释义 |
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024main•ly (mān′lē),USA pronunciation adv. - chiefly;
principally; for the most part; in the main; to the greatest extent:Our success was due mainly to your efforts. The audience consisted mainly of students. - [Obs.]greatly;
mightily; abundantly.
- Middle English maynliche, maynly. See main1, -ly 1225–75
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: mainly /ˈmeɪnlɪ/ adv - for the most part; to the greatest extent; principally
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024main1 /meɪn/USA pronunciation adj. [before a noun]- chief in size, extent, or importance:He had the main part in a play.
- Grammar(in a sentence) of or relating to the clause that can stand by itself;
independent:In the sentence I'll see you when I get home, the main clause is I'll see you. n. [countable] - Civil Engineeringa principal pipe in a system used to carry and send water, gas, etc.
Idioms- in the main, most importantly:In the main, she has proposed a very good plan.
- with might and main, with strength or force.
main•ly, adv. : He got rich mainly from government contracts. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024main1 (mān),USA pronunciation adj. - chief in size, extent, or importance;
principal; leading:the company's main office; the main features of a plan. - sheer;
utmost, as strength or force:to lift a stoneby main force. - of or pertaining to a broad expanse:main sea.
- Grammarsyntactically independent;
capable of use in isolation. Cf. dependent (def. 4), independent (def. 14), main clause. - [Naut.]
- Nauticalof or pertaining to a mainmast.
- Nauticalnoting or pertaining to a sail, yard, boom, etc., or to any rigging belonging to a mainmast.
- Nauticalnoting any stay running aft and upward to the head of a mainmast:main topmast stay.
- [Obs.]
- having or exerting great strength or force;
mighty. - having momentous or important results;
significant.
n. - Civil Engineeringa principal pipe or duct in a system used to distribute water, gas, etc.
- physical strength, power, or force:to struggle with might and main.
- the chief or principal part or point:The main of their investments was lost during the war.
- [Literary.]the open ocean;
high sea:the bounding main. - the mainland.
- Idiomsin the main, for the most part;
chiefly:In the main, the novel was dull reading. adv. - Dialect Terms[South Midland U.S.](chiefly Appalachian). very;
exceedingly:The dogs treed a main big coon. v.i., v.t. - Slang Termsmainline.
- Old Norse megenn, megn strong, partly independent use of Old English mægen (noun, nominal) taken as an adjective, adjectival in compounds, as in mægen-weorc, literally, work of might
- bef. 900; (noun, nominal) Middle English meyn, mayn strength, power, Old English mægen, cognate with Old Norse megin(n), megn strength; (adjective, adjectival) Middle English mayn, partly
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged cardinal, prime, paramount, primary, capital.
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged pure, direct.
- 7.See corresponding entry in Unabridged conduit.
- 8.See corresponding entry in Unabridged might.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged secondary, least.
- 8.See corresponding entry in Unabridged weakness.
main2 (mān),USA pronunciation n. - a cockfighting match.
- 1560–70; perh. special use of main1; compare main chance
Main (mān; Ger. mīn),USA pronunciation n. - Place Namesa river in central and W Germany, flowing W from the Bohemian Forest in N Bavaria into the Rhine at Mainz. 305 mi. (490 km) long.
|