English Explanatory Dictionary

may

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To be strong; to have power (over).
  2. To be able; can.
  3. To be able to go.
  4. To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.
  5. Granting the admissibility of a supposition, in a way that can be semantically either subjunctive or indicative.
  6. Expressing a present possibility; possibly.
  7. Expressing a disjunctive or contrastive relation between indicative statements.
  8. Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect).
  9. Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark.
noun
  1. The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.
verb
  1. To gather may, or flowers in general.
  2. To celebrate May Day.
noun
  1. A maiden.
name
  1. The fifth month of the Gregorian calendar, following April and preceding June.
  2. A female given name, usually pet name for Mary and Margaret, reinforced by the month and plant meaning.
  3. A surname from Middle English.
  4. Theresa May, former British prime minister.
  5. A number of places in the United States:
  6. A former settlement in Amador County, California.
  7. An unincorporated community in Lemhi County, Idaho.
  8. An unincorporated community in McDonald County, Missouri.
  9. A small town in Harper County, Oklahoma.
  10. An unincorporated community in Brown County, Texas.
  11. An unincorporated community in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
  12. A number of townships in the United States, listed under May Township.
name
  1. A surname.
name
  1. Alternative letter-case form of May.

Pronunciation

mā /meɪ/ en-us-May.ogg

Word forms

may might maye mays maying mayed Ma Mae

Etymology

From Middle English mowen, mayen, moȝen, maȝen, from Old English magan, from Proto-West Germanic *magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą, from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-. Cognate with Dutch mag (“may”, first- and third-person singular of mogen (“to be able to, be allowed to, may”)), Low German mögen, German mag (“like”, first- and third-person singular of mögen (“to like, want, require”)), Swedish må, Icelandic mega, megum. See also might.

Synonyms

can could might Fifth Month

Related words

may-woon mul:5 January February March April June July August September October November December Cinco de Mayo JAN FEB MAR APR JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Derived words

a cat may look at a king as luck may have it as the case may be be it as it may be that as it may be this as it may come what may devil-may-care formay gods may do what cattle may not hold come what may if I may if I may be so bold if I may make so bold if I may say so I hope I may be shot I may not but it may well with may well with I wish I may be shot lang may yer lum reek let the chips fall where they may let the dice fall where they may mappen may as well maybe may chance may-fall may-fortune may God be my witness may God have mercy on your soul mayhap mayhappen may I? may I help you may I pass through may-issue mayn't may-pole may the 4th be with you may the Force be without you may the Force be with you may the Force not be with you may the fourth be with you may the odds be ever in your favor may well may you live in interesting times mother may I much good may it do someone one may as well hang for a sheep as a lamb pigs may fly sticks and stones may break my bones that is as may be that's as may be the fox may grow grey but never good there may be snow on the mountaintop but there's fire in the valley there may be snow on the rooftop but there is fire in the furnace the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature those who will not when they may, when they will they shall have nay to those it may concern

Translations

Armenian: մյս Basque: mai. Belarusian: тра Czech: kvě Finnish: touko Finnish: toukok. Georgian: მაი. Greek: Μάι Greek: Μαΐ Greek: λευκάκανθα Hungarian: máj. Italian: mag. Italian: mag Kazakh: мам. Lithuanian: geg. Portuguese: mai. Serbo-Croatian: svi Spanish: may. Spanish: may Tagalog: May. Tagalog: May Thai: พ.ค. Turkish: May Ukrainian: трав.
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