certain musical instruments (as a vibraphone)
mal·le·us ['ma-lē-əs] -n
- the outermost of a chain of three small bones of the mammalian middle ear called also hammer
mal·low ['ma-(,)lō] -n
- any of a genus ( Malvaof the family Malvaceae, the mallow family) of herbs with palmately lobed or dissected leaves, usu. showy flowers, and a disk-shaped fruit
malm·sey ['mäm-zē, 'mälm-] -n
- the sweetest variety of Madeira wine
mal·nour·ished [,mal-'nər-isht, -'nə-risht] -adj
- undernourished
mal·nu·tri·tion [,mal-nu̇-'tri-shən, -nyu̇-] -n
- faulty nutrition due to inadequate or unbalanced intake of nutrients or their impaired assimilation or utilization
mal·oc·clu·sion [,ma-lə-'klü-zhən] -n
- improper occlusion
- abnormality in the coming together of teeth
mal·odor [,mal-'ō-dər] -n
- an offensive odor
mal·odor·ous [-'ō-də-rəs] -adj, adv, n
- having a bad odor
- highly improper
- malodorous practices and chicanery in high financial places -- New Republic
ma·lo·lac·tic [,ma-lō-'lak-tik, ,mā-] -adj
- relating to or involved in the bacterial conversion of malic acid to lactic acid in wine
Mal·pi·ghi·an corpuscle [mal-'pi-gē-ən-, -'pē-] -n
- the part of a nephron that consists of a glomerulus and Bowman's capsule called also Malpighian body
Malpighian layer -n
- the deeper part of the epidermis consisting of cells whose protoplasm has not yet changed into horny material
Malpighian tubule -n
- any of a group of long blind vessels opening into the posterior part of the alimentary canal in most insects and some other arthropods and functioning primarily as excretory organs called also Malpighian tube
mal·po·si·tion [,mal-pə-'zi-shən] -n
- wrong or faulty position
mal·prac·tice [,mal-'prak-təs] -n
- a dereliction of professional duty or a failure to exercise an ordinary degree of professional skill or learning by one (as a physician) rendering professional services which results in injury, loss, or damage
- an injurious, negligent, or improper practice : malfeasance
mal·prac·ti·tio·ner [,mal-prak-'ti-sh(ə-)nər] -n
- one who engages in or commits malpractice
MALS -abbr
- master of arts in liberal studies
- master of arts in library science
malt ['mȯlt] -n, adj
- grain (as barley) softened by steeping in water, allowed to germinate, and used esp. in brewing and distilling
- malt liquor
- malted milk
- to convert into malt
- to make or treat with malt or malt extract
- to become malt
- to make grain into malt
malt·ase ['mȯl-,tās, -,tāz] -n
- an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of maltose to glucose
malted milk -n
- a soluble powder prepared from dried milk and malted cereals
- a beverage made by dissolving malted milk in milk and usu. adding ice cream and flavoring called also malted
Mal·tese [mȯl-'tēz, -'tēs] -n, adj
- a native or inhabitant of Malta
- the Semitic language of the Maltese people
- any of a breed of toy dogs with a long silky white coat, a black nose, and very dark eyes
Maltese cross -n
- a cross formee
- a cross that resembles the cross formee but has the outer face of each arm indented in a V
- a Eurasian herb ( Lychnis chalcedonica) of the pink family cultivated for its usu. scarlet flowers
Mal·thu·sian [mal-'thü-zhən, mȯl-, -'thyü-] -adj, n
- of or relating to Malthus or to his theory that population tends to increase at a faster rate than its means of subsistence and that unless it is checked by moral restraint or disaster (as disease, famine, or war) widespread poverty and degradation inevitably result
malt liquor -n
- a fermented liquor (as beer) made with malt
malto·dex·trin [,mȯl-tō-'dek-strən] -n
- any of various carbohydrates derived from the partial hydrolysis of starch (as of corn or potatoes) and used in prepared foods esp. as a filler and to enhance texture and flavor
malt·ose ['mȯl-,tōs, -,tōz] -n
- a crystalline dextrorotatory fermentable sugar C 12H 22O 11formed esp. from starch by amylase
mal·treat [,mal-'trēt] -vt, n
- to treat cruelly or roughly : abuse
malt·ster ['mȯlt-stər] -n
- a maker of malt
malt sugar -n
- maltose
malt whiskey -n
- scotch
mal·va·sia [,mal-və-'zē-ə, -'sē-] -n
- a medium to large cultivated grape of Mediterranean regions that is often blended with other grape varieties to produce aromatic dry or sweet wines
mal·ver·sa·tion [,mal-vər-'sā-shən] -n
- misbehavior and esp. corruption in an office, trust, or commission
- corrupt administration
mal·ware ['mal-,wer] -n
- software designed to interfere with a computer's normal functioning
ma·ma ['mä-mə, chiefly Brit mə-'mä] -n
- mother
- wife, woman
mama's boy -n
- a usu. polite or timid boy or man who is extremely or excessively close to and solicitous of his mother
mam·ba ['mäm-bə, 'mam-] -n
- any of several chiefly arboreal venomous green or black elapid snakes (genus Dendroaspis) of sub-Saharan Africa
mam·bo ['mäm-(,)bō] -n, vi
- a ballroom dance of Cuban origin that resembles the rumba and the cha-cha
- the music for this dance
ma·mey [ma-'mē] -n
- an evergreen tree ( Mammea americanaof the family Guttiferae) native to the West Indies and tropical America that has an ovoid fruit with thick russet leathery rind and yellow or reddish juicy sweet flesh
- the fruit
Mam·luk ['mam-,lük] -n
- a member of a politically powerful Egyptian military class occupying the sultanate from 1250 to 1517
- a white or east Asian slave in Muslim countries
mam·ma ['ma-mə] -n
- a mammary gland and its accessory parts
mam·mal ['ma-məl] -n, adj or n
- any of a class (Mammalia) of warm-blooded higher vertebrates (as placentals, marsupials, or monotremes) that nourish their young with milk secreted by mammary glands, have the skin usu. more or less covered with hair, and include humans
mam·mal·o·gy [mə-'ma-lə-jē, ma-'ma-, -'mä-] -n
- a branch of zoology dealing with mammals
mam·ma·ry ['ma-mə-rē] -adj
- of, relating to, lying near, or affecting the mammae
mammary gland -n
- any of the large compound modified sebaceous glands that in female mammals are modified to secrete milk, are situated ventrally in pairs, and usu. terminate in a nipple
mam·mer -vi
- waver, hesitate
mam·mil·la·ry ['ma-mə-,ler-ē, ma-'mi-lə-rē] -adj
- of, relating to, or resembling the breasts
- studded with breast-shaped protuberances
mam·mil·lat·ed ['ma-mə-,lā-təd] -adj
- having nipples or small protuberances
- having the form of a bluntly rounded protuberance
mam·mock ['ma-mək] -n
- a broken piece : scrap
mammock -vt
- to tear into fragments : mangle
mam·mo·gram ['ma-mə-,gram] -n
- a photograph of the breasts made by X-rays
- the procedure for producing a mammogram
mam·mog·ra·phy [ma-'mä-grə-fē] -n, adj
- X-ray examination of the breasts (as for early detection of cancer)
mam·mon ['ma-mən] -n
- material wealth or possessions esp. as having a debasing influence
- you cannot serve God and mammon -- Mt 6:24(RSV)
mam·mon·ist [-mə-nist] -n
- one devoted to the ideal or pursuit of wealth
mam·moth ['ma-məth] -n
- any of a genus ( Mammuthus) of extinct Pleistocene mammals of the elephant family distinguished from recent elephants by highly ridged molars, usu. large size, very long tusks that curve upward, and well-developed body hair
- something immense of its kind
mammoth -adj
- of very great size
mam·my ['ma-mē] -n
- mama
- a black woman serving as a nurse to white children esp. formerly in the southern U.S.
man ['man, in compounds ,man or mən] -n, adj
- an individual human
- an adult male human
- a man belonging to a particular category (as by birth, residence, membership, or occupation) usu. used in combination
- husband
- lover
- the human race : humankind
- a bipedal primate mammal ( Homo sapiens) that is anatomically related to the great apes but distinguished esp. by notable development of the brain with a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning, is usu. considered to form a variable number of freely interbreeding races, and is the sole living representative of the hominid family
- any living or extinct hominid
- one possessing in high degree the qualities considered distinctive of manhood
- the quality or state of being manly : manliness
- fellow, chap used as mode of familiar address
- used interjectionally to express intensity of feeling
- individual, person
- a man could get killed there
- the individual who can fulfill or who has been chosen to fulfill one's requirements
- a feudal tenant : vassal
- an adult male servant
- the working force as distinguished from the employer and usu. the management
- one of the distinctive objects moved by each player in various board games
- one of the players on a team
- an alumnus of or student at a college or university
- the compound idea of infinite Spirit : the spiritual image and likeness of God : the full representation of Mind
- police
- when I heard the siren, I knew it was the Man -- Amer. Speech
- the white establishment : white society
- surprise that any black...should take on so about The Man -- Peter Goldman
- one extremely fond of or devoted to something specified
- strictly a vanilla ice cream man
- to supply with people (as for service)
- to station members of a ship's crew at
- to serve in the force or complement of
- to accustom (as a hawk) to humans and the human environment
- to furnish with strength or powers of resistance : brace
- manual
Man -abbr
- Manitoba
ma·na ['mä-nə] -n
- the power of the elemental forces of nature embodied in an object or person
- moral authority : prestige
manabouttown [,man-ə-,bau̇t-'tau̇n] -n
- a worldly and socially active man
man·a·cle ['ma-ni-kəl] -n
- a shackle for the hand or wrist : handcuff usu. used in pl.
- something used as a restraint
manacle [-k(ə-)liŋ] -vt
- to confine (the hands) with manacles
- to make fast or secure : bind
- to restrain from movement, progress, or action
man·age ['ma-nij] -vb
- : to handle or direct with a degree of skill: as
- to make and keep compliant
- to treat with care : husband
- managed his resources carefully
- to exercise executive, administrative, and supervisory direction of
- to work upon or try to alter for a purpose
- to succeed in accomplishing : contrive
- managed to escape from prison
- to direct the professional career of
- an agency that manage s entertainers
- to direct or carry on business or affairs
- to direct a baseball team
- to admit of being carried on
- to achieve one's purpose
manage -n
- the action and paces of a trained riding horse
- the schooling or handling of a horse
- a riding school
- management
man·age·able ['ma-ni-jə-bəl] -adj, n, adv
- capable of being managed
managed care -n
- a system of health care (as by an HMO or PPO) that controls costs by placing limits on physicians' fees and by restricting the patient's choice of physicians
man·age·ment ['ma-nij-mənt] -n, adj
- the act or art of managing : the conducting or supervising of something (as a business)
- judicious use of means to accomplish an end
- the collective body of those who manage or direct an enterprise
man·ag·er ['ma-ni-jər] -n, adj, adv
- : one that manages: as
- a person who conducts business or household affairs
- a person whose work or profession is management
- a person who directs a team or athlete
- a student who in scholastic or collegiate sports supervises equipment and records under the direction of a coach
man·ag·er·ess ['ma-ni-jə-rəs] -n
- a woman who is a manager
managing editor -n
- an editor in executive and supervisory charge of all editorial activities of a publication (as a newspaper)
ma·a·na [mən-'yä-nə] -n
- an indefinite time in the future
maana -adv
- at an indefinite time in the future
man ape -n
- great ape
- any of various fossil primates intermediate in characters between recent humans and the great apes
Ma·nas·seh [mə-'na-sə] -n
- a son of Joseph and the traditional eponymous ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel
- a king of Judah reigning in the seventh century b.c.and noted for his attempt to establish polytheism
manatarms [,man-ət-'ärmz] -n
- soldier
- a heavily armed and usu. mounted soldier
man·a·tee ['ma-nə-,tē] -n
- any of a genus ( Trichechusof the family Trichechidae) of chiefly tropical aquatic sirenian mammals that differ from the related dugong esp. in having the tail rounded
Man·ches·ter terrier ['man-,ches-tər-, -chə-stər-] -n
- any of a breed of small short-haired black-and-tan terriers developed in England
manchild ['man-,chī(-ə)ld] -n
- a male child : son
man·chi·neel [,man-chə-'nēl] -n
- a poisonous tropical American tree ( Hippomane mancinella) of the spurge family having a blistering milky juice and apple-shaped fruit
Man·chu ['man-(,)chü, man-'] -n, adj
- a member of an indigenous people of Manchuria who conquered China and established a dynasty there in 1644
- the Tungusic language of the Manchu people
man·ci·ple ['man(t)-sə-pəl] -n
- a steward or purveyor esp. for a college or monastery
MA -abbr
- mergers and acquisitions
Man·dae·an [man-'dē-ən] -n, adj
- a member of a Gnostic sect of the lower Tigris and Euphrates regions
- a form of Aramaic found in documents written by Mandaeans
man·da·la ['mən-də-lə] -n, adj
- a Hindu or Buddhist graphic symbol of the universe
- a circle enclosing a square with a deity on each side that is used chiefly as an aid to meditation
- a graphic and often symbolic pattern usu. in the form of a circle divided into four separate sections or bearing a multiple projection of an image
man·da·mus [man-'dā-məs] -n
- a writ issued by a superior court commanding the performance of a specified official act or duty
Man·dan ['man-,dan, -dən] -n
- a member of an American Indian people of the Missouri River valley in No. Dakota
- the Siouan language of the Mandans
man·da·rin ['man-d(ə-)rən] -n, adj
- a public official in the Chinese Empire of any of nine superior grades
- a pedantic official
- bureaucrat
- a person of position and influence often in intellectual or literary circles
- an elder and often traditionalist or reactionary member of such a circle
- a form of spoken Chinese used by the court and the official classes of the Empire
- the group of closely related Chinese dialects that are spoken in about four fifths of the country and have a standard variety centering about Beijing
- a small spiny orange tree ( Citrus reticulata) of southeastern Asia with yellow to reddish-orange loose-rinded fruits
- a tree (as the satsuma) developed in cultivation from the mandarin by artificial selection or hybridization
- the fruit of a mandarin
mandarin -adj
- of, relating to, or typical of a mandarin
- marked by polished ornate complexity of language
man·da·rin·ate ['man-d(ə-)rə-,nāt] -n
- the office or status of a mandarin
- a body of mandarins
- rule by mandarins
mandarin collar -n
- a narrow stand-up collar usu. open in front
mandarin orange -n
- mandarin
man·da·tary ['man-də-,ter-ē] -n
- mandatory
man·date ['man-,dāt] -n
- an authoritative command
- a formal order from a superior court or official to an inferior one
- an authorization to act given to a representative
- accepted the mandate of the people
- an order or commission granted by the League of Nations to a member nation for the establishment of a responsible government over a former German colony or other conquered territory
- a mandated territory
mandate -vt
- to administer or assign (as a territory) under a mandate
- to make mandatory : order
- direct, require
man·da·tor ['man-,dā-tər] -n
- one that gives a mandate
man·da·to·ry ['man-də-,tȯr-ē] -adj, adv
- containing or constituting a command : obligatory
- the mandatory retirement age
- of, by, relating to, or holding a League of Nations mandate
mandatory -n
- one given a mandate
- a nation holding a mandate from the League of Nations
manday ['man-'dā] -n
- a unit of one day's work by one person
Man·de ['män-,dā, män-'] -n
- mandingo
- a branch of the Niger-Congo language family spoken primarily in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Burkina Faso
Man·del·brot set ['man-dəl-,brät-, -,brȯt-] -n
- a fractal that when plotted on a computer screen roughly resembles a series of heart-shaped disks to which smaller disks are attached and that consists of a connected set of all points cin the complex plane for which the recursive expression z n +1= z n 2+ cfor n= 0, 1, 2, 3,...with the starting value z 0= 0 remains bounded as napproaches infinity
man·di·ble ['man-də-bəl] -n, adj
- jaw
- a lower jaw consisting of a single bone or of completely fused bones
- the lower jaw with its investing soft parts
- either the upper or lower segment of the bill of a bird
- any of various invertebrate mouthparts serving to hold or bite food materials
- either member of the anterior pair of mouth appendages of an arthropod often forming strong biting jaws
Man·din·go [man-'diŋ-(,)gō] -n
- a member of a people of western Africa in or near the upper Niger valley
- the language of the Mandingo
Man·din·ka [man-'diŋ-kə] -n
- malinke
mandioca ['ma-nē-,äk] -n
(variant of manioc)
- cassava
man·do·la [man-'dō-lə] -n
- a 16th and 17th century lute that is the ancestor of the smaller mandolin
man·do·lin [,man-də-'lin, 'man-də-lən] -n
- a musical instrument of the lute family that has a usu. pear-shaped body and fretted neck and four to six pairs of strings
- a kitchen utensil with a blade for slicing and shredding
man·drag·o·ra [man-'dra-gə-rə] -n
- mandrake
man·drake ['man-,drāk] -n
- a Mediterranean herb ( Mandragora officinarum) of the nightshade family with large ovate leaves, greenish-yellow or purple flowers, and a large usu. forked root resembling a human in form and formerly credited with magical properties
- the root of a mandrake formerly used esp. to promote conception, as a cathartic, or as a narcotic and soporific
- mayapple
man·drel ['man-drəl] -n
- a usu. tapered or cylindrical axle, spindle, or arbor inserted into a hole in a piece of work to support it during machining
- a metal bar that serves as a core around which material (as metal) may be cast, molded, forged, bent, or otherwise shaped
- the shaft and bearings on which a tool (as a circular saw) is mounted
man·drill ['man-drəl] -n
- a large baboon ( Mandrillus sphinxsyn. Papio sphinx) of central Africa west of the Congo River with the male having a bright red and blue muzzle
mane ['mān] -n, adj
- long and heavy hair growing about the neck and head of some mammals (as horses and lions)
- long heavy hair on a person's head
maneat·er ['man-,ē-tər] -n, adj
- : one that has or is thought to have an appetite for human flesh: as
- cannibal
- mackerel shark
- great white shark called also man-eater shark man-eating shark
- a large feline (as a lion or tiger) that has acquired the habit of feeding on human flesh
maned wolf -n
- a yellowish-red wild canid ( Chrysocyon brachyurus) of So. American grasslands having black coloration on the nape and lower legs
ma·nege [ma-'nezh, mə-, -'nāzh] -n
- a school for teaching horsemanship and for training horses
- the art of horsemanship or of training horses
- the movements or paces of a trained horse
ma·nes ['mä-,nās, 'mā-,nēz] -n pl
- the deified spirits of the ancient Roman dead honored with graveside sacrifices
- the venerated or appeased spirit of a dead person
ma·neu·ver [mə-'nü-vər, -'nyü-] -n
- a military or naval movement
- an armed forces training exercise
- an extended and large-scale training exercise involving military and naval units separately or in combination often used in pl.
