main

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The lyrics in the main are accomplished and thoughtful.

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Definitions (54)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (12)

  1. adjective Most important; principal. See Synonyms at chief.
  2. adjective Exerted to the utmost; sheer: by main strength.
  3. adjective Nautical Connected to or located near the mainmast: a main skysail.
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Examples (50)

  • Wish the main was a guy, then this might have meant there'd be more action and less introspection. —  Anime Nano!
  • An independent team of analysts reviewed 500 health stories published in American main stream news media, and the results may hint to why so many consumers are confused, and are willing to trust at-home homeopath as much as they do their local medical reporter. —  Medgadget
  • In a written statement released yesterday, the Çankaya presidential palace named the main issues as "bilateral relations between Turkey and the US, two allies and strategic partners which have been in solidarity on vital issues for over half a century" and "priority regional and global issues which are essentially on the common agenda of both countries."
  • Right now my main is a healer, so I'm pretty used to playing a supportive role in PvE end-game content. —  WoW.com
  • This, quoting Behkhabib, allows us to understand why, among the values of the Western states, the main are the values of respect, tolerance and solidarity among the participants of civil society in defending their rights in the public sphere, which is another principal political value. —  cafebabel.com
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

central ·  various ·  major

Used in the same contextWord Family

main:   mains
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (6)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, from Old English mægen, strength; see magh- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (5)

  1. Early modern English also maine, mayne; from Middle English main, mayn, from Anglo-Saxon mægen, power, strength (= Old Saxon megin = Old High German megin = Icelandic megin, magn, power, might, the main part of a thing), from mæg, preterit present of * magan, have power: see may. Cf. might, from the same source. Cf. also main, to which some of the uses commonly referred to main (defs. 2, 3, etc.) are in part due.
  2. from Middle English* main, mayn, (a) partly from Icelandic meginn, megn, main, strong, mighty (= Danish megen, much), associated with the noun megin, might, main, = Anglo-Saxon mægen = English main (there is no like adjective in Anglo-Saxon) (see main); (b) partly from Old French maine, maigne, magne, chief, great, = Spanish magno = Portuguese magno, manho = Italian magno, great, from Latin magnus, great, akin to Greek μέγας (μεγαλ-), great, Anglo-Saxon micel, great, English mickle, much: see mickle, much. From Latin magnus are also English magnum, magnify, magnitude, etc.
  3. from main, a. Cf. mighty, powerful, similarly used.
  4. from Middle English mayne, from Old French main, the hand, French main, the hand, a hand at cards, the lead at cards, also hand (literally and in various derived senses), = Provencal man = Spanish mano = Portuguese mão = Italian mano = Irish man, mana, from Latin manus, the hand, also a stake at dice (and in many other derived senses): prob. from ✓ ma, measure. The derivatives of Latin manus are very many: manacle, manage, manège, manifest, maniple, manipulate, manner, manual, manufacture, manumit, manuscript, etc., manure, manœuver, mainor, amanuensis, etc., mainprise, mainpernor, maintain, etc.
  5. By apheresis for amain.
 

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/meɪn/
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