˜yÐÄvlog

Advertisement

View synonyms for

main

1

[ meyn ]

adjective

  1. chief in size, extent, or importance; principal; leading:

    the company's main office;

    the main features of a plan.

    Synonyms: , , , ,

    Antonyms: ,

  2. sheer; utmost, as strength or force:

    to lift a stone by main force.

    Synonyms: ,

  3. of or relating to a broad expanse:

    main sea.

  4. Grammar. syntactically independent; capable of use in isolation. Compare dependent ( def 4 ), independent ( def 14 ), main clause.
  5. Nautical.
    1. of or relating to a mainmast.
    2. noting or pertaining to a sail, yard, boom, etc., or to any rigging belonging to a mainmast.
    3. noting any stay running aft and upward to the head of a mainmast:

      main topmast stay.

  6. Obsolete.
    1. having or exerting great strength or force; mighty.
    2. having momentous or important results; significant.


noun

  1. a principal pipe or duct in a system used to distribute water, gas, etc.

    Synonyms:

  2. physical strength, power, or force:

    to struggle with might and main.

    Synonyms:

    Antonyms:

  3. the chief or principal part or point:

    The main of their investments was lost during the war.

  4. Literary. the open ocean; high sea:

    the bounding main.

  5. the mainland.
  6. Usually mains. a main course in a meal:

    The restaurant offers four mains: one chicken, two beef, and one fish.

adverb

  1. South Midland U.S. (chiefly Appalachian). very; exceedingly:

    The dogs treed a main big coon.

verb (used with or without object)

  1. Slang. mainline none.

main

2

[ meyn ]

noun

  1. a cockfighting match.

Main

3

[ meyn; German mahyn ]

noun

  1. a river in central and W Germany, flowing W from the Bohemian Forest in N Bavaria into the Rhine at Mainz. 305 miles (490 km) long.

Main

1

/ ³¾±ðɪ²Ô; main /

noun

  1. a river in central and W Germany, flowing west through Würzburg and Frankfurt to the Rhine. Length: about 515 km (320 miles)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

main

2

/ ³¾±ðɪ²Ô /

adjective

  1. chief or principal in rank, importance, size, etc
  2. sheer or utmost (esp in the phrase by main force )
  3. nautical of, relating to, or denoting any gear, such as a stay or sail, belonging to the mainmast
  4. obsolete.
    significant or important
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a principal pipe, conduit, duct, or line in a system used to distribute water, electricity, etc
  2. plural
    1. the main distribution network for water, gas, or electricity
    2. ( as modifier )

      mains voltage

  3. the chief or most important part or consideration
  4. great strength or force (now chiefly in the phrase ( with ) might and main )
  5. literary.
    the open ocean
  6. archaic.
    short for Spanish Main
  7. archaic.
    short for mainland
  8. in the main or for the main
    on the whole; for the most part
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

main

3

/ ³¾±ðɪ²Ô /

noun

  1. a throw of the dice in dice games
  2. a cockfighting contest
  3. a match in archery, boxing, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of main1

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun main(e), mayn(e) “strength, power,†Old English ³¾Ã¦²µ±ð²Ô, megen, cognate with Old Norse magn, megin, megn “s³Ù°ù±ð²Ô²µ³Ù³óâ€; Middle English adjective main(e), partly from Old Norse megin-, megn “strong,†partly from Old English noun ³¾Ã¦²µ±ð²Ô used in compounds, as in ³¾Ã¦²µ±ð²Ô-weorc “mighty workâ€

Origin of main2

First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain; perhaps special use of main 1; compare main chance
Discover More

˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of main1

C13: from Old English ³¾Ã¦²µ±ð²Ô strength

Origin of main2

C16: of unknown origin
Discover More

Idioms and Phrases

  1. in the main, for the most part; chiefly:

    In the main, the novel was dull reading.

More idioms and phrases containing main

  • eye to the main chance
  • in the main
  • might and main
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“One of my main goals for this exhibit is to educate the public, maybe people who don’t understand punk rock,†Collard said.

From

McKinnor said she has regular town halls with her communities and the main topics of concern she’s heard from constituents are affording rent, rising grocery prices and everyday bills.

From

"It's shocking that something like that can happen in a main shopping precinct in the middle of the day. It's just so sad."

From

In addition to the main room of the 5 Star Bar, Dice’s lease includes the room next door.

From

The main and in fact only legal framework for international space law is the U.N.'s Outer Space Treaty.

From

Advertisement

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement