mare

[mair]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mare ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a fully mature female horse or other equine animal.

Nearby words

Origin of mare

before 900; Middle English, variant of mere, Old English m(i)ere; cognate with Dutch merrie, German Mähre, Old Norse merr; akin to Old English mearh, Old Norse marr, Irish marc horse. See marshal

Can be confusedmare mayor

mare

[mair]

noun Obsolete.

nightmare(def 3).

Origin of mare

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German Mahre, Old Norse mara. See nightmare

mare

[mahr-ey, mair-ee]

noun, plural ma·ri·a [mahr-ee-uh, mair-] /ˈmɑr i ə, ˈmɛər-/. Astronomy.

any of the several large, dark plains on the moon and Mars: Galileo believed that the lunar features were seas when he first saw them through a telescope.

Origin of mare

1680–90; < Latin: sea

Sirenum

[si-ree-nuh m]

noun

Mare. Mare Sirenum.

Mar.E.

Marine Engineer.

mare nostrum

[mah-re nohs-troo m; English mair-ee nos-truh m, mahr-ey]

noun Latin.

our sea, especially the Mediterranean to the ancient Romans.

de la Mare

[duh luh mair, del-uh mair]

noun

Walter (John),1873–1956, English poet, novelist, playwright, and short-story writer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mare

Captain Giuseppe Maggio described the nightmare situations the Mare Nostrum ships encounter.
Britain’s Let-Em-All-Die Policy|Nico Hines, Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since Mare Nostrum, more than 60 traffickers have been arrested when their boats were intercepted or rescued at sea.
Hundreds of Migrants are Reported Drowned by Traffickers Near Malta|Barbie Latza Nadeau|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But if Mare Nostrum ends, it could be a tragic day for migrants making the perilous crossing.
Are European Rescuers Enticing Migrants to Their Deaths?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The five-year-old mare is one of five horses from different stables who failed drugs tests in recent weeks.
Queen's Horse Which Tested Positive For Morphine Could Have Eaten Poppy Seeds|Tom Sykes|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Instead, it would like to see additional, strengthened search and rescue missions like Mare Nostrum put in place.
Confessions of a Human Trafficker Who Smuggled Desperate Migrants Into Europe|Barbie Latza Nadeau|June 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So early as in 1609 the great Grotius had published his treatise of Mare Liberum in favour of the freedom of the seas.
Curiosities of Literature, Vol. II (of 3)|Isaac Disraeli
"Why, you've hardly tried your own mare at all," said the lad, reproachfully.
Castle Richmond|Anthony Trollope
Joe, I dont know that theres the slightest hope of saving the mare, but Id like to bring her home and try.
Ainslee's, Vol. 15, No. 6, July 1905|Various
The perfect understanding between me and my horses tells me the mare has seen enough of you, Sabre.
If Winter Comes|A.S.M. Hutchinson
My friend did not share my curiosity, but was ready for an adventure, which our search for mare's milk seemed to promise.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 15, No. 87, January, 1865|Various

British Dictionary definitions for mare

mare

noun

the adult female of a horse or zebra

Word Origin for mare

C12: from Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German mariha, Old Norse merr mare

noun plural maria (ˈmɑːrɪə)

(capital when part of a name) any of a large number of huge dry plains on the surface of the moon, visible as dark markings and once thought to be seas: Mare Imbrium (Sea of Showers)

a similar area on the surface of Mars, such as Mare Sirenum

Word Origin for mare

from Latin: sea

de la Mare

noun

Walter (John). 1873–1956, English poet and novelist, noted esp for his evocative verse for children. His works include the volumes of poetry The Listeners and Other Poems (1912) and Peacock Pie (1913) and the novel Memoirs of a Midget (1921)

mare nostrum

noun

the Latin name for the Mediterranean

Word Origin for mare nostrum

literally: our sea

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 mare

mare

n.1

"female horse," Old English mere (Mercian), myre (West Saxon), fem. of mearh "horse," from Proto-Germanic *markhjon- (cf. Old Saxon meriha, Old Norse merr, Old Frisian merrie, Dutch merrie, Old High German meriha, German Mähre "mare"), said to be of Gaulish origin (cf. Irish and Gaelic marc, Welsh march, Breton marh "horse"). No known cognates beyond Germanic and Celtic. As the name of a throw in wrestling, it is attested from c.1600. Mare's nest "illusory discovery, excitement over something which does not exist" is from 1610s.

mare

n.2

"broad, dark areas of the moon," 1765, from Latin mare "sea" (see marine), applied to lunar features by Galileo and used thus in 17c. Latin works. They originally were thought to be actual seas.

n.3

"night-goblin, incubus," Old English mare "incubus, nightmare, monster," from mera, mære, from Proto-Germanic *maron "goblin" (cf. Middle Low German mar, Middle Dutch mare, Old High German mara, German Mahr "incubus," Old Norse mara "nightmare, incubus"), from PIE *mora- "incubus" (cf. first element in Old Irish Morrigain "demoness of the corpses," literally "queen of the nightmare," also Bulgarian, Serbian mora, Czech mura, Polish zmora "incubus;" French cauchemar, with first element from Old French caucher "to trample"), from root *mer- "to rub away, harm" (see morbid).

Science definitions for mare

mare

[mä′rā]

Plural maria (mä′rē-ə)

Any of the large, low-lying dark areas on the Moon or on Mars or other inner planets. The lunar maria are believed to consist of volcanic basalts, and many are believed to be basins formed initially by large impacts with meteoroids and later filled with lava flows. Compare terra.

mare

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of mare

mare

noun Obsolete.

Origin of mare

mare

noun, plural ma·ri·a [mahr-ee-uh, mair-] /ˈmɑr i ə, ˈmɛər-/. Astronomy.

Origin of mare

Sirenum

noun

Mar.E.

mare nostrum

noun Latin.

de la Mare

noun

Examples from the Web for mare

mare

noun

Word Origin for mare

noun plural maria (ˈmɑːrɪə)

Word Origin for mare

de la Mare

noun

mare nostrum

noun

Word Origin for mare nostrum

mare

mare

mare

Plural maria (mä′rē-ə)