919
`
`)Ok designed ror liSe. on festivals a nd ho ty
`
`!male sen:ant. 2. a gIrl or young unnlOunni
`150- 1200; Mt; YM. of MAIDEN, refleCting ~g,.'
`",nl) -maid'ilh. ad). - m.ldIi"h·n.... n.
`a gIrl or young umnarri ed woman; m aid. 2.
`a l'iKe, 3. an Instrument resembling th~ guillo
`I
`oUam!. -aq}. 4. of. pertaining to , or hentlinq •
`d: a m alden dUm. b.. virgin. 6. first: a mnlCkn
`er havinq won ~ =e. [hef. 1000; 1'11:; 01: ''''
`(e. 01·10 mJJgi>d, 00 mll9lll hs) + -e}) ·.N' )
`r'), 11. any Of numerous fe.rns or the ~cn~ 1df
`
`i
`am ily, having slende, glossy slalks a nr! finely di
`
`m.lcYonhalr tern!. [) J 75-142!»
`
`G'NK GO . [1765-75)
`
`hed/). n. 1 . HY"'N. 2 . maidenhood: \"lrglnKy.
`
`
`ha6d/ ). n.
`
`Ihe stale or lime or being ~ nlilkkn
`
`IdJ. pertaining to, characte.ristic o r, or bdllitl'MJ a
`aleVan,U-ne.... n.
`voman'$ surname before ma rriage. { I 000 QUr
`pl. m.ld......w.lt·lnc. an unmaJTied "'''''
`111110 a queen or princess. [ 19S0--55)
`In Hood's .,...,.,Ihean.
`an unman-led woman who Is I he chk:1 "Uta.!
`.
`MATRON OF HONOR . 2 . an unmarried woman . II,",U
`on 3 queen or princess. [ 1580-90J
`JOAN OF ARC.
`
`IT/vGl'll), n. a female sef\!a n l
`[152
`
`" -slam. n. a c.i ty in Kent In 51: (ngLu ....
`
`
`-du•• (esp. collectively) -du. 1 . a memb<:r 0 1...,
`or group of peoples 01 N celll mJ Calltom ld . IIVII1\I
`""Ilcy and a<Jjoccnl Sierra Nevada looUII)\.. 2­
`,
`'" orthe Maldu.
`lKlj. of or pcnail1ing to the Soc.raUc m ethod of
`[1 64!l-5S: < Gk molcullk6.> IlL.
`~ someone.
`tliJie,i(eslhai) 10 $CIV<: as " m idwife (der . at ~
`
`I city in the SW Russian federation in europe
`
`ml iled. m.II·ln~ -n. 1. letters. pi'Kka9"S.
`d by meMS of Ihe postnl servicc. 2. a .ingk cui­
`:11 pos!.11"",Iter. 3. AI",. mall.. U'e 5y5lem. ,....
`lIenl. ror sending or delivering suc;h posWl "'....
`al as a carrier of mall. -adj. 5. or or pertallll"ll
`l by n",lI. [ 1175- 1225; mig. In reference: II, tilt
`r. tarller and dial. mail bag, salchel, Me ,""Ie'
`ONti m ol(a)hil bay)
`led. mall·ln... -no 1. Oc><lble anno r ot mr.tll
`JOtective amlor, as the shell 01 c:e rtn in ilnin~
`" wllh mail. [l2S0~ I JOO; He " 18l1/e 0"" o r II
`t "'35 composed < OF < L 11liICJJJa spot. ant" cj
`
`adj. acceplill>lc as mall . [I BJ.5-4S• • Ime'
`
`I. " mail carrlcts bag . 2. a sack lor ""'l'pil1\l
`
`[197(}-7S)
`10MB .
`1. a public box In which mall is p k1ccd lot
`pm..lc box Into wl' loh rna il Is dellVt'n'd 3 . •
`
`Ilomgc 01 clec1ronic mall. [I ~ I 0)
`
`Clson cmployed
`to deliver mall,
`[ I 711U ,
`
`
`(tptade or slot Into which InCOfl1in9 mail _
`
`' I<ler. IJ ). [1970-7S)
`
`1iI), n. a viII". AJyxja olirmefomlfs. o f I
`
`, and fragralll lollage. ( 1905- 10 : <' 110"-;'11110)
`IorQ or Ihe Ihreal of such roree.
`person who malls or prepares ,
`i a proteclh."e envelope. for mall. 3~ an
`
`enl 0111 In !he mail. [ 18BO-6!>, Amer.1
`
`n. born 192J. U.5. writer.
`fr"demark. a m essage \fBnsmltlcd el<:ctrulll
`I<n delivered by regUlar "",II.