- a procedure or method of working usu. involving expert physical movement
- evasive movement or shift of tactics
- an intended and controlled variation from a straight and level flight path in the operation of an airplane
- an action taken to gain a tactical end
- an adroit and clever management of affairs often using trickery and deception
maneuver [-'nü-və-riŋ, -'nyü-; -'n(y)üv-riŋ] -vb, n, adj
- to perform a movement in military or naval tactics in order to secure an advantage
- to make a series of changes in direction and position for a specific purpose
- to use stratagems : scheme
- to cause to execute tactical movements
- to manage into or out of a position or condition : manipulate
- to guide with adroitness and design
- to bring about or secure as a result of skillful management
manforman [,man-fər-'man] -adj
- man-to-man
man Friday -n
- an efficient and devoted aide or employee : a right-hand man
man·ful ['man-fəl] -adj, adv, n
- having or showing courage and resolution
man·ga ['mäŋ-gə] -n
- a Japanese comic book or graphic novel
man·ga·bey ['maŋ-gə-(,)bē] -n
- any of a genus ( Cercocebus) of slender long-tailed African monkeys
mangan- -comb form
- manganese
man·ga·nate ['maŋ-gə-,nāt] -n
- a salt containing manganese in the anion MnO 4
- manganite
man·ga·nese ['maŋ-gə-,nēz, -,nēs] -n, adj
- a grayish-white usu. hard and brittle metallic element that resembles iron but is not magnetic and is used esp. in alloys, batteries, and plant fertilizers
manganese dioxide -n
- a dark insoluble compound MnO 2used esp. as an oxidizing agent, as a depolarizer of dry cells, and in making glass and ceramics
man·gan·ic [man-'ga-nik, maŋ-] -adj
- of, relating to, or derived from manganese
- containing this element with a valence of three or six
man·ga·nite ['maŋ-gə-,nīt] -n
- a metallic gray to black mineral MnO(OH) that is a hydroxide and minor ore of manganese
- any of various unstable salts made by reaction of manganese dioxide with a base
man·ga·nous [-nəs] -adj
- of, relating to, or derived from manganese
- containing this element with a valence of two
mange ['mānj] -n
- any of various persistent contagious skin diseases marked esp. by eczematous inflammation and loss of hair, affecting domestic animals or sometimes humans, and caused by a minute parasitic mite
man·gel ['maŋ-gəl] -n
- a large coarse yellow- to reddish-orange beet grown chiefly as food for cattle
man·gelwur·zel [-,wər-zəl] -n
- mangel
man·ger ['mān-jər] -n
- a trough or open box in a stable designed to hold feed or fodder for livestock
man·gle ['maŋ-gəl] -vt, n
- to injure with deep disfiguring wounds by cutting, tearing, or crushing
- people... mangled by sharks -- V. G. Heiser
- to spoil, injure, or make incoherent esp. through ineptitude
- a story mangled beyond recognition
mangle -n
- a machine for ironing laundry by passing it between heated rollers
- to press or smooth (as damp linen) with a mangle
man·go ['maŋ-(,)gō] -n
- a tropical usu. large ovoid or oblong fruit with a firm yellowish-red skin, hard central stone, and juicy aromatic pulp
- an evergreen tree ( Mangifera indica) of the cashew family that bears mangoes
- sweet pepper
man·go·nel ['maŋ-gə-,nel] -n
- a military engine formerly used to throw missiles
man·go·steen ['maŋ-gə-,stēn] -n
- a dark reddish-purple fruit of southeastern Asia with a thick rind and juicy flesh having a flavor suggestive of both peach and pineapple
- a tree ( Garcinia mangostana) of the Saint-John's-wort family that bears mangosteens
man·grove ['man-,grōv, 'maŋ-] -n
- any of a genus ( Rhizophora,esp. R. mangleof the family Rhizophoraceae) of tropical maritime trees or shrubs that send out many prop roots and form dense masses important in coastal land building and as foundations of unique ecosystems
- any of numerous trees (as of the genera Avicenniaof the vervain family or Sonneratiaof the family Sonneratiaceae) with growth habits like those of the true mangroves
mangy ['mān-jē] -adj, n
- affected with or resulting from mange
- having many worn or bare spots
- seedy, shabby
man·han·dle ['man-,han-dᵊl] -vt
- to handle roughly
- to move or manage by human force
- manhandled the posts into place
man·hat·tan [man-'ha-tᵊn, mən-] -n
- a cocktail consisting of vermouth, whiskey, and sometimes a dash of bitters
Manhattan clam chowder -n
- chowder made with chopped clams, tomatoes, vegetables, and seasonings
man·hole ['man-,hōl] -n
- a hole through which one may go esp. to gain access to an underground or enclosed structure
man·hood ['man-,hu̇d] -n
- the condition of being a human being
- qualities associated with men : manliness
- the condition of being an adult male as distinguished from a child or female
- adult males : men
- penis
manhour ['man-'au̇(-ə)r] -n
- a unit of one hour's work by one person that is used esp. as a basis for cost accounting and wages
man·hunt ['man-,hənt] -n
- an organized and usu. intensive hunt for a person and esp. for one charged with a crime
ma·nia ['mā-nē-ə, -nyə] -n
- excitement manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood
- the manic phase of bipolar disorder
- excessive or unreasonable enthusiasm
- a mania for saving things
often used in combination - the object of such enthusiasm
ma·ni·ac ['mā-nē-,ak] -n
- madman, lunatic
- a person characterized by an inordinate or ungovernable enthusiasm for something
ma·ni·a·cal [mə-'nī-ə-kəl] -adj, adv
- affected with or suggestive of madness
- characterized by ungovernable excitement or frenzy : frantic
man·ic ['ma-nik] -adj, n, adv
- affected with, relating to, characterized by, or resulting from mania
manic depression -n
- bipolar disorder
man·icde·pres·sive [,ma-nik-di-'pre-siv] -adj, n
- characterized by or affected with either mania or depression or alternating mania and depression (as in bipolar disorder)
manicdepressive illness -n
- bipolar disorder
Man·i·chae·an [,ma-nə-'kē-ən] -n, adj
- a believer in a syncretistic religious dualism originating in Persia in the third century a.d.and teaching the release of the spirit from matter through asceticism
- a believer in religious or philosophical dualism
man·i·cot·ti [,ma-nə-'kä-tē] -n
- tubular pasta shells that may be stuffed with ricotta or a meat mixture
- a dish of stuffed manicotti usu. with tomato sauce
man·i·cure ['ma-nə-,kyu̇r] -n
- manicurist
- a treatment for the care of the hands and fingernails
manicure -vt
- to do manicure work on
- to trim and polish the fingernails of
- to trim closely and evenly
- groom
man·i·cur·ist [-,kyu̇r-ist] -n
- a person who gives manicures
man·i·fest ['ma-nə-,fest] -adj, adv
- readily perceived by the senses and esp. by the sight
- easily understood or recognized by the mind : obvious
manifest -vt, n
- to make evident or certain by showing or displaying
- manifestation, indication
- manifesto
- a list of passengers or an invoice of cargo for a vehicle (as a ship or plane)
man·i·fes·tant [,ma-nə-'fes-tənt] -n
- a person who makes or participates in a manifestation
man·i·fes·ta·tion [,ma-nə-fə-'stā-shən, -,fe-'stā-] -n
- the act, process, or an instance of manifesting
- something that manifests or is manifest
- a perceptible, outward, or visible expression
- one of the forms in which an individual is manifested
- an occult phenomenon
- materialization
- a public demonstration of power and purpose
manifest destiny -n
- a future event accepted as inevitable
- in the mid-19th century expansion to the Pacific was regarded as the Manifest Destiny of the United States
- an ostensibly benevolent or necessary policy of imperialistic expansion
man·i·fes·to [,ma-nə-'fes-(,)tō] -n
- a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer
manifesto -vi
- to issue a manifesto
man·i·fold ['ma-nə-,fōld] -adj, adv, n
- marked by diversity or variety
- many
- comprehending or uniting various features : multifarious
- rightfully so-called for many reasons
- consisting of or operating many of one kind combined
manifold -adv
- many times : a great deal
- will increase your blessings manifold
- to make manifold : multiply
- to make several or many copies of
- to make several or many copies
- : something that is manifold: as
- a whole that unites or consists of many diverse elements
- the manifold of aspirations, passions, frustrations -- Harry Slochower
- a pipe fitting with several lateral outlets for connecting one pipe with others
- a fitting on an internal combustion engine that directs a fuel and air mixture to or receives the exhaust gases from several cylinders
- set
- a topological space in which every point has a neighborhood that is homeomorphic to the interior of a sphere in Euclidean space of the same number of dimensions
man·i·kin ['ma-ni-kən] -n
- mannequin
- a little man : dwarf, pygmy
ma·nila [mə-'ni-lə] -adj, n
- made from Manila hemp
- made of manila paper
Manila hemp -n
- abaca
manila paper -n
- a strong and durable paper of a brownish or buff color and smooth finish made orig. from Manila hemp
ma·nille [mə-'nil] -n
- the second highest trump in various card games (as ombre)
man in the street
- an average or ordinary person
man·i·oc ['ma-nē-,äk] -n
- cassava
man·i·ple ['ma-nə-pəl] -n
- a long narrow strip of silk formerly worn at mass over the left arm by clerics of or above the order of subdeacon
- a subdivision of the Roman legion consisting of either 120 or 60 men
ma·nip·u·la·ble [mə-'ni-pyə-lə-bəl] -adj, n
- capable of being manipulated
ma·nip·u·lar [mə-'ni-pyə-lər] -adj
- of or relating to the ancient Roman maniple
- of, relating to, or performed by manipulation : manipulative
ma·nip·u·late [mə-'ni-pyə-,lāt] -vt, adj, n, adv
- to treat or operate with or as if with the hands or by mechanical means esp. in a skillful manner
- to manage or utilize skillfully
- to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means esp. to one's own advantage
- to change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one's purpose : doctor
ma·nip·u·la·tives [mə-'ni-pyə-,lā-tivz, -lə-] -n pl
- objects (as blocks) that a student is instructed to use in a way that teaches or reinforces a lesson
man·i·tou ['ma-nə-,tü] -n
- a supernatural force that according to an Algonquian conception pervades the natural world
man jack ['man-'jak] -n
- individual man
man·kind -n sing but sing or pl in constr
- the human race : the totality of human beings
- men esp. as distinguished from women
man·ly ['man-lē] -adv
- in a manly manner
manly -adj, n
- having qualities generally associated with a man : strong, virile
- appropriate in character to a man
manmade ['man-'mād, -,mād] -adj
- manufactured, created, or constructed by human beings
- synthetic
man·na ['ma-nə] -n
- food miraculously supplied to the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness
- divinely supplied spiritual nourishment
- a usu. sudden and unexpected source of gratification, pleasure, or gain
- the sweetish dried exudate of a Eurasian ash (esp. Fraxinus ornus) that contains mannitol and has been used as a laxative and demulcent
- a similar product excreted by a scale insect ( Trabutina mannipara) feeding on the tamarisk
manna grass -n
- any of a genus ( Glyceria) of chiefly No. American perennial grasses of wetland or aquatic habitats
man·nan ['ma-,nan, -nən] -n
- any of several polysaccharides that are polymers of mannose and occur esp. in plant cell walls
manned -adj
- carrying or performed by a human being
man·ne·quin ['ma-ni-kən] -n
- an artist's, tailor's, or dressmaker's lay figure
- a form representing the human figure used esp. for displaying clothes
- one employed to model clothing
man·ner ['ma-nər] -n, adj
- kind, sort
- kinds, sorts
- a characteristic or customary mode of acting : custom
- a mode of procedure or way of acting : fashion
- method of artistic execution or mode of presentation : style
- social conduct or rules of conduct as shown in the prevalent customs
- characteristic or distinctive bearing, air, or deportment
- his poised gracious manner
- habitual conduct or deportment : behavior
- good manners
- a distinguished or stylish air
man·nered ['ma-nərd] -adj
- having manners of a specified kind
- having or displaying a particular manner
- having an artificial or stilted character
- passages...so mannered as to be unintelligible -- R. G. G. Price
man·ner·ism ['ma-nə-,ri-zəm] -n, n or adj, adj
- exaggerated or affected adherence to a particular style or manner : artificiality, preciosity
- refined almost to the point of mannerism -- Winthrop Sargeant
- an art style in late 16th century Europe characterized by spatial incongruity and excessive elongation of the human figures
- a characteristic and often unconscious mode or peculiarity of action, bearing, or treatment
man·ner·ly ['ma-nər-lē] -adj, n, adv
- showing good manners
man·nish ['ma-nish] -adj, adv, n
- resembling or suggesting a man rather than a woman
- generally associated with or characteristic of a man rather than a woman
man·nite ['ma-,nīt] -n
- mannitol
man·ni·tol ['ma-nə-,tȯl, -,tōl] -n
- a slightly sweet crystalline alcohol C 6H 14O 6found in many plants and used esp. as a diuretic and in testing kidney function
man·nose ['ma-,nōs, -,nōz] -n
- an aldose C 6H 12O 6whose dextrorotatory enantiomer occurs esp. as a structural unit of mannans from which it can be recovered by hydrolysis
ma·no ['mä-(,)nō] -n
- a stone used as the upper millstone for grinding foods (as Indian corn) by hand in a metate
ma·no a ma·no [,mä-nō-ä-'mä-nō] -adv or adj
- in direct competition or conflict esp. between two people
ma·noeu·vre [mə-'nü-vər, -'nyü-] -n
(variant of maneuver)
- a military or naval movement
- an armed forces training exercise
- an extended and large-scale training exercise involving military and naval units separately or in combination often used in pl.
- a procedure or method of working usu. involving expert physical movement
- evasive movement or shift of tactics
- an intended and controlled variation from a straight and level flight path in the operation of an airplane
- an action taken to gain a tactical end
- an adroit and clever management of affairs often using trickery and deception
man of God
- clergyman
man of letters
- scholar
- author
man of straw
- straw man
man of the house
- the chief male in a household
man of the world
- a practical or worldly-wise man of wide experience
manofwar [,ma-nə(v)-'wȯr] -n
- a combatant warship of a recognized navy
ma·nom·e·ter [mə-'nä-mə-tər] -n, adj, adv
- an instrument (as a pressure gauge) for measuring the pressure of gases and vapors
- sphygmomanometer
man on horseback
- a usu. military figure whose ambitions and popularity mark him as a potential dictator
- dictator
man on the street
- man in the street
man·or ['ma-nər] -n, adj
- the house or hall of an estate : mansion
- a landed estate
- a unit of English rural territorial organization
- such a unit in the Middle Ages consisting of an estate under a lord enjoying a variety of rights over land and tenants including the right to hold court
- a tract of land in No. America occupied by tenants who pay a fixed rent in money or kind to the proprietor
manor house -n
- the house of the lord of a manor
mano'war bird -n
- frigate bird
man·pack ['man-,pak] -adj
- designed to be carried by one person
- a manpack communication system
man power -n
- power available from or supplied by the physical effort of human beings
- the total supply of persons available and fitted for service
man·que [mäⁿ-'kā] -adj
- short of or frustrated in the fulfillment of one's aspirations or talents used postpositively
man·rope ['man-,rōp] -n
- a side rope (as to a ship's gangway or ladder) used as a handrail
man·sard ['man-,särd, -sərd] -n, adj
- a roof having two slopes on all sides with the lower slope steeper than the upper one
manse ['man(t)s] -n
- the dwelling of a householder
- the residence of a minister
- the house of a Presbyterian minister
- a large imposing residence
man·ser·vant ['man-,sər-vənt] -n
- a male servant
man·sion ['man(t)-shən] -n
- the act of remaining or dwelling : stay
- dwelling, abode
- manor house
- a large imposing residence
- a separate apartment or lodging in a large structure
- house
- one of the 28 parts into which the moon's monthly course through the heavens is divided
mansize ['man-,sīz] -adj
- suitable for or requiring a man
- larger than others of its kind
- constructed a mansize model
man·slaugh·ter ['man-,slȯ-tər] -n
- the unlawful killing of a human being without express or implied malice
man·slay·er [-,slā-ər] -n
- one who commits homicide
man's man -n
- a man noted or admired for traditionally masculine interests and activities
man·sue·tude ['man(t)-swi-,tüd, man-'sü-ə-, -,tyüd] -n
- the quality or state of being gentle : meekness, tameness
man·ta ['man-tə] -n
- a square piece of cloth or blanket used in southwestern U.S. and Latin America usu. as a cloak or shawl
- manta ray
mantai·lored ['man-,tā-lərd] -adj
- made with the severe simplicity associated with men's coats and suits
manta ray -n
- any of several extremely large rays (genera Mantaand Mobula) that are widely distributed in warm seas and have enlarged pectoral fins resembling wings
man·teau [man-'tō, 'man-,] -n
- a loose cloak, coat, or robe
man·tel ['man-tᵊl] -n
- a beam, stone, or arch serving as a lintel to support the masonry above a fireplace
- the finish around a fireplace
- a shelf above a fireplace
man·tel·et ['mant-lət, 'man-tᵊl-ət, ,man-tə-'let] -n
- a very short cape or cloak
- a movable shelter formerly used by besiegers as a protection when attacking
man·tel·piece ['man-tᵊl-,pēs] -n
- a mantel with its side elements
- mantel
man·tel·shelf [-,shelf] -n
- mantel
man·tic ['man-tik] -adj
- of or relating to the faculty of divination : prophetic
man·ti·core ['man-ti-,kȯr] -n
- a legendary animal with the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion
man·tid ['man-təd] -n
- mantis
man·til·la [man-'tē-yə, -'ti-lə] -n
- a light scarf worn over the head and shoulders esp. by Spanish and Latin-American women
- a short light cape or cloak
man·tis ['man-təs] -n
- any of an order or suborder (Mantodea and esp. family Mantidae) of large usu. green insects that feed on other insects and clasp their prey in forelimbs held up as if in prayer
man·tis·sa [man-'ti-sə] -n
- the part of a logarithm to the right of the decimal point
mantis shrimp -n
- stomatopod
man·tle ['man-tᵊl] -n
- a loose sleeveless garment worn over other clothes : cloak
- a figurative cloak symbolizing preeminence or authority
- accepted the mantle of leadership
- something that covers, enfolds, or envelops
- a fold or lobe or pair of lobes of the body wall of a mollusk or brachiopod that in shell-bearing forms lines the shell and bears shell-secreting glands
- the soft external body wall that lines the test or shell of a tunicate or barnacle
- the outer wall and casing of a blast furnace above the hearth
- an insulated support or casing in which something is heated
- the upper back of a bird
- a lacy hood or sheath of some refractory material that gives light by incandescence when placed over a flame
- regolith
- the part of the interior of a terrestrial planet and esp. the earth that lies beneath the crust and above the central core
- mantel
mantle ['mant-liŋ, 'man-tᵊl-iŋ] -vb
- to cover with or as if with a mantle : cloak
- the encroaching jungle growth that mantled the building -- Sanka Knox
- to become covered with a coating
- to spread over a surface
- blush
- her rich face mantling with emotion -- Benjamin Disraeli
mantoman ['man-tə-'man] -adj, adv, n
- characterized by frankness and honesty
- of, relating to, or being a system of defense (as in football or basketball) in which each defensive player guards a specified opponent
Man·toux test [,man-'tü-, ,mäⁿ-] -n
- an intradermal test for hypersensitivity to tuberculin that indicates past or present infection with tubercle bacilli
man·tra ['män-trə also 'man- or 'mən-] -n, adj
- a mystical formula of invocation or incantation (as in Hinduism)
- watchword
man·trap ['man-,trap] -n
- a trap for catching humans : snare
man·tua ['man(t)-sh(ə-)wə, 'man-tə-wə] -n
- a usu. loose-fitting gown worn esp. in the 17th and 18th centuries
Manu ['ma-(,)nü] -n
- the progenitor of the human race and giver of the religious laws of Manu according to Hindu mythology
man·u·al ['man-yə-wəl, -yəl, -yü-əl] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or involving the hands
- worked or done by hand and not by machine
- requiring or using physical skill and energy
manual -n
- a book that is conveniently handled
- handbook
- the prescribed movements in the handling of a weapon or other military item during a drill or ceremony
- a keyboard for the hands
- one of the several keyboards of an organ or harpsichord that controls a separate division of the instrument
- a device or apparatus intended for manual operation
manual alphabet -n
- an alphabet esp. for the deaf in which the letters are represented by finger positions
ma·nu·bri·um [mə-'nü-brē-əm, -'nyü-] -n
- : an anatomical process or part shaped like a handle: as
- the uppermost segment of the sternum of humans and many other mammals
- the process that bears the mouth of a hydrozoan : hypostome
man·u·fac·to·ry [,man-yə-'fak-t(ə-)rē, ,ma-nə-] -n
- factory
man·u·fac·ture [,man-yə-'fak-chər, ,ma-nə-] -n
- something made from raw materials by hand or by machinery
- the process of making wares by hand or by machinery esp. when carried on systematically with division of labor
- a productive industry using mechanical power and machinery
- the act or process of producing something
manufacture [-'fak-chə-riŋ, -'fak-shriŋ] -vb, n, adj
- to make into a product suitable for use
- to make from raw materials by hand or by machinery
- to produce according to an organized plan and with division of labor
- prefabricate
- invent, fabricate
- known to manufacture evidence
- to produce as if by manufacturing : create
- writers who manufacture stories for television
- to engage in manufacture
man·u·fac·tur·er [-'fak-chər-ər, -'fak-shrər] -n
- one that manufactures
- an employer of workers in manufacturing
man·u·mis·sion [,man-yə-'mi-shən] -n
- the act or process of manumitting
- formal emancipation from slavery
man·u·mit [,man-yə-'mit] -vt
- to release from slavery
ma·nure [mə-'nu̇r, -'nyu̇r] -vt, n
- cultivate
- to enrich (land) by the application of manure
manure [-'n(y)u̇r-ē-əl] -n, adj
- material that fertilizes land
- refuse of stables and barnyards consisting of livestock excreta with or without litter
ma·nus ['mā-nəs, 'mä-] -n
- the distal segment of the vertebrate forelimb from carpus to terminus
man·u·script ['man-yə-,skript] -adj
- written by hand or typed
manuscript -n
- a written or typewritten composition or document as distinguished from a printed copy
- a document submitted for publication
- writing as opposed to print
Manx ['maŋ(k)s] -adj
- of, relating to, or characteristic of the Isle of Man, its people, or the Manx language
- the Celtic language of the Manx people
- the people of the Isle of Man
- manx cat
Manx cat -n
- any of a breed of short-haired or long-haired tailless domestic cats
many ['me-nē] -adj
- consisting of or amounting to a large but indefinite number
- being one of a large but indefinite number
- a large number of persons or things
- a large but indefinite number
- the great majority of people
manyear ['man-'yir] -n
- a unit of the work done by one person in a year composed of a standard number of working days
many·fold [,me-nē-'fōld] -adv
- by many times
- aid to research has increased manyfold
manysid·ed [,me-nē-'sī-dəd] -adj, n
- having many sides or aspects
- having many interests or aptitudes
manyval·ued [,me-nē-'val-(,)yüd, -yəd] -adj
- multiple-valued
- possessing more than the customary two truth-values of truth and falsehood
Man·za·nil·la [,man-zə-'nē-yə, -'ni-lə] -n
- a pale very dry Spanish sherry
man·za·ni·ta [,man-zə-'nē-tə] -n
- any of various western No. American evergreen shrubs (genus Arctostaphylos) of the heath family with alternate leaves
MAO -abbr
- monoamine oxidase
MAOI -abbr
- monoamine oxidase inhibitor
Mao·ism ['mau̇-,i-zəm] -n, n or adj
- the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in China chiefly by Mao Zedong
Mao·ri ['mau̇(-ə)r-ē] -n
- the Polynesian language of the Maori people
- a member of a Polynesian people native to New Zealand
maotai ['mau̇-'tī, -'dī] -n
- a strong Chinese liquor made from sorghum
map ['map] -n, adj
- a representation usu. on a flat surface of the whole or a part of an area
- a representation of the celestial sphere or a part of it
- something that represents with a clarity suggestive of a map
- the Freudian map of the mind -- Harold Bloom
- the arrangement of genes on a chromosome called also genetic map
- function
- to make a map of
- map the surface of the moon
- to delineate as if on a map
- sorrow was mapped on her face
- to make a survey of for or as if for the purpose of making a map
- to assign (as a set or element) in a mathematical or exact correspondence
- map picture elements to video memory
- to plan in detail often used with out
- to locate (a gene) on a chromosome
- to be located
- to be assigned in a relation or connection
- the major problems confronting humankind...do not map well onto the traditional disciplines -- P. W. Porter
MAP -abbr
- modified American plan
ma·ple ['mā-pəl] -n
- any of a genus ( Acerof the family Aceraceae, the maple family) of chiefly deciduous trees or shrubs with opposite leaves and a fruit of two united samaras
- the hard light-colored close-grained wood of a maple used esp. for flooring and furniture
maple sugar -n
- sugar made by boiling maple syrup
maple syrup -n
- syrup made by concentrating the sap of maple trees and esp. the sugar maple
map·mak·er ['map-,mā-kər] -n
- cartographer
mapping -n
- the act or process of making a map
- function
- a one-to-one continuous mapping
Ma·pu·che [mə-'pü-chē] -n
- an American Indian people of southern Chile
- a member of this people
- the Araucanian language of the Mapuche
ma·quette [ma-'ket] -n
- a usu. small preliminary model (as of a sculpture or a building)
ma·qui·la·do·ra [mə-,kē-lə-'dȯr-ə, -'thȯr-] -n
- a foreign-owned factory in Mexico at which imported parts are assembled by lower-paid workers into products for export
ma·quil·lage [,ma-kē-'yäzh] -n
- makeup
ma·quis [ma-'kē, mä-] -n
- thick scrubby evergreen underbrush of Mediterranean shores
- an area of such underbrush
- a guerrilla fighter in the French underground during World War II
- a band of maquis
mar ['mär] -vt
- to detract from the perfection or wholeness of : spoil
- to inflict serious bodily harm on
- destroy
- something that mars : blemish
- maritime
Mar -abbr
- March
mar·a·bou ['ma-rə-,bü] -n
- a soft feathery fluffy material prepared from turkey feathers or the coverts of marabous and used esp. for trimming women's hats or clothes
- a large dark gray African stork ( Leptoptilos crumeniferus) that has a distensible pouch of pink skin at the front of the neck and feeds esp. on carrion called also marabou stork
- a thrown silk usu. dyed in the gum
- a fabric made of this silk
mar·a·bout ['ma-rə-bü] -n
- a dervish in Muslim Africa believed to have supernatural power
ma·ra·ca [mə-'rä-kə, -'ra-] -n
- a rattle usu. made from a gourd that is used as a percussion instrument
mar·ag·ing steel ['mär-,ā-jiŋ-] -n
- a strong tough low-carbon martensitic steel which contains up to 25 percent nickel and in which hardening precipitates are formed by aging
mar·a·schi·no [,mer-ə-'skē-(,)nō, -'shē-, ,ma-rə-] -n
- a sweet liqueur distilled from the fermented juice of a bitter wild cherry
- a usu. large cherry preserved in true or imitation maraschino
ma·ras·mus [mə-'raz-məs] -n, adj
- a condition of chronic undernourishment occurring esp. in children and usu. caused by a diet deficient in calories and proteins
Ma·ra·tha [mə-'rä-tə] -n
- a member of a people of the south central part of the subcontinent of India
Ma·ra·thi [mə-'rä-tē] -n
- the chief Indo-Aryan language of the state of Maharashtra in India
mar·a·thon ['mer-ə-,thän, 'ma-rə-] -n
- : a long-distance race:
- a footrace run on an open course usu. of 26 miles 385 yards (42.2 kilometers)
- a race other than a footrace marked esp. by great length
- an endurance contest
- something (as an event, activity, or session) characterized by great length or concentrated effort
mar·a·thon·er [-,thä-nər] -n
- one (as a runner) who takes part in a marathon
ma·raud [mə-'rȯd] -vb, n
- to roam about and raid in search of plunder
- raid, pillage
mar·ble ['mär-bəl] -n, adj
- limestone that is more or less crystallized by metamorphism, that ranges from granular to compact in texture, that is capable of taking a high polish, and that is used esp. in architecture and sculpture
- something (as a piece of sculpture) composed of or made from marble
- something suggesting marble (as in hardness, coldness, or smoothness)
- a little ball made of a hard substance (as glass) and used in various games
- any of several games played with these little balls
- the rewards to be won in competition esp. for a championship used in the phrase all the marbles
- a game being played for all the marble s
- marbling
- elements of common sense
- sanity
- persons who are born without all their marble s -- Arthur Miller
marble [-b(ə-)liŋ] -vt
- to give a veined or mottled appearance to
- marble the edges of a book
marble cake -n
- a cake made with light and dark batter so as to have a mottled appearance
mar·bled ['mär-bəld] -adj
- made of or covered with marble or marbling
- marked by an extensive use of marble as an architectural or decorative feature
- having markings or coloration suggestive of marble
- marked by an intermixture of fat and lean
mar·ble·ise ['mär-bə-,līz] -vt
(variant of marbleize)
- marble
mar·ble·ize ['mär-bə-,līz] -vt
- marble
marbling -n
- the action or process of making like marble esp. in coloration
- coloration or markings resembling or suggestive of marble
- an intermixture of fat and lean esp. when evenly distributed in a cut of meat
mar·bly [-b(ə-)lē] -adj
- resembling or suggestive of marble
Mar·burg virus ['mär-bərg-] -n
- a filovirus (species Lake Victoria marburgvirusof the genus Marburgvirus) that causes an often fatal hemorrhagic fever and was orig. transmitted to humans from green monkeys
marc ['märk] -n
- the residue remaining after a fruit has been pressed
- the organic residue from an extraction process
- the protein-rich cottonseed marc
- brandy made from the residue of wine grapes after pressing
MARC -abbr
- machine-readable cataloging
mar·ca·site ['mär-kə-,sīt, -,zīt; ,mär-kə-'zēt] -n
- crystallized pyrite
- a pale yellow to white mineral of the same composition and appearance as pyrite but of different crystalline organization and lower specific gravity
- a piece of marcasite used in jewelry
mar·ca·to [mär-'kä-(,)tō] -adv or adj
- with strong accentuation used as a direction in music
mar·cel [mär-'sel] -n
- a deep soft wave made in the hair by the use of a heated curling iron
marcel -vb
- to make a marcel in
- to make a marcel
march ['märch] -n
- a border region : frontier
- a district orig. set up to defend a boundary usu. used in pl.
- to have common borders or frontiers
- a region that march es with Canada in the north and the Pacific in the west
- to move along steadily usu. with a rhythmic stride and in step with others
- to move in a direct purposeful manner : proceed
- to make steady progress : advance
- to stand in orderly array suggestive of marching
- to cause to march
- march ed the children off to bed
- to cover by marching : traverse
- a musical composition that is usu. in duple or quadruple time with a strongly accentuated beat and that is designed or suitable to accompany marching
- the action of marching
- the distance covered within a specific period of time by marching
- a regular measured stride or rhythmic step used in marching
- forward movement : progress
- the march of a movie toward the climax
- an organized procession of demonstrators who are supporting or protesting something
March ['märch] -n
- the third month of the Gregorian calendar
mar·chen ['mer-k̲ən] -n
- tale
- folktale
march·er ['mär-chər] -n
- one who inhabits a border region
marcher -n
- one that marches
- one that marches for a specific cause
mar·che·sa [mär-'kā-zə] -n
- an Italian woman holding the rank of a marchese : marchioness
mar·che·se [-(,)zā] -n
- an Italian nobleman next in rank above a count : marquess
marching orders -n pl
- authoritative orders or instructions esp. to set out on or as if on a march
mar·chio·ness ['mär-sh(ə-)nəs] -n
- the wife or widow of a marquess
- a woman who holds the rank of marquess in her own right
march·pane ['märch-,pān] -n
- marzipan
marchpast ['märch-,past] -n
- a filing by : procession
Mar·cion·ism ['mär-shə-,ni-zəm, -sē-ə-, -shē-ə-] -n
- the doctrinal system of a sect of the second and third centuries a.d.accepting some parts of the New Testament but denying Christ's corporality and humanity and condemning the Creator God of the Old Testament
Marconi rig [mär-'kō-nē-] -n
- a fore-and-aft rig in which the sails are triangular and are not supported by gaffs
Mar·di Gras ['mär-dē-,grä, in New Orleans commonly -,grȯ] -n
- Shrove Tuesday often observed (as in New Orleans) with parades and festivities
- a carnival period climaxing on Shrove Tuesday
- a festive occasion resembling a pre-Lenten Mardi Gras
mare -n
- an evil preternatural being causing nightmares
- a female horse or other equine animal esp. when fully mature or of breeding age
ma·re ['mär-(,)ā] -n
- any of several mostly flat dark areas of considerable extent on the surface of the moon or Mars
ma·re clau·sum ['mär-(,)ā-'klau̇-səm, -'klȯ-] -n
- a navigable body of water (as a sea) that is under the jurisdiction of one nation and is closed to other nations
Mar·ek's disease ['mer-iks-] -n
- a highly contagious virus disease of poultry that is marked esp. by proliferation of lymphoid cells and is caused by either of two herpesviruses (species Gallid herpesvirus 2and Gallid herpesvirus 3of the genus Mardivirus)
ma·re li·be·rum ['mär-(,)ā-'lē-bə-,ru̇m] -n
- a navigable body of water (as a sea) that is open to all nations
- freedom of the seas
ma·ren·go [mə-'reŋ-(,)gō] -adj
- of, consisting of, or served with a sauce of mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, oil, and wine
ma·re no·strum ['mär-(,)ā-'nōs-trəm] -n
- a navigable body of water (as a sea) that belongs to a single nation or is mutually shared by two or more nations
mare's nest -n
- a false discovery, illusion, or deliberate hoax
- a place, condition, or situation of great disorder or confusion
- a mare's nest of intrigue and troubles with the money men -- William Cole
mare's tail -n
- a common aquatic plant ( Hippuris vulgarisof the family Hippuridaceae) with elongated shoots having dense whorls of narrow finely tapered leaves
- horseweed
- a cirrus cloud that has a long slender flowing appearance
Mar·fan syndrome ['mär-,fan-] -n
- a disorder of connective tissue that is inherited as a dominant trait and is characterized by abnormal elongation of the long bones and often by ocular and circulatory defects called also Mar*fan's syndrome mar-fanz-
mar·ga·rine ['mär-jə-rən, -,rēn; 'märj-rən] -n
- a food product made usu. from vegetable oils churned with ripened skim milk to a smooth emulsion and used like butter
mar·ga·ri·ta [,mär-gə-'rē-tə] -n
- a cocktail consisting of tequila, lime or lemon juice, and an orange-flavored liqueur
mar·ga·rite ['mär-gə-,rīt] -n
- pearl
mar·gay ['mär-,gā, mär-'] -n
- a small American spotted cat ( Felis wiedii) resembling the ocelot and ranging from northern Mexico to Argentina
marge ['märj] -n
- margin
- margarine
mar·gent ['mär-jənt] -n
- margin
mar·gin ['mär-jən] -n, adj
- the part of a page or sheet outside the main body of printed or written matter
- the outside limit and adjoining surface of something : edge
- at the margin of the woods
- a spare amount or measure or degree allowed or given for contingencies or special situations
- a bare minimum below which or an extreme limit beyond which something becomes impossible or is no longer desirable
- on the margin of good taste
- the limit below which economic activity cannot be continued under normal conditions
- an area, state, or condition excluded from or existing outside the mainstream
- the margin s of critical discourse -- Barbara L. Packer
- living in society's margin s
- the difference which exists between net sales and the cost of merchandise sold and from which expenses are usu. met or profit derived
- the excess market value of collateral over the face of a loan
- cash or collateral that is deposited by a client with a commodity or securities broker to protect the broker from loss on a contract
- the client's equity in securities bought with the aid of credit obtained specif. (as from a broker) for that purpose
- a range about a specified figure within which a purchase is to be made
- measure or degree of difference
- the bill passed by a one-vote margin
margin -vt
- to provide with an edging or border
- to form a margin to : border
- to add margin to
- to use as margin
- margin bonds to buy stock
- to provide margin for
- to buy (securities) on margin
mar·gin·al ['märj-nəl, 'mär-jə-nᵊl] -adj, n, adv
- written or printed in the margin of a page or sheet
- of, relating to, or situated at a margin or border
- not of central importance
- regards violence as a marginal rather than a central problem
- limited in extent, significance, or stature
- had only marginal success with the business
- occupying the borderland of a relatively stable territorial or cultural area
- characterized by the incorporation of habits and values from two divergent cultures and by incomplete assimilation in either
- the marginal cultural habits of new immigrant groups
- excluded from or existing outside the mainstream of society, a group, or a school of thought
- located at the fringe of consciousness
- close to the lower limit of qualification, acceptability, or function : barely exceeding the minimum requirements
- a semiliterate person of marginal ability
- having a character or capacity fitted to yield a supply of goods which when marketed at existing price levels will barely cover the cost of production
- of, relating to, or derived from goods produced and marketed with such result
- relating to or being a function of a random variable that is obtained from a function of several random variables by integrating or summing over all possible values of the other variables
- a marginal probability function
mar·gi·na·lia [,mär-jə-'nā-lē-ə] -n pl
- marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book)
- nonessential items
- the meat and marginalia of American politics -- Saturday Rev.
mar·gin·al·ize ['märj-nə-,līz, 'mär-jə-nᵊl-,īz] -vt, n
- to relegate to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group
marginal utility -n
- the amount of additional utility provided by an additional unit of an economic good or service
mar·gin·ate ['mär-jə-,nāt] -vt, n
- margin
- margin
- marginalize
mar·gin·at·ed [-,nā-təd] -adj
- having a distinct margin
mar·gra·vate ['mär-grə-,vāt] -n
- the territory of a margrave
mar·grave ['mär-,grāv] -n, adj
- the military governor esp. of a German border province
- a member of the German nobility corresponding in rank to a British marquess
mar·gra·vine ['mär-grə-,vēn, ,mär-grə-'] -n
- the wife of a margrave
mar·gue·rite [,mär-gə-'rēt, -gyə-] -n
- daisy
- any of various single-flowered chrysanthemums
- one ( Chrysanthemum frutescenssyn. Argyranthemum frutescens) of the Canary Islands
maria -n
(variant of mare)
- an evil preternatural being causing nightmares
- a female horse or other equine animal esp. when fully mature or of breeding age
ma·ri·a·chi [,mär-ē-'ä-chē, ,mer-] -n
- a Mexican street band
- a musician belonging to such a band
- the music performed by a mariachi
Mar·i·an ['mer-ē-ən, 'mā-rē-] -adj
- of or relating to Mary Tudor or her reign
- of or relating to the Virgin Mary
Mar·i·an·ist [-ə-nist] -n
- a member of the Roman Catholic Society of Mary of Paris founded by William Joseph Chaminade in France in 1817 and devoted esp. to education
Ma·ria The·re·sa dollar [mə-'rē-ə-tə-'rā-sə-, -'rā-zə-] -n
- a 1780 silver trade coin used in the Middle East
mari·cul·ture ['mer-ə-,kəl-chər, 'ma-rə-] -n
- the cultivation of marine organisms in their natural environment
mari·gold ['mer-ə-,gōld] -n
- pot marigold
- any of a genus ( Tagetes) of composite herbs with showy usu. yellow, orange, or maroon flower heads
mar·i·jua·na [,mer-ə-'wä-nə, ,ma-rə- also -'hwä-] -n
- hemp
- the dried leaves and flowering tops of the pistillate hemp plant that yield THC and are smoked in cigarettes for their intoxicating effect
ma·rim·ba [mə-'rim-bə] -n
- a xylophone of southern Africa and Central America with resonators beneath each bar
- a modern form of this instrument
ma·ri·na [mə-'rē-nə] -n
- a dock or basin providing secure moorings for pleasure boats and often offering supply, repair, and other facilities
mar·i·nade [,mer-ə-'nād, ,ma-rə-] -n
- a savory usu. acidic sauce in which meat, fish, or a vegetable is soaked to enrich its flavor or to tenderize it
marinade -vt
- marinate
mar·i·na·ra [,mer-ə-'ner-ə, -'när-] -adj
- made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices
- served with marinara sauce
mar·i·nate ['mer-ə-,nāt, 'ma-rə-] -vb, n
- to steep (meat, fish, or vegetables) in a marinade
- to become marinated
ma·rine [mə-'rēn] -adj
- of or relating to the sea
- of or relating to the navigation of the sea : nautical
- of or relating to the commerce of the sea : maritime
- depicting the sea, seashore, or ships
- of or relating to marines
marine -n
- the mercantile and naval shipping of a country
- seagoing ships esp. in relation to nationality or class
- one of a class of soldiers serving on shipboard or in close association with a naval force
- a member of the U.S. Marine Corps
- an executive department (as in France) having charge of naval affairs
- a marine picture : seascape
marine architect -n
- naval architect
marine iguana -n
- a shore-dwelling seaweed-eating iguana ( Amblyrhynchus cristatus) of the Galapagos Islands that often feeds in the sea
mar·i·ner ['mer-ə-nər, 'ma-rə-] -n
- a person who navigates or assists in navigating a ship : seaman, sailor
mariner's compass -n
- a compass used in navigation that consists of parallel magnetic needles or bundles of needles permanently attached to a card marked to indicate direction and degrees of a circle
Mar·i·ol·a·try [,mer-ē-'ä-lə-trē, ,mā-rē-] -n
- excessive veneration of the Virgin Mary
Mar·i·ol·o·gy [-'ä-lə-jē] -n, adj
- study or doctrine relating to the Virgin Mary
mar·i·on·ber·ry ['mer-ē-ən-,ber-ē] -n
- the large black juicy fruit of a cultivar of a hybrid blackberry that originated in Oregon and is grown chiefly in the northwestern U.S.
- a bramble bearing marionberries
mar·i·o·nette [,mer-ē-ə-'net] -n
- a small-scale usu. wooden figure (as of a person) with jointed limbs that is moved from above by manipulation of the attached strings or wires
mar·i·po·sa lily [,ma-rə-'pō-zə-, -sə-] -n
- any of a genus ( Calochortus) of western No. American plants of the lily family with showy flowers having three petals and three sepals called also mariposa tulip
mar·ish ['ma-rish] -n
- marsh
Mar·ist ['mer-ist] -n
- a member of the Roman Catholic Society of Mary founded by Jean Claude Colin in France in 1816 and devoted to education
mar·i·tal ['mer-ə-tᵊl, 'ma-rə-] -adj, adv
- of or relating to marriage or the married state
- of or relating to a husband and his role in marriage
mar·i·time ['mer-ə-,tīm, 'ma-rə-] -adj
- of, relating to, or bordering on the sea
- of or relating to navigation or commerce on the sea
- having the characteristics of a mariner
mar·jo·ram ['mär-jə-rəm, 'märj-rəm] -n
- any of various usu. fragrant and aromatic Old World mints (genus Origanum) often used as seasoning
mark ['märk] -n
- a boundary land
- a conspicuous object serving as a guide for travelers
- something (as a line, notch, or fixed object) designed to record position
- one of the bits of leather or colored bunting placed on a sounding line at intervals
- target
- the starting line or position in a track event
- goal, object
- an object of attack, ridicule, or abuse
- a victim or prospective victim of a swindle
- the point under discussion
- condition of being correct or accurate
- her observations are on the mark
- a standard of performance, quality, or condition : norm
- not feeling up to the mark lately
- sign, indication
- gave her the necklace as a mark of his esteem
- an impression (as a scratch, scar, or stain) made on something
- a distinguishing trait or quality : characteristic
- the mark s of an educated person
- a symbol used for identification or indication of ownership
- a cross made in place of a signature
- trademark
- used with a numeral to designate a particular model of a weapon or machine
- a written or printed symbol (as a comma or colon)
- postmark
- a symbol used to represent a teacher's estimate of a student's work or conduct
- grade
- a figure registering a point or level reached or achieved
- the halfway mark in the first period of play
- record
- attention, notice
- importance, distinction
- stands out as a person of mark
- a lasting or strong impression
- an assessment of merits : rating
- got high mark s for honesty
- to fix or trace out the bounds or limits of
- to plot the course of : chart
- to set apart by or as if by a line or boundary usu. used with off
- to designate as if by a mark
- to make or leave a mark on
- to furnish with natural marks
- to label so as to indicate price or quality
- to make notations in or on
- to make note of in writing : jot
- mark ing the date in his journal
- to indicate by a mark or symbol
- register, record
- to determine the value of by means of marks or symbols : grade
- characterize, distinguish
- the flamboyance that mark s her style
- signalize
- this year mark s our 50th anniversary
- to take notice of : observe
- to pick up (one's golf ball) from a putting green and substitute a marker
- to take careful notice
- any of various old European units of weight used esp. for gold and silver
- a unit equal to about eight ounces (248 grams)
- : a unit of value:
- an old English unit equal to 13 s4 d
- any one of various old Scandinavian or German units of value
- a unit and corresponding silver coin of the 16th century worth taler
- deutsche mark
- the basic monetary unit of East Germany replaced in 1990 by the West German deutsche mark
- markka
Mark ['märk] -n
- an early Jewish Christian traditionally identified as the writer of the Gospel of Mark called also John Mark
- the second Gospel in the New Testament
- a king of Cornwall, uncle of Tristram, and husband of Isolde
mark·down ['märk-,dau̇n] -n
- a lowering of price
- the amount by which an original selling price is reduced
mark down -vt
- to put a lower price on
marked ['märkt] -adj, adv, n
- having an identifying mark
- having a distinctive or emphasized character
- enjoying fame or notoriety
- being an object of attack, suspicion, or vengeance
- overtly signaled by a linguistic feature
- with most English nouns the plural is the marked number
mark·er ['mär-kər] -n
- one that marks
- something used for marking
- score
- run
- promissory note, iou
- : something that serves to identify, predict, or characterize: as
- biomarker
- genetic marker
mar·ket ['mär-kət] -n
- a meeting together of people for the purpose of trade by private purchase and sale and usu. not by auction
- the people assembled at such a meeting
- a public place where a market is held
- a place where provisions are sold at wholesale
- a retail establishment usu. of a specified kind
- the act or an instance of buying and selling
- the rate or price offered for a commodity or security
- a geographic area of demand for commodities or services
- a specified category of potential buyers
- the course of commercial activity by which the exchange of commodities is effected : extent of demand
- an opportunity for selling
- a good market for used cars
- the available supply of or potential demand for specified goods or services
- the area of economic activity in which buyers and sellers come together and the forces of supply and demand affect prices
- producing goods for market rather than for consumption
market -vt
- to expose for sale in a market
- sell
- to deal in a market
mar·ket·able ['mär-kə-tə-bəl] -adj, n
- fit to be offered for sale in a market
- food that is not marketable
- wanted by purchasers or employers : salable
- of or relating to buying or selling
market basket -n
- a variety of consumer goods and services used to calculate a consumer price index
market capitalization -n
- capitalization
market economy -n
- an economy in which most goods and services are produced and distributed through free markets
mar·ke·teer [,mär-kə-'tir] -n
- a specialist in promoting or selling a product or service
mar·ket·er ['mär-kə-tər] -n
- one that deals in a market
- one that promotes or sells a product or service
market garden -n
- truck farm
mar·ket·ing ['mär-kə-tiŋ] -n
- the act or process of selling or purchasing in a market
- the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service
- an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer
marketing research -n
- research into the means of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service
mar·ket·i·za·tion [,mär-kə-tə-'zā-shən] -n
- the act or process of entering into, participating in, or introducing a free market economy
market maker -n
- an intermediary in a stock exchange who controls buy and sell orders (as by purchase and resale) for a particular stock or group of stocks
market order -n
- an order to buy or sell securities or commodities immediately at the best price obtainable in the market
mar·ket·place ['mär-kət-,plās] -n
- an open square or place in a town where markets or public sales are held
- market
- the marketplace is the interpreter of supply and demand
- the world of trade or economic activity : the everyday world
- a conviction that religion belongs in the marketplace -- Current Biog.
