M () M, the thirteenth letter of the English alphabet, is a vocal consonant, and from the manner of its formation, is called the labio-nasal consonant. See Guide to Pronunciation, // 178-180, 242.
M () As a numeral, M stands for one thousand, both in English and Latin.
M (n.) A quadrat, the face or top of which is a perfect square; also, the size of such a square in any given size of type, used as the unit of measurement for that type: 500 m's of pica would be a piece of matter whose length and breadth in pica m's multiplied together produce that number.
M (n.) A brand or stigma, having the shape of an M, formerly impressed on one convicted of manslaughter and admitted to the benefit of clergy.
Ma (n.) A child's word for mother.
Ma (n.) In Oriental countries, a respectful form of address given to a woman; mother.
Ma (conj.) But; -- used in cautionary phrases; as, "Vivace, ma non troppo presto" (i. e., lively, but not too quick).
Maa (n.) The common European gull (Larus canus); -- called also mar. See New, a gull.
Maad (p. p.) Made.
Maalin (n.) The sparrow hawk.
Maalin (n.) The kestrel.
Ma'am (n.) Madam; my lady; -- a colloquial contraction of madam often used in direct address, and sometimes as an appellation.
Maara shell () A large, pearly, spiral, marine shell (Turbo margaritaceus), from the Pacific Islands. It is used as an ornament.
Maasha (n.) An East Indian coin, of about one tenth of the weight of a rupee.
Maat (a.) Dejected; sorrowful; downcast.
Mad (n.) A slattern.
Mad (n.) The name of a female fairy, esp. the queen of the fairies; and hence, sometimes, any fairy.
Mabble (v. t.) To wrap up.
Mabby (n.) A spirituous liquor or drink distilled from potatoes; -- used in the Barbadoes.
Mabolo (n.) A kind of persimmon tree (Diospyros discolor) from the Philippine Islands, now introduced into the East and West Indies. It bears an edible fruit as large as a quince.
Mac () A prefix, in names of Scotch origin, signifying son.
Macaco (n.) Any one of several species of lemurs, as the ruffed lemur (Lemur macaco), and the ring-tailed lemur (L. catta).
Macacus (n.) A genus of monkeys, found in Asia and the East Indies. They have short tails and prominent eyebrows.
Macadamization (n.) The process or act of macadamizing.
Macadamized (imp. & p. p.) of Macadamize
Macadamizing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Macadamize
Macadamize (v. t.) To cover, as a road, or street, with small, broken stones, so as to form a smooth, hard, convex surface.
Maoadam road () A macadamized road.
Macao (n.) A macaw.
Macaque (n.) Any one of several species of short-tailed monkeys of the genus Macacus; as, M. maurus, the moor macaque of the East Indies.
Macaranga gum () A gum of a crimson color, obtained from a tree (Macaranga Indica) that grows in the East Indies. It is used in taking impressions of coins, medallions, etc., and sometimes as a medicine.
Macarize (v. t.) To congratulate.
Macaronis (pl. ) of Macaroni
Macaronies (pl. ) of Macaroni
Macaroni (n.) Long slender tubes made of a paste chiefly of wheat flour, and used as an article of food; Italian or Genoese paste.
Macaroni (n.) A medley; something droll or extravagant.
Macaroni (n.) A sort of droll or fool.
Macaroni (n.) A finical person; a fop; -- applied especially to English fops of about 1775.
Macaroni (n.) The designation of a body of Maryland soldiers in the Revolutionary War, distinguished by a rich uniform.
Macaronian (a.) Alt. of Macaronic
Macaronic (a.) Pertaining to, or like, macaroni (originally a dish of mixed food); hence, mixed; confused; jumbled.
Macaronic (a.) Of or pertaining to the burlesque composition called macaronic; as, macaronic poetry.
Macaronic (n.) A heap of thing confusedly mixed together; a jumble.
Macaronic (n.) A kind of burlesque composition, in which the vernacular words of one or more modern languages are intermixed with genuine Latin words, and with hybrid formed by adding Latin terminations to other roots.
Macaroon (n.) A small cake, composed chiefly of the white of eggs, almonds, and sugar.
Macaroon (n.) A finical fellow, or macaroni.
Macartney (n.) A fire-backed pheasant. See Fireback.
Macassar oil () A kind of oil formerly used in dressing the hair; -- so called because originally obtained from Macassar, a district of the Island of Celebes. Also, an imitation of the same, of perfumed castor oil and olive oil.
Macauco (n.) Any one of several species of small lemurs, as Lemur murinus, which resembles a rat in size.
Macavahu (n.) A small Brazilian monkey (Callithrix torquatus), -- called also collared teetee.
Macaw (n.) Any parrot of the genus Sittace, or Macrocercus. About eighteen species are known, all of them American. They are large and have a very long tail, a strong hooked bill, and a naked space around the eyes. The voice is harsh, and the colors are brilliant and strongly contrasted.
Maccabean (a.) Of or pertaining to Judas Maccabeus or to the Maccabees; as, the Maccabean princes; Maccabean times.
