Mains

[meynz] /meɪnz/

noun, (used with a singular verb) British Dialect.
1.
the or home farm of a manor, as where the ownerlives; manse.
[meyn] /meɪn/
adjective
1.
chief in size, extent, or importance; principal; leading:
the company’s main office; the main features of a plan.
2.
sheer; utmost, as strength or force:
to lift a stone by main force.
3.
of or relating to a broad expanse:
main sea.
4.
Grammar. syntactically independent; capable of use in isolation.
Compare (def 4), (def 14), .
5.
Nautical.

6.
Obsolete.

noun
7.
a principal pipe or duct in a system used to distribute water, gas, etc.
8.
physical strength, power, or force:
to struggle with might and main.
9.
the chief or principal part or point:
The main of their investments was lost during the war.
10.
Literary. the open ocean; high sea:
the bounding main.
11.
the .
12.
Usually, mains. a main course in a meal:
The restaurant offers four mains: one chicken, two beef, and one fish.
adverb
13.
South Midland U.S. (chiefly Appalachian) . very; exceedingly:
The dogs treed a main big coon.
verb (used with or without object)
14.
Slang. .
Idioms
15.
in the main, for the most part; chiefly:
In the main, the novel was dull reading.
[meyn] /meɪn/
noun
1.
a cockfighting match.
[meyn; German mahyn] /meɪn; German maɪn/
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.
/meɪn/
adjective (prenominal)
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
noun
5.
a principal pipe, conduit, duct, or line in a system used to distribute water, electricity, etc
6.
(pl)

7.
the chief or most important part or consideration
8.
great strength or force (now chiefly in the phrase (with) might and main)
9.
(literary) the open ocean
10.
(archaic) short for Spanish Main
11.
(archaic) short for mainland
12.
in the main, for the main, on the whole; for the most part
/meɪn/
noun
1.
a throw of the dice in dice games
2.
a cockfighting contest
3.
a match in archery, boxing, etc
/meɪn; German 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)
n.

Old English mægen (n.) “power, bodily strength, force, efficacy,” from Proto-Germanic *maginam “power,” suffixed form of PIE root *magh- (1) “be able, have power” (see may (v.)). Original sense preserved in phrase with might and main. Meaning “principal channel in a utility system” is first recorded 1727 in main drain; Used since 1540s for “continuous stretch of land or water.” In Spanish Main the word is short for mainland and refers to the coast between Panama and Orinoco.
adj.

early 13c., “large, bulky, strong,” from Old English mægen- “power, strength, force,” used in compounds (e.g. mægensibb “great love,” mægenbyrðen “heavy burden;” see main (n.)), probably also from or influenced by Old Norse megenn (adj.) “strong, powerful.” Sense of “chief” is c.1400. Main course in the meal sense attested from 1829. Main man “favorite male friend; hero” is from 1967, U.S. black slang.

adjective

Favorite; most admired; beloved: This is my main nigger, my number one nigger (1960s+ Black)

Related Terms

mainline