`itch of mail sent 81 one lime. [ 194;"!>!!)
`'oJ, n. An.tld• • 186 1- 1944 , Prendl SClJlpI'"
`1. a closc·O,Ung. one· plece OOlhl"9 ~IIII 'Of
`:elS. atrobalo, elc. 3 . a close-Iilll''ll knitter!
`~; < F: tigl ,I.<. swaddling clolhes. Mr III­
`maille (see MAIL1)]
`
`'I. ",,"8n . MAil CARRIER. [J 800-65)
`
`[0< goods recelvc<1 or shipped U''''''II'' Ihe
`","II/....-/der. IKU., 1'. 1.• _·der.-l, -or....
`
`a ~tall firm doInq its buslnes.> by n
`
`malmoina. n , -v.t. 1. to ckp rivc of UIr 11K
`p. by wounding. 2 . 10 impair: d lsllg,"'· -n
`OI a limb. l I 2S(}- 1300; (v.) 1'11: marhRl)'fWft
`i9n1er, pa ll. < rranklsh "mal/hanJ;'" 10 ,
`Id'ng): (n .) Mr . malh.llyrne <
`/If
`mafinler. n.
`1"" 1, I).
`IMo.<es ben /'Illimott) (·"R;tNI1oJ.'f
`Ie" and j urlsl.
`
`sIzt, uten i, or importan~: principal: I'
`
`dent. 3. pertaining 10 or corm,.tJ.:1l l(
`
`
`mas! or mainsail. 4. sheer; utm ost : by main strength. 5. Obs. of or
`\tr\Jinlng to a broad expanse: main sea. - no 6 . 3 principal pipe or duct
`'system used to distribute water, gas. etc. 7 . physical strength or
`0:: migllt and main. 8. the. chief part or poInt: In the main, if good
`9. the open ocean: Ibe boundIng main. 10. MAINLANO. (beL 900;
`ME meyn, mayn slrt:ngth . power, OE ma!gen. c. OS. OHG megin, ON
`~lfnJ, megn. der. of the Gmc v. base ' mag- MAY' ; (adj.) ME mayn, In­
`'M1cnt use of Of meegen. taken as an adj . in compounds)
`(man. min), n . a river in central Germany, Oowing W from N B.a­
`..•• Inlo the Rhine at Malnz. 305 mi. (490 km) long.
`,it' clause'. n . a clause tha t can stand alone as a sentence. con­
`~ a subject and a predicate with a nnile verb, as I was there in lIle
`nee t was tlrere when he arrived; Independent clause. Compare
`'DINATE CLAUSE.
`Itt' course', II. a square mainsafl. See diag. at SHIP. ( 1505-15]
`'n' deck'. n,
`the uppermost weatherprOOf deck. running the full
`III 01 a ship. [174{}-SO)
`,II' drag'. n. Slang. Ihe main slreel 01 a town. [ 16S(}-5S; orig. ar-
`
`I' (man). n. i . a stale In the NE United States, on the AtlanliC coast.
`
`JJ.l, 22~ : 33,2 15 sQ. mi. (66.027 sq. kill). Cap.: Augusta . Abbr.: ME.
`t. 2. a former province in NW France . - Main'er. n.
`IalneI coon' ca t!. n. one of an American breed of large semi­
`lirr:d domestiC cats with a shaggy ruff and a long. bushy tail. Also
`Maine' coon'.
`·frame (man'fram'L n. a large compu ter, onen the hub of a sys­
`•
`tm ser\i ng many users. Compare MICROCOMPUTER, M INICOM PUTE~ .
`[1960­
`''''II
`.....tand (man' land/ , -land), n. the principal land of a coun try. regIon,
`It.. is dislinguished from adj acent islands or a peninsula. t 1325-75)
`-f!\Ilnflandler, n.
`illl-lancl (man/ land / • -lend). n. 1. Ihe largest 01 the Shetland Islands.
`'\l68; abo 200 sq . ml. (S20 sQ . km) . 2 . POMONA (del. 3).
`1If\" lin&l, n. 1. a principal highway or railway line . 2. Stang. a read­
`" c(;ssible vein tha t can be used ror injection of a narcotic. (1835-451
`Iin·line (man'lin'. -lin' L v. , -lined. -lin·ing, ad). - v.I. 1. Slang. to in·
`Il narcotic directly into a vein. - V.t. 2. Slang. to Inject (a narcollc) di­
`I)"tnlo a vein. -adj. 3. having a principal, established . or widely ae­
`'!t.td posItion. [ 1935-40, Amer.] - main' lin/er. n.
