Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

mains

[meynz]
noun (used with a singular verb) British Dialect.
  1. the main or home farm of a manor, as where the ownerlives; manse.
Show More

Origin of mains

1425–75; late Middle English, plural of main, aphetic variant of Middle English demain, demeine demesne

main1

[meyn]
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 dependent(def 4), independent(def 14), main clause.
  5. Nautical.
    1. of or relating to a mainmast.
    2. noting or pertaining to a sail, yard, boom, etc., or to any rigging belonging to a mainmast.
    3. noting any stay running aft and upward to the head of a mainmast: main topmast stay.
  6. Obsolete.
    1. having or exerting great strength or force; mighty.
    2. having momentous or important results; significant.
Show More
noun
  1. a principal pipe or duct in a system used to distribute water, gas, etc.
  2. physical strength, power, or force: to struggle with might and main.
  3. the chief or principal part or point: The main of their investments was lost during the war.
  4. Literary. the open ocean; high sea: the bounding main.
  5. the mainland.
  6. Usually mains. a main course in a meal: The restaurant offers four mains: one chicken, two beef, and one fish.
Show More
adverb
  1. South Midland U.S. (chiefly Appalachian ). very; exceedingly: The dogs treed a main big coon.
Show More
verb (used with or without object)
  1. Slang. mainline.
Show More
Idioms
  1. in the main, for the most part; chiefly: In the main, the novel was dull reading.
Show More

Origin of main1

before 900; (noun) Middle English meyn, mayn strength, power, Old English mægen, cognate with Old Norse megin(n), megn strength; (adj.) Middle English mayn, partly < Old Norse megenn, megn strong, partly independent use of Old English mægen (noun) taken as an adj. in compounds, as in mægen-weorc, literally, work of might

Synonyms

1. cardinal, prime, paramount, primary, capital. 2. pure, direct. 7. conduit. 8. might.

Antonyms

1. secondary, least. 8. weakness.

main2

[meyn]
noun
  1. a cockfighting match.
Show More

Origin of main2

1560–70; perhaps special use of main1; compare main chance

Main

[meyn; German mahyn]
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.
Show More
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

primemajorcentralpreeminentleadingprimaryvitalfundamentalparticularessentialspecialentireheadstarpremierchiefcardinalcapitalnecessarysimple

Examples from the Web for mains

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

British Dictionary definitions for mains

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)
Show More

main1

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
Show More
noun
  1. a principal pipe, conduit, duct, or line in a system used to distribute water, electricity, etc
  2. (plural)
    1. the main distribution network for water, gas, or electricity
    2. (as modifier)mains voltage
  3. the chief or most important part or consideration
  4. great strength or force (now chiefly in the phrase (with) might and main)
  5. literary the open ocean
  6. archaic short for Spanish Main
  7. archaic short for mainland
  8. in the main or for the main on the whole; for the most part
Show More

Word Origin

C13: from Old English mægen strength

main2

noun
  1. a throw of the dice in dice games
  2. a cockfighting contest
  3. a match in archery, boxing, etc
Show More

Word Origin

C16: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mains

main

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.

Show More

main

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.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with mains

main

In addition to the idioms beginning with main

  • main drag
  • main squeeze

also see:

  • eye to the main chance
  • in the main
  • might and main
Show More
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.