- a sphere in which intangible values compete for acceptance
market price -n
- a price actually given in current market dealings
market research -n
- research into the size, location, and makeup of a product market
market share -n
- the percentage of the market for a product or service that a company supplies
mark·ing ['mär-kiŋ] -n
- the act, process, or an instance of making or giving a mark
- a mark made
- arrangement, pattern, or disposition of marks
mark·ka ['mär-,kä] -n
- the basic monetary unit of Finland from 1917 to 2001
Markov chain -n
- a usu. discrete stochastic process (as a random walk) in which the probabilities of occurrence of various future states depend only on the present state of the system or on the immediately preceding state and not on the path by which the present state was achieved called also Markoff chain
Mar·kov·ian [mär-'kō-vē-ən, -'kȯ-] -adj
- of, relating to, or resembling a Markov process or Markov chain esp. by having probabilities defined in terms of transition from the possible existing states to other states
Markov process -n
- a stochastic process (as Brownian motion) that resembles a Markov chain except that the states are continuous
- markov chain called also Markoff process
marks·man ['märks-mən] -n
- a person skilled in shooting at a mark or target
marks·wom·an ['märks-,wu̇-mən] -n
- a woman skilled in shooting at a mark or target
mark·up ['märk-,əp] -n
- an amount added to the cost price to determine the selling price
- profit
- a U.S. Congressional committee session at which a bill is put into final form before it is reported out
mark up -vt
- to put a markup on
markup language -n
- a system (as HTML or SGML) for marking or tagging a document that indicates its logical structure (as paragraphs) and gives instructions for its layout on the page esp. for electronic transmission and display
marl ['mär(-ə)l] -n, adj
- a loose or crumbling earthy deposit (as of sand, silt, or clay) that contains a substantial amount of calcium carbonate
mar·lin ['mär-lən] -n
- any of several large marine billfishes (genera Makairaand Tetrapturus) that are notable sport fishes
mar·line ['mär-lən] -n
- a small usu. tarred line of two strands twisted loosely left-handed that is used esp. for seizing and as a covering for wire rope
mar·line·spike ['mär-lən-,spīk] -n
- a tool (as of wood or iron) that tapers to a point and is used to separate strands of rope or wire (as in splicing)
marl·stone ['mär(-ə)l-,stōn] -n
- a rock that consists of a mixture of clay materials and calcium carbonate and often contains kerogen
mar·ma·lade ['mär-mə-,lād] -n
- a clear sweetened jelly in which pieces of fruit and fruit rind are suspended
mar·mite ['mär-,mīt, mär-'mēt] -n
- a usu. tall covered cooking pot
Mar·mite ['mär-,mīt] -trademark
- used for an edible yeast extract
mar·mo·re·al [mär-'mȯr-ē-əl] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or suggestive of marble or a marble statue esp. in coldness or aloofness
mar·mo·set ['mär-mə-,set, -,zet] -n
- any of numerous small soft-furred So. and Central American monkeys (family Callithricidae) with claws instead of nails on all the digits except the big toe
mar·mot ['mär-mət] -n
- any of a genus ( Marmota) of stout-bodied short-legged chiefly herbivorous burrowing rodents of the squirrel family that have coarse fur, a short bushy tail, and very small ears and that hibernate during the winter
mar·o·cain ['ma-rə-,kān] -n
- a ribbed crepe fabric used in women's clothing
Mar·o·nite ['ma-rə-,nīt] -n
- a member of a Uniate church chiefly in Lebanon having a Syriac liturgy and married clergy
ma·roon [mə-'rün] -n
- a fugitive black slave of the West Indies and Guiana in the 17th and 18th centuries
- a descendant of such a slave
- a person who is marooned
maroon -vt
- to put ashore on a desolate island or coast and leave to one's fate
- to place or leave in isolation or without hope of ready escape
- a dark red
mar·plot ['mär-,plät] -n
- one who frustrates or ruins a plan or undertaking by meddling
marque ['märk] -n
- reprisal, retaliation
- letters of marque
- a brand or make of a product (as a sports car)
mar·quee [mär-'kē] -n
- a large tent set up for an outdoor party, reception, or exhibition
- a permanent canopy often of metal and glass projecting over an entrance (as of a hotel or theater)
- a sign usu. over the entrance of a theater or arena that displays the names of featured attractions and principal performers
marquee -adj
- having or associated with the name recognition and attraction of one whose name appears on a marquee : big-name, star
Mar·que·san [mär-'kā-zᵊn, -sᵊn] -n, adj
- a native or inhabitant of the Marquesas Islands
- the Polynesian language of the Marquesans
mar·quess ['mär-kwəs] -n
- a nobleman of hereditary rank in Europe and Japan
- a member of the British peerage ranking below a duke and above an earl
mar·que·try ['mär-kə-trē] -n
- decorative work in which elaborate patterns are formed by the insertion of pieces of material (as wood, shell, or ivory) into a wood veneer that is then applied to a surface (as of a piece of furniture)
mar·quise [mär-'kēz] -n
- marchioness
- marquee
- a gem or a ring setting or bezel usu. elliptical in shape but with pointed ends
mar·qui·sette [,mär-kwə-'zet, -kə-] -n
- a sheer meshed fabric used for clothing, curtains, and mosquito nets
mar·ram grass ['ma-rəm-] -n
- any of several beach grasses (genus Ammophilaand esp. A. arenaria)
Mar·ra·no [mə-'rä-(,)nō] -n
- a Christianized Jew of medieval Spain
mar·riage ['mer-ij, 'ma-rij] -n
- the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law
- the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage
- the mutual relation of married persons : wedlock
- the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage
- an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status is effected
- the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities
- an intimate or close union
- the marriage of painting and poetry -- J. T. Shawcross
mar·riage·able ['mer-i-jə-bəl, 'ma-ri-] -adj, n
- fit for or capable of marriage
- not yet of marriageable age
marriage of convenience
- a marriage contracted for social, political, or economic advantage rather than for mutual affection
- a union or cooperation formed solely for pragmatic reasons
married -adj
- being in the state of matrimony : wedded
- of or relating to marriage : connubial
- united, joined
- a married person
- young married s are paid undue...attention -- Paul Goodman
married name -n
- a surname acquired by a woman through marriage
mar·ron [ma-'rōⁿ] -n
- spanish chestnut
- chestnuts and esp. Spanish chestnuts preserved in vanilla-flavored syrup
mar·rons gla·ces [ma-'rōⁿ-gla-'sā] -n pl
- marron
mar·row ['mer-(,)ō, 'ma-(,)rō] -n, adj
- bone marrow
- the substance of the spinal cord
- the choicest of food
- the seat of animal vigor
- the inmost, best, or essential part : core
- personal liberty is the marrow of the American tradition -- Clinton Rossiter
- vegetable marrow
marrow -n
- one of a pair
mar·row·bone ['mer-ə-,bōn, -ō-,bōn] -n
- a bone (as a shinbone) rich in marrow
- knees
mar·row·fat [-ə-,fat, -ō-,fat] -n
- any of several wrinkled-seeded garden peas
mar·ry ['mer-ē, 'ma-rē] -vb
- to join in marriage according to law or custom
- to give in marriage
- married his daughter to his partner's son
- to take as spouse : wed
- married the girl next door
- to perform the ceremony of marriage for
- to obtain by marriage
- to unite in close and usu. permanent relation
- to take a spouse : wed
- combine, unite
- seafood marries with other flavors
marry -interj
- used for emphasis and esp. to express amused or surprised agreement
Mars ['märz] -n
- the Roman god of war
- the planet fourth in order from the sun and conspicuous for its red color
mar·sa·la [mär-'sä-lə] -n
- a fortified Sicilian wine that varies from dry to sweet and is often used in cooking
marse ['märs] -n
- master
Mar·seilles [mär-'sālz] -n
- a firm cotton fabric that is similar to pique
marsh ['märsh] -n
- a tract of soft wet land usu. characterized by monocotyledons (as grasses or cattails)
mar·shal ['mär-shəl] -n
- a high official in the household of a medieval king, prince, or noble orig. having charge of the cavalry but later usu. in command of the military forces
- a person who arranges and directs the ceremonial aspects of a gathering
- field marshal
- a general officer of the highest military rank
- an officer having charge of prisoners
- a ministerial officer appointed for a judicial district (as of the U.S.) to execute the process of the courts and perform various duties similar to those of a sheriff
- a city law officer entrusted with particular duties
- the administrative head of a city police department or fire department
marshal ['märsh-(ə-)liŋ] -vb
- to place in proper rank or position
- to bring together and order in an appropriate or effective way
- to lead ceremoniously or solicitously : usher
- marshal ing her little group of children down the street
- to take form or order
marshal of the Royal Air Force
- the highest ranking officer in the British air force
marsh elder -n
- any of a genus ( Iva) of coarse shrubby composite plants of moist areas in eastern and central No. America
marsh gas -n
- methane
marsh hawk -n
- northern harrier
marsh hen -n
- any of various American rails
- bittern
marsh·land ['märsh-,land] -n
- a marshy tract or area : marsh
marsh·mal·low ['märsh-,me-lō, -,ma-] -n, adj
- a pink-flowered European perennial herb ( Althaea officinalis) of the mallow family that is naturalized in the eastern U.S. and has flowers, leaves, and roots used in herbal remedies
- a sweet white confection usu. in the form of a spread or small spongy cylindrical pieces now usu. made from corn syrup, sugar, albumen, and gelatin but formerly from the marshmallow's root
- one of these spongy pieces
- toasted marshmallow s on sticks over a campfire
marsh marigold -n
- a swamp herb ( Caltha palustris) of the buttercup family that occurs in Europe and No. America and has bright yellow flowers called also cowslip kingcup
marshy ['mär-shē] -adj, n
- resembling or constituting a marsh
- relating to or occurring in marshes
mar·su·pi·al [mär-'sü-pē-əl] -adj
- of, relating to, or being a marsupial
- of, relating to, or forming a marsupium
marsupial -n
- any of an order (Marsupialia) of mammals comprising kangaroos, wombats, bandicoots, opossums, and related animals that do not develop a true placenta and that usu. have a pouch on the abdomen of the female which covers the teats and serves to carry the young
mar·su·pi·um [mär-'sü-pē-əm] -n
- an abdominal pouch that is formed of a fold of the skin and encloses the mammary glands of most marsupials
- any of several structures in various invertebrates (as a bryozoan or mollusk) for enclosing or carrying eggs or young
mart ['märt] -n
- a coming together of people to buy and sell : fair
- the activity of buying and selling
- bargain
- market
- to deal in : sell
mar·tel·lo tower [mär-'te-lō-] -n
- a circular masonry fort or blockhouse
mar·ten ['mär-tᵊn] -n
- any of several semiarboreal slender-bodied carnivorous mammals (genus Martes) of the weasel family that occur in the northern hemisphere
- the fur or pelt of a marten
mar·tens·ite ['mär-tᵊn-,zīt] -n, adj, adv
- the hard constituent that is the chief component of quenched steel
Mar·tha ['mär-thə] -n
- a sister of Lazarus and Mary and friend of Jesus
mar·tial ['mär-shəl] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or suited for war or a warrior
- relating to an army or to military life
- experienced in or inclined to war : warlike
martial art -n
- any of several arts of combat and self defense (as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sport
martial law -n
- the law applied in occupied territory by the military authority of the occupying power
- the law administered by military forces that is invoked by a government in an emergency when the civilian law enforcement agencies are unable to maintain public order and safety
mar·tian ['mär-shən] -adj, n
- of or relating to the planet Mars or its hypothetical inhabitants
mar·tin ['mär-tᵊn] -n
- a small Eurasian bird ( Delichon urbica) of the swallow family with a forked tail, bluish-black head and back, and white rump and underparts
- any of various birds (esp. genus Progne) of the swallow family other than the Eurasian martin
mar·ti·net [,mär-tə-'net] -n
- a strict disciplinarian
- a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods
mar·tin·gale ['mär-tᵊn-,gāl, -tiŋ-] -n
- a device for steadying a horse's head or checking its upward movement that typically consists of a strap fastened to the girth, passing between the forelegs, and bifurcating to end in two rings through which the reins pass
- a lower stay of rope or chain for the jibboom used to sustain the strain of the forestays and fastened to or rove through the dolphin striker
- dolphin striker
- any of several systems of betting in which a player increases the stake usu. by doubling each time a bet is lost
mar·ti·ni [mär-'tē-nē] -n
- a cocktail made of gin and dry vermouth
- vodka martini
Mar·tin Lu·ther King Day ['mär-tᵊn-'lü-thər-'kiŋ-] -n
- the third Monday in January observed as a legal holiday in some states of the U.S.
Mar·tin·mas ['mär-tᵊn-məs, -,mas] -n
- November 11 celebrated as the feast of Saint Martin
mart·let ['märt-lət] -n
- martin
mar·tyr ['mär-tər] -n, vt
- a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion
- a person who sacrifices something of great value and esp. life itself for the sake of principle
- victim
- a great or constant sufferer
- a martyr to asthma all his life -- A. J. Cronin
martyr -vt
- to put to death for adhering to a belief, faith, or profession
- to inflict agonizing pain on : torture
mar·tyr·dom ['mär-tər-dəm] -n
- the suffering of death on account of adherence to a cause and esp. to one's religious faith
- affliction, torture
mar·tyr·ol·o·gist [,mär-tə-'rä-lə-jist] -n
- a writer of or a specialist in martyrology
mar·tyr·ol·o·gy [-jē] -n
- a catalog of Roman Catholic martyrs and saints arranged by the dates of their feasts
- ecclesiastical history treating the lives and sufferings of martyrs
mar·tyry ['mär-tə-rē] -n
- a shrine erected in honor of a martyr
mar·vel ['mär-vəl] -n
- one that causes wonder or astonishment
- her talent is a marvel to behold
- intense surprise or interest : astonishment
marvel ['märv-liŋ, 'mär-və-] -vb
- to become filled with surprise, wonder, or amazed curiosity
- marvel ed at the magician's skill
- to feel astonishment or perplexity at or about
- marvel ed that they had escaped
mar·vel·ous ['märv-(ə-)ləs] -adj, adv, n
- causing wonder : astonishing
- miraculous, supernatural
- Gothic tales of marvelous and bizarre happenings
- of the highest kind or quality : notably superior
- has a marvelous way with children
Marx·ian ['märk-sē-ən] -adj
- of, developed by, or influenced by the doctrines of Marx
Marx·ism ['märk-,si-zəm] -n, n or adj
- the political, economic, and social principles and policies advocated by Marx
- a theory and practice of socialism including the labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, the class struggle, and dictatorship of the proletariat until the establishment of a classless society
Marx·ismLe·nin·ism ['märk-,si-zəm-'le-nə-,ni-zəm] -n, n or adj
- a theory and practice of communism developed by Lenin from doctrines of Marx
Mary ['mer-ē, 'ma-rē, 'mā-rē] -n
- the mother of Jesus
- a sister of Lazarus and Martha and a friend of Jesus
Mary Jane [-'jān] -n
- marijuana
Mary·knoll·er [-,nō-lər] -n
- a member of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America founded by T. F. Price and J. A. Walsh at Maryknoll, N.Y. in 1911
Mary Mag·da·lene [-'mag-də-lən, -,lēn; -,mag-də-'lē-nē] -n
- a woman who was healed of evil spirits by Jesus and who saw the risen Christ near his sepulchre
mar·zi·pan ['märt-sə-,pän, -,pan; 'mär-zə-,pan] -n
- a confection of crushed almonds or almond paste, sugar, and egg whites that is often shaped into various forms
ma·sa ['mä-sə] -n
- a dough used in Mexican cuisine (as for tortillas and tamales) that is made from ground corn soaked in a lime and water solution
- masa harina
masa ha·ri·na [-ä-'rē-nä, -nə] -n
- a flour made from dried masa
Ma·sai [mä-'sī, 'mä-,] -n
- a member of a pastoral and hunting people of Kenya and Tanzania
- the Nilotic language of the Masai people
ma·sa·la [mä-'sä-lä, -lə, mə-] -n
- a varying blend of spices used in Indian cooking
masc -abbr
- masculine
mas·cara [ma-'sker-ə, -'ska-rə] -n, adj
- a cosmetic esp. for making the eyelashes darker and more prominent
mas·car·po·ne [,mas-kär-'pō-(,)nā] -n
- an Italian cream cheese
mas·con ['mas-,kän] -n
- any of the high-density regions below the surface of lunar maria that are held to perturb the motion of spacecraft in lunar orbit
mas·cot ['mas-,kät also -kət] -n
- a person, animal, or object adopted by a group as a symbolic figure esp. to bring them good luck
- the team had a mountain lion as their mascot
mas·cu·line ['mas-kyə-lən] -adj, adv, n
- male
- having qualities appropriate to or usu. associated with a man
- of, relating to, or constituting the gender that ordinarily includes most words or grammatical forms referring to males
- having or occurring in a stressed final syllable
- having the final chord occurring on a strong beat
masculine -n
- the masculine gender
- a noun, pronoun, adjective, or inflectional form or class of the masculine gender
- a male person
mas·cu·lin·ise ['mas-kyə-lə-,nīz] -vt, n
(variant of masculinize)
- to give a chiefly masculine character to
- to cause (a female) to take on male characteristics
mas·cu·lin·ist ['mas-kyə-lə-(,)nist] -n, adj
- an advocate of male superiority or dominance
mas·cu·lin·ize ['mas-kyə-lə-,nīz] -vt, n
- to give a chiefly masculine character to
- to cause (a female) to take on male characteristics
ma·ser ['mā-zər] -n
- a device or object that emits coherent microwave radiation produced by the natural oscillations of atoms or molecules between energy levels
mash ['mash] -vt
- to reduce to a soft pulpy state by beating or pressure
- crush, smash
- to subject (as crushed malt) to the action of water with heating and stirring in preparing wort
- a mixture of ground feeds for livestock
- crushed malt or grain meal steeped and stirred in hot water to produce wort
- a soft pulpy mass
- mashed potatoes
- crush
- to flirt with or seek the affection of
MASH -abbr
- mobile army surgical hospital
mash·er ['ma-shər] -n
- one that mashes
masher -n
- a man who makes passes at women
mash note -n
- a usu. sentimental or effusive note or letter expressing affection for the recipient
mask ['mask] -n
- a cover or partial cover for the face used for disguise
- a person wearing a mask : masker
- a figure of a head worn on the stage in antiquity to identify the character and project the voice
- a grotesque false face worn at carnivals or in rituals
- an often grotesque carved head or face used as an ornament (as on a keystone)
- a sculptured face or a copy of a face made by means of a mold
- something that serves to conceal or disguise : pretense, cloak
- aware of the mask s, facades and defenses people erect to protect themselves -- Kenneth Keniston
- something that conceals from view
- a translucent or opaque screen to cover part of the sensitive surface in taking or printing a photograph
- a pattern of opaque material used to shield selected areas of a surface (as of a semiconductor) in deposition or etching (as in producing an integrated circuit)
- a protective covering for the face
- gas mask
- a device covering the mouth and nose to facilitate inhalation
- a comparable device to prevent exhalation of infective material
- a cosmetic preparation for the skin of the face that produces a tightening effect as it dries
- the head or face of an animal (as a fox or dog)
- an area (as the one around the eyes) of an animal's face that is distinguished by usu. darker coloring
- to take part in a masquerade
- to assume a mask
- to disguise one's true character or intentions
- : to provide or conceal with a mask: as
- to conceal from view
- to make indistinct or imperceptible
- mask s undesirable flavors
- to cover up
- to cover for protection
- to modify the size or shape of (as a photograph) by means of an opaque border
masked ['maskt] -adj
- marked by the use of masks
- failing to present or produce the usual symptoms : latent
mask·er ['mas-kər] -n
- a person who wears a mask
- a participant in a masquerade
mask·ing tape ['mas-kiŋ-] -n
- a tape with adhesive on one side that has a variety of uses (as to cover a surface when painting near it)
mas·och·ism ['ma-sə-,ki-zəm, 'ma-zə- also 'mā-] -n, adj, adv
- a sexual perversion characterized by pleasure in being subjected to pain or humiliation esp. by a love object
- pleasure in being abused or dominated : a taste for suffering
ma·son ['mā-sᵊn] -n
- a skilled worker who builds by laying units of substantial material (as stone or brick)
- freemason
Ma·son·ic [mə-'sä-nik] -adj
- of, relating to, or characteristic of Freemasons or Freemasonry
Ma·son·ite ['mā-sə-,nīt] -trademark
- used for fiberboard
mason jar -n
- a widemouthed jar used esp. for home canning
ma·son·ry ['mā-sᵊn-rē] -n
- something constructed of materials used by masons
- the art, trade, or occupation of a mason
- work done by a mason
- freemasonry
mason wasp -n
- any of various solitary vespid wasps (subfamily Eumeninae) that construct nests of hardened mud
Ma·so·ra [mə-'sȯr-ə] -n
- a body of notes on the textual traditions of the Hebrew Scripture compiled by scribes during the first millennium of the Christian era
Mas·o·rete ['ma-sə-,rēt] -n, adj
- one of the scribes who compiled the Masora
masque ['mask] -n
- masquerade
- a short allegorical dramatic entertainment of the 16th and 17th centuries performed by masked actors
masquer ['mas-kər] -n
(variant of masker)
- a person who wears a mask
- a participant in a masquerade
mas·quer·ade [,mas-kə-'rād] -n
- a social gathering of persons wearing masks and often fantastic costumes
- a costume for wear at such a gathering
- an action or appearance that is mere disguise or show
masquerade -vi, n
- to disguise oneself
- to go about disguised
- to take part in a masquerade
- to assume the appearance of something one is not
mass ['mas] -n
- the liturgy of the Eucharist esp. in accordance with the traditional Latin rite
- a celebration of the Eucharist
- Sunday mass es held at three different hours
- a musical setting for the ordinary of the Mass
- a quantity or aggregate of matter usu. of considerable size
- expanse, bulk
- massive quality or effect
- impressed me with such mass and such vividness -- F. M. Ford
- the principal part or main body
- the great mass of the continent is buried under an ice cap -- Walter Sullivan
- aggregate, whole
- the property of a body that is a measure of its inertia and that is commonly taken as a measure of the amount of material it contains and causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
- a large quantity, amount, or number
- a large body of persons in a compact group : a body of persons regarded as an aggregate
- the great body of the people as contrasted with the elite often used in pl.
- the underprivileged and disadvantaged mass es -- C. A. Buss
- to form or collect into a mass
- to assemble in a mass
- three thousand students had mass ed in the plaza -- A. E. Neville
- of or relating to the mass of the people
- being one of or at one with the mass : average, commonplace
- participated in by or affecting a large number of individuals
- having a large-scale character
- viewed as a whole : total
- the mass effect of a design
Mass -abbr
- Massachusetts
mas·sa ['ma-sə] -n
- master
Mas·sa·chu·sett [,ma-sə-'chü-sət, -zət also ,mas-'chü-] -n
- a member of an American Indian people of Massachusetts
- the extinct Algonquian language of the Massachusett people
mas·sa·cre ['ma-si-kər] -n
- the act or an instance of killing a number of usu. helpless or unresisting human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty
- a cruel or wanton murder
- a wholesale slaughter of animals
- an act of complete destruction
- the author's massacre of traditional federalist presuppositions -- R. G. McCloskey
massacre [-k(ə-)riŋ] -vt, n
- to kill by massacre : slaughter
- mangle
- words were misspelled and syntax massacred -- Bice Clemow
mas·sage [mə-'säzh, -'säj] -n
- manipulation of tissues (as by rubbing, kneading, or tapping) with the hand or an instrument for therapeutic purposes
massage -vt, n
- to subject to massage
- to treat flatteringly : blandish
- manipulate, doctor
- massaged the data to help his cause
massage parlor -n
- an establishment that provides massage treatments
- one offering sexual services in addition to or in lieu of massage
mas·sa·sau·ga [,ma-sə-'sȯ-gə] -n
- a small No. American rattlesnake ( Sistrurus catenatus)
mass card -n
- a card notifying the recipient (as a bereaved family) that a mass is to be offered for the repose of the soul of a specified deceased person
mass driver -n
- a large electromagnetic catapult designed to hurl material (as from an asteroid) into space
mas·se [ma-'sā] -n
- a shot in billiards or pool made by hitting the cue ball vertically or nearly vertically on the side to drive it around one ball in order to strike another
mas·se·ter [mə-'sē-tər, ma-] -n, adj
- a large muscle that raises the lower jaw and assists in mastication
mas·seur [ma-'sər, mə-] -n
- a man who practices massage
mas·seuse [-'sə(r)z, -'süz] -n
- a woman who practices massage
mas·sif [ma-'sēf] -n
- a principal mountain mass
- a block of the earth's crust bounded by faults or flexures and displaced as a unit without internal change
mas·sive ['ma-siv] -adj, adv, n
- : forming or consisting of a large mass:
- bulky
- weighty, heavy
- impressively large or ponderous
- having no regular form but not necessarily lacking crystalline structure
- large, solid, or heavy in structure
- large in scope or degree
- the feeling of frustration, of being ineffectual, is massive -- David Halberstam
- large in comparison to what is typical
- a massive dose of penicillin
- being extensive and severe
- massive collapse of a lung
- imposing in excellence or grandeur : monumental
- having mass
massively parallel -adj
- of, relating to, or being a computer system that uses a large number of separate processors simultaneously to increase power and speed
mass·less ['mas-ləs] -adj
- having no mass
massmar·ket ['mas-'mär-kət] -adj
- sold through such retail outlets as supermarkets and drugstores as well as through bookstores
- of, relating to, or publishing mass-market materials
- appealing or sold to a general audience
mass medium -n
- a medium of communication (as newspapers, radio, or television) that is designed to reach the mass of the people usu. used in pl.
mass noun -n
- a noun (as sandor water) that characteristically denotes in many languages a homogeneous substance or a concept without subdivisions and that in English is preceded in indefinite singular constructions by somerather than aor an
mass number -n
- an integer that approximates the mass of an isotope and designates the number of nucleons in the nucleus
masspro·duce [,mas-prə-'düs, -'dyüs] -vt, n
- to produce in quantity usu. by machinery
mass spectrograph -n
- an instrument used to separate and often to determine the masses of isotopes
mass spectrometry -n, adj
- an instrumental method for identifying the chemical constitution of a substance by means of the separation of gaseous ions according to their differing mass and charge called also mass spectroscopy
mass spectrum -n
- the spectrum of a stream of gaseous ions separated according to their differing mass and charge
massy ['ma-sē] -adj
- massive, weighty
mast ['mast] -n, adj
- a long pole or spar rising from the keel or deck of a ship and supporting the yards, booms, and rigging
- a slender vertical or nearly vertical structure (as an upright post in various cranes)
- a disciplinary proceeding at which the commanding officer of a naval unit hears and disposes of cases against enlisted men called also captain's mast
- to furnish with a mast
- nuts (as acorns) accumulated on the forest floor and often serving as food for animals
mas·ta·ba ['mas-tə-bə] -n
- an Egyptian tomb of the time of the Memphite dynasties that is oblong in shape with sloping sides and a flat roof
mast cell ['mast-] -n
- a granulocyte that occurs esp. in connective tissue and has basophilic granules containing substances (as histamine and heparin) which mediate allergic reactions
mas·tec·to·my [ma-'stek-tə-mē] -n
- surgical removal of all or part of the breast and sometimes associated lymph nodes and muscles
mas·ter ['mas-tər] -n
- a male teacher
- a person holding an academic degree higher than a bachelor's but lower than a doctor's
- a revered religious leader
- a worker or artisan qualified to teach apprentices
- an artist, performer, or player of consummate skill
- a great figure of the past (as in science or art) whose work serves as a model or ideal
- one having authority over another : ruler, governor
- one that conquers or masters : victor, superior
- in the new challenger the champion found his master
- a person licensed to command a merchant ship
- one having control
- an owner esp. of a slave or animal
- the employer esp. of a servant
- husband
- the male head of a household
- mr.
- a youth or boy too young to be called mister used as a title
- the eldest son of a Scottish viscount or baron
- a presiding officer in an institution or society (as a college)
- any of several officers of court appointed to assist (as by hearing and reporting) a judge
- a master mechanism or device
- an original from which copies can be made
- a master recording (as a magnetic tape)
master -adj
- : being or relating to a master: as
- having chief authority : dominant
- skilled, proficient
- a prosperous master builder -- Current Biog.
- principal, predominant
- superlative often used in combination
- being a device or mechanism that controls the operation of another mechanism or that establishes a standard (as a dimension or weight)
- being or relating to a master from which duplicates are made
- to become master of : overcome
- to become skilled or proficient in the use of
- master a foreign language
- to gain a thorough understanding of
- had master ed every aspect of publishing -- Current Biog.