`_
`Iy Inkln/ li;). adv. for the most pari: chieOy. ( 1225-7S)
`---In-ml.t (man' mast!. -mast!; Naut. -mast), n. 1. the second mast
`~ ~-ard in any Ship having two or more masts. except for a yawl or
`tt See iIIus. al QU"'~T£ ROECK. 2. th e larger forward mast of a ya wl or
`fi. 3. the sole masl of any of va rious ships, as sloops or cu tters.
`I~;)
`... mem'ory, n. RAM .
`I-sail (man'sal'; f'faut. -sal). n. the lowermost sail on a mainmast.
`dlag. at SH'P . (I425-7S)
`
`!heet (man/she,,). n. a sheet 01 a mainsail. [ 14 7:H15)
`
`sprinl (man' spring!). n. 1. the principal spring in a mechanism,
`
`a \!I"alch. 2 . the chief mOlive power; the impelling cause . [1585-95)
`. ·nay (man' sui') . n. 1. a person or thing that acts as a chief sup-
`Oi parI. 2. the stay that secures th e mainmast forward . [ 1475-85]
`w stem', n. the main slrcel 01 a cHy or lown . [ 1825-3SJ
`IlMtream (man' Slrem'J. n. , adj. , v., -streamed, -stream-ing. - n,
`ttr ~i'Kipa l or dominant course. tendency, or trend . 2. a river having
`- adj. 3. belonging to or characteristic of a principal or
`\eS
`accepted group, movemen t, style, etc. 4 . of. pertaining to, or
`~fistic or jazz falli ng historically between Dixieland and modern
`:z tsp. swing music. -
`v. t. 5. to send into the mainstream. 6 . to place
`~r school classes: to mainstream handicapped children. [1660­
`'1Il1
`str••t'. n. 1. the princtpal thoroughfare In a small town. 2.
`I the oullOOk. environment, or life of a small town. [17,)5-45)
`til" (man tan' >. v. t., -tained. -taln olng. 1 . to keep in existence or
`rwnce; preserve. 2 . to keep in due condition. operation. or force .
`l lf1 ~p in a specified state, position. etc. 4 . to amrm: assert; declare .
`' 10 Wpport in speech or argument. 6. to keep or hold against attack .
`prO\ide (or the upkeep or support of. [ 1200-50; ME mainteinen <
`. hom tonk s. of malntenlr « VL ·manutenere lit.. to hold in the
`I"" L manii, abl. or manus hand + tenere to hold] - mainotain'a·
`ItQ - main·tain / a-bWi·ty. 11. - main.tain'er. n.
`·t..nanee (man'la nans). n. 1. the act of maintaining or the state
`'...nq maintained. 2 . means of support or subsistence; livelihood . 3.
`otIIc.oos meddling In a lawsuit in which the meddler has no interest.
`m-1325; ME maintenaunce < Mf maintenance. see MAINTAIN, -ANCE)
`t..non
`(maNtO n()N' ), n. Marquile de (Fran~olse d 'Aublgm!),
`- 17 19, second wife of LouiS XIV.
`
`*' verb'. n. a word used as the fina l verb in a verb phrase, ex­
`
`. 'lg thc lexical meaning of the verb phrase, as drink. in I don 't drink.,
`in I am going, or spoken in We have spoken.
`yard/• n. a yard For a square mainsail. [14 75-<3S)
`IIInz 'minIS), n, a port in 5W central Gennany, on the Rhine : capllaJ of
`land-Palatlnale. 172,400. French. Mayence.
`:·loCI (rna yol'i ka), n. MAJOLICA .
`11t1ii~. ad}.• n.• adv. Chiefly Scol. "'ORE.
`In-ette or mai-son-nette (matze net'), n. Chiefly Brit. an
`en1, USU . with rooms on two Ooors. [18 10-20; < f : a small
`Of ~ maison house « L mansion-; see MANSION) + -ette -EHE)
`1It"-'nd (mlit'land). n. Frederic William. 18s(}- 1906. English legal
`;;. fW\.
`liotre lor m ai-tre ) d' (ma/tar d~Y . mWtra, mel/ra). n., pl. ma i tre (or
`_ I d's.•AiTRE O·HOTEL. [ 18 15-2SJ
`."n d'ha-tel (mi\lira dO lel/ ; Fr. me IR" do lel/ ), n.. pl. mai ·tre.
`itM Hna' lraz; Fr. me tR(). 1. a headwailer. 2 . a steward or butler. 3.
`'.'I1t( or manager of a hotel. { 1530-40; < f : master of (the) holel]
`:. ImM). n. 1. CORN I (deL I ). 2 . a pale yellow resembling the color
`'" { 1545-55; < Sp mail < Taino mahis)
`IlljOr.
