Result from Foreign Dictionaries (6 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: main \main\ (m[=a]n), n. [F. main hand, L. manus. See {Manual}.] 1. A hand or match at dice. --Prior. --Thackeray. [1913 Webster] 2. A stake played for at dice. [Obs.] --Shak. [1913 Webster] 3. The largest throw in a match at dice; a throw at dice within given limits, as in the game of hazard. [1913 Webster] 4. A match at cockfighting. "My lord would ride twenty miles . . . to see a main fought." --Thackeray. [1913 Webster] 5. A main-hamper. [Obs.] --Ainsworth. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Main \Main\, n. [AS. m[ae]gen strength, power, force; akin to OHG. magan, Icel. megin, and to E. may, v. [root]103. See {May}, v.] 1. Strength; force; might; violent effort. [Obs., except in certain phrases.] [1913 Webster] There were in this battle of most might and main. --R. of Gl. [1913 Webster] He 'gan advance, With huge force, and with importable main. --Spenser. [1913 Webster] 2. The chief or principal part; the main or most important thing. [Obs., except in special uses.] [1913 Webster] Resolved to rest upon the title of Lancaster as the main, and to use the other two . . . but as supporters. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] 3. Specifically: (a) The great sea, as distinguished from an arm, bay, etc.; the high sea; the ocean. "Struggling in the main." --Dryden. (b) The continent, as distinguished from an island; the mainland. "Invaded the main of Spain." --Bacon. (c) principal duct or pipe, as distinguished from lesser ones; esp. (Engin.), a principal pipe leading to or from a reservoir; as, a fire main. [1913 Webster] {Forcing main}, the delivery pipe of a pump. {For the main}, or {In the main}, for the most part; in the greatest part. {With might and main}, or {With all one's might and main}, with all one's strength; with violent effort. [1913 Webster] With might and main they chased the murderous fox. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Main \Main\ (m[=a]n), a. [From {Main} strength, possibly influenced by OF. maine, magne, great, L. magnus. Cf. {Magnate}.] 1. Very or extremely strong. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] That current with main fury ran. --Daniel. [1913 Webster] 2. Vast; huge. [Obs.] "The main abyss." --Milton. [1913 Webster] 3. Unqualified; absolute; entire; sheer. [Obs.] "It's a man untruth." --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] 4. Principal; chief; first in size, rank, importance, etc.; as, the main reason to go; the main proponent. [1913 Webster +PJC] Our main interest is to be happy as we can. --Tillotson. [1913 Webster] 5. Important; necessary. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] That which thou aright Believest so main to our success, I bring. --Milton. [1913 Webster] {By main force}, by mere force or sheer force; by violent effort; as, to subdue insurrection by main force. [1913 Webster] That Maine which by main force Warwick did win. --Shak. [1913 Webster] {By main strength}, by sheer strength; as, to lift a heavy weight by main strength. {Main beam} (Steam Engine), working beam. {Main boom} (Naut.), the boom which extends the foot of the mainsail in a fore and aft vessel. {Main brace}. (a) (Mech.) The brace which resists the chief strain. Cf. {Counter brace}. (b) (Naut.) The brace attached to the main yard. {Main center} (Steam Engine), a shaft upon which a working beam or side lever swings. {Main chance}. See under {Chance}. {Main couple} (Arch.), the principal truss in a roof. {Main deck} (Naut.), the deck next below the spar deck; the principal deck. {Main keel} (Naut.), the principal or true keel of a vessel, as distinguished from the false keel. [1913 Webster] Syn: Principal; chief; leading; cardinal; capital. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Main \Main\, adv. [See {Main}, a.] Very; extremely; as, main heavy. "I'm main dry." --Foote. [Obs. or Low] [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: main adj 1: most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"; "the master bedroom"; "a master switch" [syn: {chief(a)}, {main(a)}, {primary(a)}, {principal(a)}, {master(a)}] 2: (of a clause) capable of standing syntactically alone as a complete sentence; "the main (or independent) clause in a complex sentence has at least a subject and a verb" [syn: {independent}, {main(a)}] [ant: {dependent}, {subordinate}] 3: of force; of the greatest possible intensity; "by main strength" n 1: any very large body of (salt) water [syn: {main}, {briny}] 2: a principal pipe in a system that distributes water or gas or electricity or that collects sewage From French-English FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.3.4 [fd-fra-eng]: main /mɛ̃/ hand