- to produce a master recording of (as a musical rendition)
masteratarms -n
- a petty officer charged with maintaining discipline aboard ship
master bedroom -n
- a large or principal bedroom
master chief petty officer -n
- an enlisted man in the navy or coast guard ranking above a senior chief petty officer
master chief petty officer of the coast guard
- the ranking petty officer in the coast guard serving as adviser to the commandant
master chief petty officer of the navy
- the ranking petty officer in the navy serving as adviser to the chief of naval operations
master class -n
- a seminar for advanced music students conducted by a master musician
mas·ter·ful ['mas-tər-fəl] -adj, adv, n
- inclined and usu. competent to act as master
- suggestive of a domineering nature
- having or reflecting the power and skill of a master
master gunnery sergeant -n
- a noncommissioned officer in the marine corps ranking above a master sergeant
master key -n
- a key designed to open several different locks
mas·ter·ly ['mas-tər-lē] -adj, n, adv
- suitable to or resembling that of a master
- indicating thorough knowledge or superior skill and power
- having the power and skill of a master
- she's masterly at description -- Caroline Knapp
mas·ter·mind ['mas-tər-,mīnd, ,mas-tər-'] -n
- a person who supplies the directing or creative intelligence for a project
mastermind -vt
- to be the mastermind of
master of arts
- the recipient of a master's degree that usu. signifies that the recipient has passed an integrated course of study in one or more of the humanities and sometimes has completed a thesis involving research or a creative project and that typically requires two years of work beyond a bachelor's degree
- the degree making one a master of arts abbr. MA, AM
master of ceremonies
- a person who determines the forms to be observed on a public occasion
- a person who acts as host at a formal event
- a person who acts as host for a program of entertainment (as on television)
master of science
- the recipient of a master's degree that usu. signifies that the recipient has passed an integrated course of study in one or more of the sciences and sometimes has completed a thesis involving research and that typically requires two years of work beyond a bachelor's degree
- the degree making one a master of science abbr. MS, MSc
mas·ter·piece ['mas-tər-,pēs] -n
- a work done with extraordinary skill
- a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement
- a piece of work presented to a medieval guild as evidence of qualification for the rank of master
master plan -n
- a plan giving overall guidance
master race -n
- a people held to be racially preeminent and hence fitted to rule or enslave other peoples
mas·ters ['mas-tərz] -adj
- competing in, relating to, or being a competition for athletes over a specified age (as 40)
master's -n
- a master's degree
master sergeant -n
- a noncommissioned officer ranking in the army above a sergeant first class and below a staff sergeant major, in the air force above a technical sergeant and below a senior master sergeant, and in the marine corps above a gunnery sergeant and below a master gunnery sergeant
mas·ter·sing·er ['mas-tər-,siŋ-ər] -n
- meistersinger
mas·ter·stroke [-,strōk] -n
- a masterly performance or move
mas·ter·work [-,wərk] -n
- masterpiece
mas·tery ['mas-t(ə-)rē] -n
- the authority of a master : dominion
- the upper hand in a contest or competition : superiority, ascendancy
- possession or display of great skill or technique
- skill or knowledge that makes one master of a subject : command
mast·head ['mast-,hed] -n
- the top of a mast
- the printed matter in a newspaper or periodical that gives the title and details of ownership, advertising rates, and subscription rates
- the name of a publication (as a newspaper) displayed on the top of the first page
mas·tic ['mas-tik] -n
- an aromatic resinous exudate from mastic trees used chiefly in varnishes
- any of various pasty materials used as protective coatings or cements
mas·ti·cate ['mas-tə-,kāt] -vb, n
- to grind or crush (food) with or as if with the teeth : chew
- to soften or reduce to pulp by crushing or kneading
- chew
mas·ti·ca·to·ry ['mas-ti-kə-,tȯr-ē] -n
- a substance chewed to increase saliva
masticatory -adj
- used for or adapted to chewing
- masticatory limbs of an arthropod
- of, relating to, or involving the organs of mastication
mastic tree -n
- a small Mediterranean evergreen tree ( Pistacia lentiscus) of the cashew family that yields mastic
mas·tiff ['mas-təf] -n
- any of a breed of very large massive powerful smooth-coated dogs that are apricot, fawn, or brindle and are often used as guard dogs
mas·ti·goph·o·ran [,mas-tə-'gä-fə-rən] -n, adj
- any of a subphylum (Mastigophora) of protozoans comprising forms with flagella and including many often treated as algae
mas·ti·tis [ma-'stī-təs] -n, adj
- inflammation of the breast or udder usu. caused by infection
mas·to·don ['mas-tə-,dän, -dən] -n, adj, adj or n
- any of various extinct mammals (genus Mammutsyn. Mastodon) of the elephant family existing from the Miocene through the Pleistocene that are distinguished from the related mammoths chiefly by molar teeth with cone-shaped cusps
- one that is unusually large
mas·toid ['mas-,tȯid] -adj
- being the process of the temporal bone behind the ear
- being any of several bony elements that occupy a similar position in the skull of lower vertebrates
- of, relating to, or occurring in the region of the mastoid process
mastoid -n
- a mastoid bone or process
mastoid cell -n
- one of the small cavities in the mastoid process that develop after birth and are filled with air
mas·toid·ec·to·my [,mas-,tȯi-'dek-tə-mē] -n
- surgical removal of part of the mastoid process of the temporal bone
mas·toid·itis [,mas-,tȯi-'dī-təs] -n
- inflammation of the mastoid and esp. of the mastoid cells
mas·tur·bate ['mas-tər-,bāt] -vb, n
- to practice masturbation
- to practice masturbation on
mas·tur·ba·tion [,mas-tər-'bā-shən] -n
- erotic stimulation esp. of one's own genital organs commonly resulting in orgasm and achieved by manual or other bodily contact exclusive of sexual intercourse, by instrumental manipulation, occas. by sexual fantasies, or by various combinations of these agencies
mas·tur·ba·to·ry ['mas-tər-bə-,tȯr-ē] -adj
- of, relating to, or involving masturbation
- excessively self-absorbed or self-indulgent
- write tedious, masturbatory books...about themselves for people to read...with envy -- D. R. Katz
mat ['mat] -n
- a piece of coarse, woven, plaited, or felted fabric used esp. as a floor covering or a support
- a piece of material placed at a door for wiping soiled shoe soles
- a decorative piece of material used under a small item (as a dish) esp. for support or protection
- a large thick pad or cushion used as a surface for wrestling, tumbling, and gymnastics
- something made up of densely tangled or adhering filaments or strands esp. of organic matter
- a large slab usu. of reinforced concrete used as the supporting base of a building
- to provide with a mat or matting
- to form into a tangled mass
- dirt and filth matted her hair
- to pack down so as to form a dense mass
- to become matted
- to make (as a metal, glass, or color) matte
- to provide (a picture) with a mat
(variant of matte)
- : lacking or deprived of luster or gloss: as
- having a usu. smooth even surface free from shine or highlights
- having a rough or granular surface
- a crude mixture of sulfides formed in smelting sulfide ores of metals (as copper, lead, or nickel)
- a motion-picture effect in which part of a scene is blocked out and later replaced by footage containing other material (as a background painting)
mat·a·dor ['ma-tə-,dȯr] -n
- a bullfighter who has the principal role and who kills the bull in a bullfight
match ['mach] -n
- a person or thing equal or similar to another
- one able to cope with another
- an exact counterpart
- a pair suitably associated
- carpet and curtains are a match
- a contest between two or more parties
- a contest (as in tennis or volleyball) completed when one player or side wins a specified number of sets or games
- a marriage union
- a prospective partner in marriage
- to encounter successfully as an antagonist
- to set in competition or opposition
- to provide with a worthy competitor
- to set in comparison
- to join or give in marriage
- to put in a set possessing equal or harmonizing attributes
- to cause to correspond : suit
- match ed programs to local needs
- to be the counterpart of
- to compare favorably with
- to harmonize with
- the jacket match ed the pants
- to provide with a counterpart
- to provide funds complementary to
- employers may match the employee contribution -- D. J. Miller
- to fit together or make suitable for fitting together
- to flip or toss (coins) and compare exposed faces
- to toss coins with
- to be a counterpart
- a chemically prepared wick or cord formerly used in firing firearms or powder
- a short slender piece of flammable material (as wood) tipped with a combustible mixture that bursts into flame when slightly heated through friction (as by being scratched against a rough surface)
match·board ['mach- ,bȯrd] -n
- a board with a groove cut along one edge and a tongue along the other so as to fit snugly with the edges of similarly cut boards
match·book [-,bu̇k] -n
- a small folder containing rows of paper matches
match·box [-,bäks] -n
- a box for matches
match·less [-ləs] -adj, adv
- having no equal : peerless
- a matchless view of the valley
match·lock [-,läk] -n
- a musket equipped with a matchlock
- a slow-burning match lowered over a hole in the breech of a musket to ignite the charge
match·mak·er [-,mā-kər] -n
- one that arranges a match
- one who tries to bring two unmarried individuals together in an attempt to promote a marriage
match play -n
- golf competition in which the winner is the person or team winning the greater number of holes
match point -n
- a situation (as in tennis) in which one player or side will win the match by winning the next point
- the point itself
match·stick ['mach-,stik] -n
- a slender piece esp. of wood from which a match is made
- something resembling a matchstick esp. in slenderness
- cut a carrot into matchstick s
match·up [-,əp] -n
- match
match·wood [-,wu̇d] -n
- small pieces of wood : splinters
mate ['māt] -vt
- checkmate
- checkmate
- associate, companion
- an assistant to a more skilled worker : helper
- friend, buddy often used as a familiar form of address
- match, peer
- a deck officer on a merchant ship ranking below the captain
- : one of a pair: as
- either member of a couple and esp. a married couple
- either member of a breeding pair of animals
- either of two matched objects
- equal, match
- to join or fit together : couple
- to join together as mates
- to provide a mate for
- to become mated
- copulate
ma·te ['mä-,tā] -n
- a tealike beverage drunk esp. in So. America
- a So. American shrub or tree ( Ilex paraguariensis) of the holly family whose leaves and shoots are used in making mate
- these leaves and shoots
mate·lot ['mat-,lō, 'ma-tə-] -n
- sailor
ma·te·lote [,ma-tə-'lōt, mat-'lōt] -n
- a stew made usu. of fish in a seasoned wine sauce
ma·ter ['mā-tər] -n
- mother
ma·ter·fa·mil·i·as [,mā-tər-fə-'mi-lē-əs, ,mä-] -n
- a woman who is head of a household
ma·te·ri·al [mə-'tir-ē-əl] -adj, adv, n
- relating to, derived from, or consisting of matter
- physical
- bodily
- of or relating to matter rather than form
- of or relating to the subject matter of reasoning
- empirical
- having real importance or great consequences
- facts material to the investigation
- being of a physical or worldly nature
- relating to or concerned with physical rather than spiritual or intellectual things
material -n
- the elements, constituents, or substances of which something is composed or can be made
- matter that has qualities which give it individuality and by which it may be categorized
- something (as data) that may be worked into a more finished form
- something used for or made the object of study
- material for the next semester
- a performer's repertoire
- matter
- cloth
- a person potentially suited to some pursuit
- apparatus necessary for doing or making something
- materiel
ma·te·ri·al·ise [mə-'tir-ē-ə-,līz] -vb, n
(variant of materialize)
- to make material : objectify
- to cause to appear in bodily form
- materialize the spirits of the dead
- to cause to be materialistic
- to assume bodily form
- to appear esp. suddenly
- to come into existence
ma·te·ri·al·ism [mə-'tir-ē-ə-,li-zəm] -n, n or adj, adj, adv
- a theory that physical matter is the only or fundamental reality and that all being and processes and phenomena can be explained as manifestations or results of matter
- a doctrine that the only or the highest values or objectives lie in material well-being and in the furtherance of material progress
- a doctrine that economic or social change is materially caused
- a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things
ma·te·ri·al·i·ty [mə-,tir-ē-'a-lə-tē] -n
- the quality or state of being material
- something that is material
ma·te·ri·al·i·za·tion [mə-,tir-ē-ə-lə-'zā-shən] -n
- the action of materializing or becoming materialized
- something that has been materialized
- apparition
ma·te·ri·al·ize [mə-'tir-ē-ə-,līz] -vb, n
- to make material : objectify
- to cause to appear in bodily form
- materialize the spirits of the dead
- to cause to be materialistic
- to assume bodily form
- to appear esp. suddenly
- to come into existence
materials science -n
- the scientific study of the properties and applications of materials of construction or manufacture (as ceramics, metals, polymers, and composites)
ma·te·ria med·i·ca [mə-'tir-ē-ə-'me-di-kə] -n
- substances used in the composition of medical remedies : drugs, medicine
- a branch of medical science that deals with the sources, nature, properties, and preparation of drugs
- a treatise on materia medica
ma·te·ri·el [mə-,tir-ē-'el] -n
- equipment, apparatus, and supplies used by an organization or institution
ma·ter·nal [mə-'tər-nᵊl] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, belonging to, or characteristic of a mother : motherly
- related through a mother
- inherited or derived from the female parent
ma·ter·ni·ty [mə-'tər-nə-tē] -n
- the quality or state of being a mother : motherhood
- the qualities of a mother : motherliness
- a hospital facility designed for the care of women before and during childbirth and for the care of newborn babies
maternity -adj
- designed for wear during pregnancy
- effective for the period close to and including childbirth
mat·ey ['mā-tē] -adj, n
- companionable
math ['math] -n
- mathematics
- mathematical; mathematician
math·e·mat·i·cal [,math-'ma-ti-kəl, ,ma-thə-] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or according with mathematics
- rigorously exact : precise
- certain
- possible but highly improbable
- only a mathematical chance
mathematical expectation -n
- expected value
mathematical induction -n
- induction
mathematical logic -n
- symbolic logic
math·e·ma·ti·cian [,math-mə-'ti-shən, ,ma-thə-] -n
- a specialist or expert in mathematics
math·e·mat·ics [,math-'ma-tiks, ,ma-thə-] -n pl but usu sing in constr
- the science of numbers and their operations, interrelations, combinations, generalizations, and abstractions and of space configurations and their structure, measurement, transformations, and generalizations
- a branch of, operation in, or use of mathematics
- the mathematics of physical chemistry
math·e·ma·ti·za·tion [,math-mə-tə-'zā-shən, ,ma-thə-] -n, vb
- reduction to mathematical form
maths ['maths] -n pl
- mathematics
mat·in ['ma-tᵊn] -adj
- of or relating to matins or to early morning
mat·in·al ['ma-tə-nəl] -adj
- of or relating to matins
- early
mat·i·nee [,ma-tə-'nā] -n
- a musical or dramatic performance or social or public event held in the daytime and esp. the afternoon
matinee idol -n
- a handsome male performer
mat·ins ['ma-tᵊnz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr
- the night office forming with lauds the first of the canonical hours
- morning prayer
matr- -comb form
- mother
ma·tri·arch ['mā-trē-,ärk] -n, adj
- a woman who rules or dominates a family, group, or state
- a mother who is head and ruler of her family and descendants
ma·tri·ar·chate ['mā-trē-,är-kət, -,kāt] -n
- matriarchy
ma·tri·ar·chy ['mā-trē-,är-kē] -n
- a family, group, or state governed by a matriarch
- a system of social organization in which descent and inheritance are traced through the female line
ma·tri·cide ['ma-trə-,sīd, 'mā-] -n, adj
- murder of a mother by her son or daughter
- one that murders his or her mother
ma·tric·u·late [mə-'tri-kyə-,lāt] -vb, n
- to enroll as a member of a body and esp. of a college or university
- to become matriculated
ma·tri·lin·eal [,ma-trə-'li-nē-əl, ,mā-] -adj, adv
- relating to, based on, or tracing descent through the maternal line
mat·ri·mo·nial [,ma-trə-'mō-nē-əl, -nyəl] -adj, adv
- of or relating to marriage, the married state, or married persons
mat·ri·mo·ny ['ma-trə-,mō-nē] -n
- the union of man and woman as husband and wife : marriage
matrimony vine -n
- a shrub or vine (genus Lycium) of the nightshade family with often showy flowers and usu. red berries
ma·trix ['mā-triks] -n
- something within or from which something else originates, develops, or takes form
- a mold from which a relief surface (as a piece of type) is made
- die
- an engraved or inscribed die or stamp
- an electroformed impression of a phonograph record used for mass-producing duplicates of the original
- the natural material (as soil or rock) in which something (as a fossil or crystal) is embedded
- material in which something is enclosed or embedded (as for protection or study)
- the extracellular substance in which tissue cells (as of connective tissue) are embedded
- the thickened epithelium at the base of a fingernail or toenail from which new nail substance develops
- a rectangular array of mathematical elements (as the coefficients of simultaneous linear equations) that can be combined to form sums and products with similar arrays having an appropriate number of rows and columns
- something resembling a mathematical matrix esp. in rectangular arrangement of elements into rows and columns
- an array of circuit elements (as diodes and transistors) for performing a specific function
- a main clause that contains a subordinate clause
ma·tron ['mā-trən] -n
- a married woman usu. marked by dignified maturity or social distinction
- a woman who supervises women or children (as in a school or police station)
- the chief officer in a women's organization
- a female animal kept for breeding
ma·tron·ly ['mā-trən-lē] -adj
- having the character of or suitable to a matron
matron of honor
- a bride's principal married wedding attendant
mat·ro·nym·ic [,ma-trə-'ni-mik] -n
- a name derived from that of the mother or a maternal ancestor
mat·su·ta·ke [,mät-su̇-'tä-kē, -kā] -n
- a large brownish edible Japanese mushroom ( Tricholoma matsutake) having firm flesh and a spicy aroma
- a large whitish mushroom ( Tricholoma magniveleresyn. Armillaria ponderosa) of northern No. America that is similar to the Japanese matsutake
Matt -abbr
- Matthew
matte ['mat] -n
(variant of mat)
- a piece of coarse, woven, plaited, or felted fabric used esp. as a floor covering or a support
- a piece of material placed at a door for wiping soiled shoe soles
- a decorative piece of material used under a small item (as a dish) esp. for support or protection
- a large thick pad or cushion used as a surface for wrestling, tumbling, and gymnastics
- something made up of densely tangled or adhering filaments or strands esp. of organic matter
- a large slab usu. of reinforced concrete used as the supporting base of a building
- to provide with a mat or matting
- to form into a tangled mass
- dirt and filth matted her hair
- to pack down so as to form a dense mass
- to become matted
- to make (as a metal, glass, or color) matte
- to provide (a picture) with a mat
mat·ter ['ma-tər] -n
- a subject under consideration
- a subject of disagreement or litigation
- the events or circumstances of a particular situation
- the subject or substance of a discourse or writing
- something of an indicated kind or having to do with an indicated field or situation
- something to be proved in law
- sensible or serious material as distinguished from nonsense or drollery
- reason, cause
- a source esp. of feeling or emotion
- problem, difficulty
- the substance of which a physical object is composed
- material substance that occupies space, has mass, and is composed predominantly of atoms consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons, that constitutes the observable universe, and that is interconvertible with energy
- a material substance of a particular kind or for a particular purpose
- material (as feces or urine) discharged from the living body
- material discharged by suppuration : pus
- the indeterminate subject of reality
- the element in the universe that undergoes formation and alteration
- the formless substratum of all things which exists only potentially and upon which form acts to produce realities
- a more or less definite amount or quantity
- cooks in a matter of minutes
- something written or printed
- mail
- the illusion that the objects perceived by the physical senses have the reality of substance
matter -vi
- to form or discharge pus : suppurate
- to be of importance : signify
matter of course
- something that is to be expected as a natural or logical consequence
mat·teroffact [,ma-tər-ə(v)-'fakt] -adj, adv, n
- adhering to the unembellished facts
- being plain, straightforward, or unemotional
mat·tery ['ma-tə-rē] -adj
- producing or containing pus or material resembling pus
Mat·the·an [ma-'thē-ən, mə-] -adj
- of, relating to, or characteristic of the evangelist Matthew or the gospel ascribed to him
Mat·thew ['ma-(,)thyü also -(,)thü] -n
- an apostle traditionally identified as the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament
- the first Gospel in the New Testament
matting -n
- material for mats
- mats
- a dull lusterless surface (as on gilding, metalwork, or satin)
mat·tins ['ma-tᵊnz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr
(variant of matins)
- the night office forming with lauds the first of the canonical hours
- morning prayer
mat·tock ['ma-tək] -n
- a digging and grubbing tool with features of an adze and an ax or pick
mat·tress ['ma-trəs] -n
- a fabric case filled with resilient material (as cotton, hair, feathers, foam rubber, or an arrangement of coiled springs) used either alone as a bed or on a bedstead
- an inflatable airtight sack for use as a mattress
- a device (as of interwoven brush and poles) used to protect a shoreline, bank, or streambed from erosion
mat·u·rate ['ma-chə-,rāt] -vb
- mature
mat·u·ra·tion [,ma-chə-'rā-shən] -n, adj
- the process of becoming mature
- the emergence of personal and behavioral characteristics through growth processes
- the final stages of differentiation of cells, tissues, or organs
- the entire process by which diploid gamete-producing cells are transformed into haploid gametes that includes both meiosis and physiological and structural changes
- spermiogenesis
ma·ture [mə-'tu̇r, -'tyu̇r also -'chu̇r] -adj, adv
- based on slow careful consideration
- having completed natural growth and development : ripe
- having undergone maturation
- having attained a final or desired state
- having achieved a low but stable growth rate
- paper is a mature industry
- of, relating to, or being an older adult : elderly
- airline discounts for mature travelers
- of or relating to a condition of full development
- characteristic of or suitable to a mature individual
- a show with mature content
- due for payment
- belonging to the middle portion of a cycle of erosion
mature -vb
- to bring to maturity or completion
- to become fully developed or ripe
- to become due
ma·tu·ri·ty [mə-'tu̇r-ə-tē, -'tyu̇r- also -'chu̇r-] -n
- the quality or state of being mature
- full development
- termination of the period that an obligation has to run
ma·tu·ti·nal [,ma-chu̇-'tī-nᵊl; mə-'tüt-nəl, -'tyüt-, -'tü-tə-nəl, -'tyü-] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or occurring in the morning : early
MATV -abbr
- master antenna television
mat·zo ['mät-sə also -(,)sō] -n
- unleavened bread eaten esp. at the Passover
- a wafer of matzo
matzo ball -n
- a small ball-shaped dumpling made from matzo meal
maud·lin ['mȯd-lən] -adj
- drunk enough to be emotionally silly
- weakly and effusively sentimental
mau·gre ['mȯ-gər] -prep
- in spite of
maul ['mȯl] -n
- a heavy often wooden-headed hammer used esp. for driving wedges
- a tool like a sledgehammer with one wedge-shaped end that is used to split wood
- beat, bruise
- mangle
- to handle roughly
maul·stick ['mȯl-stik] -n
- a stick used by painters as a rest for the hand while working
maumau ['mau̇-,mau̇] -vb
- to intimidate (as an official) by hostile confrontation or threats
- to engage in mau-mauing someone
maun ['mȯn, 'män, mən] -verbal auxiliary
- must
maun·der ['mȯn-dər, 'män-] -vi, n
- grumble
- to wander slowly and idly
- to speak indistinctly or disconnectedly
Maun·dy Thursday ['mȯn-dē-, 'män-] -n
- the Thursday before Easter observed in commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist
mau·so·le·um [,mȯ-sə-'lē-əm, ,mȯ-zə-] -n
- a large tomb
- a usu. stone building with places for entombment of the dead above ground
- a large gloomy building or room
mauve ['mȯv, 'mōv] -n, adj
- a moderate purple, violet, or lilac color
- a strong purple
- a dyestuff that produces a mauve color
ma·ven ['mā-vən] -n
- one who is experienced or knowledgeable : expert
- freak
mav·er·ick ['mav-rik, 'ma-və-] -n
- an unbranded range animal
- a motherless calf
- an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
maverick -adj
- characteristic of, suggestive of, or inclined to be a maverick
ma·vis ['mā-vəs] -n
- song thrush
ma·vour·neen [mə-'vu̇r-,nēn] -n
- my darling
maw ['mȯ] -n
- : the receptacle into which food is taken by swallowing:
- stomach
- crop
- the throat, gullet, or jaws esp. of a voracious animal
- something suggestive of a gaping maw
mawk·ish ['mȯ-kish] -adj, adv, n
- having an insipid often unpleasant taste
- sickly or puerilely sentimental
max ['maks] -n, adj
- maximum
- maximum
maxi ['mak-sē] -n
- a long skirt, dress, or coat
maxi- -comb form
- extra long
- extra large
max·il·la [mak-'si-lə] -n, adj or n
- jaw
- an upper jaw esp. of humans and other mammals in which the bony elements are closely fused
- either of the two bones that lie with one on each side of the upper jaw lateral to the premaxilla and that in higher vertebrates bear most of the teeth
- one of the first or second pair of mouthparts posterior to the mandibles in many arthropods (as insects or crustaceans)
max·il·li·ped [mak-'si-lə-,ped] -n
- any of the crustacean appendages that comprise the first pair or first three pairs situated next behind the maxillae
max·il·lo·fa·cial [mak-,si-(,)lō-'fā-shəl, ,mak-sə-(,)lō-] -adj
- of, relating to, or treating the maxilla and the face
max·im ['mak-səm] -n
- a general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct
- a proverbial saying
max·i·mal ['mak-s(ə-)məl] -adj, adv
- being an upper limit : highest
- most comprehensive : complete
max·i·mal·ist [-s(ə-)mə-list] -n, adj
- one who advocates immediate and direct action to secure the whole of a program or set of goals
maxi·min ['mak-sə-,min] -n
- the maximum of a set of minima
- the largest of a set of minimum possible gains each of which occurs in the least advantageous outcome of a strategy followed by a participant in a situation governed by game theory
max·i·mise ['mak-sə-,mīz] -vt, n
(variant of maximize)
- to increase to a maximum
- to make the most of
- to find a maximum value of
max·i·mize ['mak-sə-,mīz] -vt, n
- to increase to a maximum
- to make the most of
- to find a maximum value of
max·i·mum ['mak-s(ə-)məm] -n, adj
- the greatest quantity or value attainable or attained
- the period of highest, greatest, or utmost development
- an upper limit allowed (as by a legal authority) or allowable (as by the circumstances of a particular case)
- the largest of a set of numbers
- the largest value assumed by a real-valued continuous function defined on a closed interval
maximum likelihood -n
- a statistical method for estimating population parameters (as the mean and variance) from sample data that selects as estimates those parameter values maximizing the probability of obtaining the observed data
ma·xixe [mə-'shēsh, -'shē-shə] -n
- a ballroom dance of Brazilian origin that resembles the two-step
max out -vi
- to reach an upper limit or a peak
- the car maxed out at 85 mph
- to push to a limit or an extreme
- to use up all available credit on
- maxed out the credit cards
max·well ['maks-,wel, -wəl] -n
- the centimeter-gram-second electromagnetic unit of magnetic flux equal to the flux per square centimeter of normal cross section in a region where the magnetic induction is one gauss : 10 8weber
may ['mā] -verbal auxiliary
- have the ability to
- have permission to: be free to
- a rug on which children may sprawl -- C. E. Silberman
used nearly interchangeably with can - used to indicate possibility or probability sometimes used interchangeably with can
- one of those slipups that may happen from time to time -- Jessica Mitford
sometimes used where might would be expected - you may think from a little distance that the country was solid woods -- Robert Frost
- used in auxiliary function to express a wish or desire esp. in prayer, imprecation, or benediction
- used in auxiliary function expressing purpose or expectation
- I laugh that I may not weep
or contingency - she'll do her duty come what may
or concession - he may be slow but he is thorough
or choice - the angler may catch them with a dip net, or he may cast a large, bare treble hook -- Nelson Bryant
- shall, must used in law where the sense, purpose, or policy requires this interpretation
- maiden
May ['mā] -n
- the fifth month of the Gregorian calendar
- the early vigorous blooming part of human life : prime
- the festivities of May Day
- green or flowering branches used for May Day decorations
- : a plant that yields may: as
- hawthorn
- a spring-flowering spirea
ma·ya ['mä-yə, 'mī-ə] -n
- the sense-world of manifold phenomena held in Vedanta to conceal the unity of absolute being
- illusion
Ma·ya ['mī-ə] -n
- a Mayan language of the ancient Maya peoples recorded in inscriptions
- yucatec
- the older form of that language known from documents of the Spanish period
- a member of a group of Indian peoples chiefly of Yucatan, Belize, and Guatemala whose languages are Mayan
Ma·yan ['mī-ən] -n, adj
- a member of the peoples speaking Mayan languages
- an extensive language family of Central America and Mexico
Mayanist ['mī-ə-nist] -n
- a specialist in Mayan civilization and often languages
may·ap·ple ['mā-,a-pəl] -n
- a No. American herb ( Podophyllum peltatum) of the barberry family with a poisonous rootstock, one or two large-lobed peltate leaves, and a single large white flower followed by a yellow egg-shaped edible fruit
- its fruit
may·be ['mā-bē also 'me-] -adv
- perhaps
maybe -n
- uncertainty
May·day ['mā-,dā]
- an international radio-telephone signal word used as a distress call
May Day ['mā-,dā] -n
- May 1 celebrated as a springtime festival and in some countries as Labor Day
may·est ['mā] -verbal auxiliary
(variant of may)
- have the ability to
- have permission to: be free to
- a rug on which children may sprawl -- C. E. Silberman
used nearly interchangeably with can - used to indicate possibility or probability sometimes used interchangeably with can
- one of those slipups that may happen from time to time -- Jessica Mitford
sometimes used where might would be expected - you may think from a little distance that the country was solid woods -- Robert Frost
- used in auxiliary function to express a wish or desire esp. in prayer, imprecation, or benediction
- used in auxiliary function expressing purpose or expectation
- I laugh that I may not weep
or contingency - she'll do her duty come what may
or concession - he may be slow but he is thorough
or choice - the angler may catch them with a dip net, or he may cast a large, bare treble hook -- Nelson Bryant
- shall, must used in law where the sense, purpose, or policy requires this interpretation
- maiden
may·flow·er ['mā-,flau̇(-ə)r] -n
- any of various spring-blooming plants
- arbutus
may·fly ['mā-flī] -n
- any of an order (Ephemeroptera) of insects with an aquatic nymph and a short-lived fragile adult having membranous wings and two or three long caudal styles called also ephemerid
may·hap ['mā-,hap, mā-'] -adv
- perhaps
may·hem ['mā-,hem, 'mā-əm] -n
- willful and permanent deprivation of a bodily member resulting in the impairment of a person's fighting ability
- willful and permanent crippling, mutilation, or disfigurement of any part of the body
- needless or willful damage or violence
may·ing ['mā-iŋ] -n
- the celebrating of May Day
mayn't ['mā-ənt, 'mānt]
- may not
mayo ['mā-(,)ō] -n
- mayonnaise
may·on·naise ['mā-ə-,nāz, ,mā-ə-'] -n
- a dressing made of egg yolks, vegetable oils, and vinegar or lemon juice
may·or ['mā-ər, 'mer, esp before names (,)mer] -n, adj
- an official elected or appointed to act as chief executive or nominal head of a city, town, or borough
may·or·al·ty ['mā-ə-rəl-tē, 'mer-əl-] -n
- the office or term of office of a mayor
may·or·ess ['mā-ə-rəs, 'mer-əs] -n
- the wife or official hostess of a mayor
- a woman holding the office of mayor
may·pole ['mā-,pōl] -n
- a tall flower-wreathed pole forming a center for May Day sports and dances
may·pop ['mā-,päp] -n
- a climbing perennial passionflower ( Passiflora incarnata) of the southern U.S. with a large ovoid yellow edible but insipid berry
- its fruit
May·time ['mā-,tīm] -n
- the month of May
maz·ard ['ma-zərd] -n
- head, face
maze ['māz] -vt
- stupefy, daze
- bewilder, perplex
- a confusing intricate network of passages
- something confusingly elaborate or complicated
- a state of bewilderment
ma·zel tov ['mä-zəl-,tȯv, -,tȯf] -interj
- used to express congratulations
ma·zer ['mā-zər] -n
- a large drinking bowl orig. of a hard wood
ma·zur·ka [mə-'zər-kə, -'zu̇r-] -n
- a Polish folk dance in moderate triple measure
- music for the mazurka or in its rhythm usu. in moderate or time
mazy ['mā-zē] -adj
- resembling a maze
maz·zard ['ma-zərd] -n
- sweet cherry
- wild or seedling sweet cherry used as a rootstock for grafting
mazzard ['ma-zərd] -n
(variant of mazard)
- head, face