`
`Main to Makassarese
`rna·jes·tic (ma Jesltik) also m a ·l e.,ti·ca l. IKU. characleri zed by Or
`possessing majesty; lofty or Imposing; grand: Ille majestiC Alps. ( 1595­
`160S) - ma·Jes/ ti·cal,ly, adv.
`maj-os-ty (maya Sle}, n., pl. -tiel. 1. regal, lofty. or stately dignity; im­
`posing character; grandeur . 2 . suprem e greatness or (.Iuthority: sovCJ·
`eignty. 3. (usu. cap.) ;l title or 1) sovereign (Usu. prec. by his. her. Or
`YOllr ). 4 . a royal personage. or royal personages colleclive\y. 11251)­
`1300; ME majeste < MF < L m ajesta/em, acc. of ntJjCSW5 = ITJiJJes
`(akin to m ajus, neut. camp. of magnus lar!=lC; cf. MAJOR) + ./lis -Ty l l
`Mal. Gen., Major General.
`maj-lis (majllisL n. . pl. -lis. (in SW Asia and N Africa ) 1. a lenisl.1 Hve
`body. 2 . a public audience held by a chlellain or olher ruler. I I B 15-25:
`< Ar)
`ma-jol.i-ca (ma jol' i ke. ma yol' -) also majolica. 11. 1. ltalla.n earth·
`enware covered with an opaque glaze 01 lin oxide and usu. hlgi lly deco­
`rated. 2. any similar earthen ware. r1545-55· < It m ajolica. after Maiol­
`ica (15th cellL ). earlier Maiorica Mo\JORCA, from whe.re HIe teLhniquc:
`fc)r
`making such earthenware was Introduced into Tuscany)
`maoJor (ma' jar), n. , adj.• v., -jored. -jo,..in&. -n. 1 . a c.ommiSSioned
`military omcer ranking below a lieutena nt col onel and above a captain.
`2. one of superior rank. ability. or power in a sped Oed ctass. 3 . a_ Held
`Of study in which a student specializes. b. a student specializing in such
`a neld: a Il/story major. 4. a person of full legal age. 5 , ,I maj or mUSical
`interval, chord, or scate. 6. t he majors, the major leagues. - adj. "
`greater in size, extent. or am ount: a major part. 8 . greater in rank or im·
`portance: a major talent. 9 . or great risk; serious: a rrw)or operation .
`10. or or pertaining to a majority. 11. of full legal tlge. 12. Nusic . • • (or
`an interval) being between the to nic and Ihe second, third , sixth. or sev­
`enth degrees of a major scate : a major third. b. (Of a chord) hoving a
`major third between the root and the note next above it. c. based on a
`major scale: a major key. 13. pertaining to the subject in which a stu ­
`dent specializes. -V.I. 14. to follow an academic. m ajor: majoring in
`physics. [ I 35(}-1 400; ME majour < Af < L major. compo of magnus
`large (d. MAJESTY)} - Syn. See CAPITAL'.
`Ma-jor (ma'Jar). n . John, born 1943 . Brit ish prime minister since 1990.
`ma'jor ax/is. n. the axis of an ellipse that passes ll1rolJgh the two rocf.
`[i85(}-S5J
`Ma-jor-ca (ma jor' ka. -yor'· ), n. a Spanish island in the W Mediterra­
`nean: Ihe )argesl 01 Ihe BaleariC Islands 5J4,5 1 1; 1405 sq. m !. (~O
`sq. km) . Cap. : Palma. Spanish, Mallorca. - Ma·Jor/c an, adj. . n.
`ma·jor~do~mo (ma/jar d5lmo)' n.. pl. -mOL 1_ a m;:lO in c: h~lrge 0' .-.
`great household . as that of a sovereign . 2 . a slc\I.-a rd; buller. 3 . a per­
`son who makes arrangements for another. ( 1580-90; < It m aggior­
`domo or Sp mayordomo < ML majordomus head of the house = L rTld­
`jor MAJOR + dorniis, gen. of domus house1
`ma-jor-ette (ma/ja ret'), n, 1 . a girl or wom C'ln who t\li,1rls a halon with
`a marching band . 2. a girl or woman who leads a marching band . Also
`r
`-En E}
`called drum majorette, [1940-45. Amer.; (ORUY) MAJOR
`-Usage. See -EnE.
`ma/jor gen/eral. n. a military omcer ranking below a lieutenant ge n­
`eral and above a brigadier general. [i635-451
`ma'lor hil'tocompati billity corn / p l ex. n. MHC.