Maccabees (n. pl.) The name given later times to the Asmonaeans, a family of Jewish patriots, who headed a religious revolt in the reign of Antiochus IV., 168-161 B. C., which led to a period of freedom for Israel.
Maccabees (n. pl.) The name of two ancient historical books, which give accounts of Jewish affairs in or about the time of the Maccabean princes, and which are received as canonical books in the Roman Catholic Church, but are included in the Apocrypha by Protestants. Also applied to three books, two of which are found in some MSS. of the Septuagint.
Maccaboy (n.) Alt. of Maccoboy
Maccoboy (n.) A kind of snuff.
Macco (n.) A gambling game in vogue in the eighteenth century.
Mace (n.) A money of account in China equal to one tenth of a tael; also, a weight of 57.98 grains.
Mace (n.) A kind of spice; the aril which partly covers nutmegs. See Nutmeg.
Mace (n.) A heavy staff or club of metal; a spiked club; -- used as weapon in war before the general use of firearms, especially in the Middle Ages, for breaking metal armor.
Mace (n.) A staff borne by, or carried before, a magistrate as an ensign of his authority.
Mace (n.) An officer who carries a mace as an emblem of authority.
Mace (n.) A knobbed mallet used by curriers in dressing leather to make it supple.
Mace (n.) A rod for playing billiards, having one end suited to resting on the table and pushed with one hand.
Macedonian (a.) Belonging, or relating, to Macedonia.
Macedonian (n.) A native or inhabitant of Macedonia.
Macedonian (n.) One of a certain religious sect, followers of Macedonius, Bishop of Constantinople, in the fourth century, who held that the Holy Ghost was a creature, like the angels, and a servant of the Father and the Son.
Macedonianism (n.) The doctrines of Macedonius.
Macer (n.) A mace bearer; an officer of a court.
Macerated (imp. & p. p.) of Macerate
Macerating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Macerate
Macerate (v. t.) To make lean; to cause to waste away.
Macerate (v. t.) To subdue the appetites of by poor and scanty diet; to mortify.
Macerate (v. t.) To soften by steeping in a liquid, with or without heat; to wear away or separate the parts of by steeping; as, to macerate animal or vegetable fiber.
Macerater (n.) One who, or that which, macerates; an apparatus for converting paper or fibrous matter into pulp.
Maceration (n.) The act or process of macerating.
Machaerodus (n.) Alt. of Machairodus
Machairodus (n.) A genus of extinct mammals allied to the cats, and having in the upper jaw canine teeth of remarkable size and strength; -- hence called saber-toothed tigers.
Machete (n.) A large heavy knife resembling a broadsword, often two or three feet in length, -- used by the inhabitants of Spanish America as a hatchet to cut their way through thickets, and for various other purposes.
Machiavelian (a.) Of or pertaining to Machiavel, or to his supposed principles; politically cunning; characterized by duplicity or bad faith; crafty.
Machiavelian (n.) One who adopts the principles of Machiavel; a cunning and unprincipled politician.
Machiavelism (n.) Alt. of Machiavelianism
Machiavelianism (n.) The supposed principles of Machiavel, or practice in conformity to them; political artifice, intended to favor arbitrary power.
Machicolated (a.) Having machicolations.
Machicolation (n.) An opening between the corbels which support a projecting parapet, or in the floor of a gallery or the roof of a portal, shooting or dropping missiles upen assailants attacking the base of the walls. Also, the construction of such defenses, in general, when of this character. See Illusts. of Battlement and Castle.
Machicolation (n.) The act of discharging missiles or pouring burning or melted substances upon assailants through such apertures.
Machicoulis (n.) Same as Machicolation.
Machinal (a.) Of or pertaining to machines.
Machinated (imp. & p. p.) of Machinate
Machinating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Machinate
Machinate (v. i.) To plan; to contrive; esp., to form a scheme with the purpose of doing harm; to contrive artfully; to plot.
Machinate (v. t.) To contrive, as a plot; to plot; as, to machinate evil.
Machination (n.) The act of machinating.
Machination (n.) That which is devised; a device; a hostile or treacherous scheme; an artful design or plot.
Machinator (n.) One who machinates, or forms a scheme with evil designs; a plotter or artful schemer.
Machine (n.) In general, any combination of bodies so connected that their relative motions are constrained, and by means of which force and motion may be transmitted and modified, as a screw and its nut, or a lever arranged to turn about a fulcrum or a pulley about its pivot, etc.; especially, a construction, more or less complex, consisting of a combination of moving parts, or simple mechanical elements, as wheels, levers, cams, etc., with their supports and connecting framework, calculated to constitute a prime mover, or to receive force and motion from a prime mover or from another machine, and transmit, modify, and apply them to the production of some desired mechanical effect or work, as weaving by a loom, or the excitation of electricity by an electrical machine.
Machine (n.) Any mechanical contrivance, as the wooden horse with which the Greeks entered Troy; a coach; a bicycle.
Machine (n.) A person who acts mechanically or at will of another.
Machine (n.) A combination of persons acting together for a common purpose, with the agencies which they use; as, the social machine.
Machine (n.) A political organization arranged and controlled by one or more leaders for selfish, private or partisan ends.