English Explanatory Dictionary

main

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Of chief or leading importance; prime, principal.
  2. Chief, most important, or principal in extent, size, or strength; consisting of the largest part.
  3. Full, sheer, undivided.
  4. Big; angry.
  5. Belonging to or connected with the principal mast in a vessel.
  6. Great in size or degree; important, powerful, strong, vast.
adv
  1. Exceedingly, extremely, greatly, mightily, very, very much.
verb
  1. Ellipsis of mainline (“to inject (a drug) directly into a vein”).
  2. To mainly play a specific character or side, or with specific equipment, during a game.
  3. To convert (a road) into a main or primary road.
noun
  1. That which is chief or principal; the chief or main portion; the bulk, the greater part, gross.
  2. The primary character that one plays in a video game in which one can play more than one character.
  3. A main account.
  4. A large cable or pipe providing utility service to an area or a building, such as a water main or electric main.
  5. Ellipsis of main course (“the principal dish of a meal”).
  6. The high seas.
  7. The mainland.
  8. Ellipsis of mainsail.
  9. Force, power, strength, violent effort.
noun
  1. A hand or match in a game of dice.
  2. The largest throw in a match at dice; in the game of hazard, a number from one to nine called out by a person before the dice are thrown.
  3. A stake played for at dice.
  4. A sporting contest or match, especially a cockfighting match.
  5. A banker's shovel for coins.
noun
  1. A basket for gathering grapes.
name
  1. A river in southern Germany, flowing from Bavaria to the Rhine.
name
  1. A river in Northern Ireland, flowing into Lough Neagh.
name
  1. A surname.
name
  1. Ellipsis of Main Street, a street named "Main Street".
noun
  1. Ellipsis of Main Street (“main street”), a central street of a community.

Pronunciation

mān /meɪn/ en-us-main.ogg en-au-main.ogg

Word forms

main more main most main mains maining mained

Etymology

From Middle English mayn, main, maine, mæin, meyn, from main (noun) (see further at etymology 2); compare Old English mæġen (“strong, main, principal”) (used in combination) and Old Norse megn, megenn (“strong, main”). The word is cognate with Old High German megīn (“strong, mighty”) (modern German Möge, Vermögen (“power, wealth”)), and also akin to Old English magan (“to be able to”). See also may.

Synonyms

largest

Antonyms

alt

Related words

main de fer main droite main-gauche main gauche ouster le main main

Derived words

drain the main vein left main Main Arm main asteroid belt main battle tank main belt main bitch mainboard mainboom main building mainchain main chance main character main character syndrome main clause main contractor main course maincrop main curtain maindeck main deck main diagonal main dish main drag main drape main earth main event mainfall main frame mainframe main gear main group main group element main guard main house mainly main man main market main meal main memory main menu main page mainpiece mainpin main pot mainpriv main rag Main Ridge main road mainsail main sequence main-sequence mainshaft main sheet mainshock main signal mainspace mainspan mainstage main stage

Translations

Bulgarian: основна част Danish: hoved- Dutch: hoofd- Māori: matua
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