`ma-jor.i -tar-i.an (ma jer/i tar'e an, -jorf-),;xi). 1. of. JXrtaining to. or
`consti tuting a majority. 2. supporting or advocating majority wic. - no
`3 . a supporter of majority rule . {1915-20] -n1s"jor ' i.tar'i·an.ism. n.
`ma·jor·i·ty (rna jor'i te o -jor' -). n., pI. , ties. 1. th e. greater part or
`number: a number larger than half the total. 2 . the amount by which the:
`greater number surpasses th e remain der (disting. from plurality) . 3 . the
`pa rty or faction wilh the majority vote.. 4 . the state or tim e of being of
`full lega l age: to a ttain one's majority. 5. th e mi litary ran k or o mu:: 01 (1
`major. [ I S45-5S; < ML maJi5ri/iis. Sec M.....OR. -'TV]
`major/ity lead /er, n. the Ooor leader of the mOlJority party in a legis·
`lature . [ 19S(}-5S. Amer.)
`ma'jor league'. n. 1. either o f the two main professional bast-ball
`leagues in the U.S. 2 . a league or like stature in other sports. 3 . BIG
`LE AGU, (del. 21 . [11160-65. Amer.J - ma/Jor-leaeu"', adj. m a/Jor ·
`lealguer. n.
`ma'jor or/dar. n. an order of priesthood. diaconate. or 5utxhaconatc
`in the Roman calhollc Church . Compare M'NOR ORO' • . [ 1720 ) 01
`ma'jor par'ty, n. a political party able to gai n periodic conlrol or tI'e
`government or to offer significant opposition 10 the party in power.
`[1945-S0)
`ma'Jor prem/ iso, 11.
`jor lenn . [II1S5-60)
`Ma'lor Proph'et. n. any of a group of Old Testamenl prophets. in­
`cludIng Isaiah . Jeremiah , and Ezekiel. Compare MINOR PROPHET.
`ma'jor scale'. n. a musical scale consisting of a series of whole sleps
`except ror half sleps between the third and fourth and scventh and
`elghlh de9rees. [ 1865-70)
`ma'jar sem'inary. n. a sLx-year college for training Roman catholic
`priests. [ 194Q-.4S)
`ma/jor suit'. n. hearts or spades, esp. wit h reference to their higher
`point values In bridge . Compart: MINOR SUIT . ( 1915 20]
`rna'jor term', n.
`Ihe lerm or a syllogism Ihal is Ihe predlcale of Ihe
`conclusion . [ II1S:HXJ)
`rna·jus·cule (ms juslkyool. majla skyool/). ac!J. 1. wrlUen In c.,pital
`tellers or uncials (opposed to minusclJle). - n. 2. a capital Ic!ttcr or un·
`clal. [l720-30; < L majuscula (Illtera) a somewhat biSl9cr lielter) = ITId
`Jus-, s. Of major MAJOR + -cula -CUlE ')
`Ma-ka-Iu tmuk' a 16()I). n. a mountain in the Himalayas, on the bound­
`ary bel"",en Nepal and Tibet. 27 ,790 n. (8470 mI .
`Ma-kas·sar or Ma-cas..sar (ma krls' ar). n. a former name of UJUNG
`PANOANG .
`Ma·kas·sar·ese or Ma· cas·sar·ese or Ma·ka l·ar · ese (m a kasla­
`rez' , -r€sl). n. , pi, -ese, 1. a member of a [lE:opJe living on the: southern­
`most end of SW Sulawesi in Jndonesia, esp. in and around UJuIlg Pan-
`PRONUNCIATION KEY : acl, cape, ctiJre, part,' set. even; il; ice: ox. nO. (or. oi l, blJ6k,
`bOO/, ou/; up, urge; child: sing: shoe; thin, H'lDl: zh in trt<lSlIre. Q - n in d/one.
`e in item, lin easily, 0 In gallop, u in circus; · in fire (fi-r). hou,- (OU-T),
`
`the premise of a sytlogism tha t contains the ma­
`
`

`

`In remembrance
`Stuart Berg Flexner
`
`March 22, 1928--December 3, 1990
`
`
`Copyright @) 1992, 1991 by Random House, Inc
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`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
`
`Random House Webster's college dictionary.
`cm,
`p .
`ISBN 0-679-41420-7 (plain edged). -
`indexed)
`1. English language-Dictionaries,
`dictionary.
`PEI628.R28 1992
`423--dc20
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`ISBN 0-679-41410-X (thumb
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`I. Title: Webste(s college
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`International Phonetic Alphabet, courtesy Internationat Phonetic ASsociation
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`Manufactured in the United States of America
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`m.u/sa
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