mayst

[ meyst ]

/ meɪst /

verb Archaic.

2nd person singular present indicative of may¹.

Words nearby mayst

mayotte, maypole, maypop, mayr, mays, mayst, mayten, maytime, mayweed, maywood, mazaedium

Definition for mayst (2 of 2)

may¹

[ mey ]

/ meɪ /

auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person may, 2nd may or (Archaic) may·est or mayst, 3rd may; present plural may; past might.

(used to express possibility): It may rain.

(used to express opportunity or permission): You may enter.

(used to express contingency, especially in clauses indicating condition, concession, purpose, result, etc.): I may be wrong but I think you would be wise to go. Times may change but human nature stays the same.

(used to express wish or prayer): May you live to an old age.

Archaic. (used to express ability or power.)

Compare might¹.

Origin of may

before 900; Middle English mai 1st and 3rd person singular present indicative of mouen, Old English mæg (infinitive magan); cognate with German mögen

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH may

can may shall will (see usage note at can¹) (see usage note at shall)may might must (see synonym study at must¹)

usage note for may

See can¹.

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

Examples from the Web for mayst

For mayst ou sourmounten ise olifut in gretnesse or weyt of body.
Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's 'De Consolatione Philosophiae'|Geoffrey Chaucer
Mayst thou long rejoice in thy house and thy children, and in thy husband, Alcinous, the renowned King.'
The Adventures of Odysseus and The Tales of Troy|Padriac Colum
Mayst thou conquer new and far-extending realms, which no fatality shall rob thee of!
The Man With The Broken Ear|Edmond About
So bathed and so clad, thou mayst stand once more upon thy feet and mayst look up to God and say: 'Lo, God!
The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions|Howard Pyle

Take them to thee at once, man; and mayst thou feel as I have done, that they are both of red hot iron!
The Fair Maid of Perth|Sir Walter Scott

British Dictionary definitions for mayst (1 of 6)

mayst

mayest

/ (meɪst) /

verb

archaic, or dialect (used with the pronoun thou or its relative equivalent) a singular form of the present tense of may 1

British Dictionary definitions for mayst (2 of 6)

May¹

/ (meɪ) /

noun

the fifth month of the year, consisting of 31 days

Word Origin for May

from Old French, from Latin Maius, probably from Maia, Roman goddess, identified with the Greek goddess Maia

British Dictionary definitions for mayst (3 of 6)

May²

/ (meɪ) /

noun

Robert McCredie, Baron. born 1936, Australian biologist and ecologist

British Dictionary definitions for mayst (4 of 6)

may¹

/ (meɪ) /

verb past might (takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive used as an auxiliary)

to indicate that permission is requested by or granted to someonehe may go to the park tomorrow if he behaves himself

(often foll by well) to indicate possibilitythe rope may break; he may well be a spy

to indicate ability or capacity, esp in questionsmay I help you?

to express a strong wishlong may she reign

to indicate result or purpose: used only in clauses introduced by that or so thathe writes so that the average reader may understand

another word for might 1

to express courtesy in a questionwhose child may this little girl be?

be that as it may in spite of that: a sentence connector conceding the possible truth of a previous statement and introducing an adversative clausebe that as it may, I still think he should come

come what may whatever happens

that's as may be (foll by a clause introduced by but) that may be so

Word Origin for may

Old English mæg, from magan: compare Old High German mag, Old Norse mā

usage for may

It was formerly considered correct to use may rather than can when referring to permission as in: you may use the laboratory for your experiments, but this use of may is now almost entirely restricted to polite questions such as: may I open the window? The use of may with if in constructions such as: your analysis may have been more more credible if … is generally regarded as incorrect, might being preferred: your analysis might have been more credible if …

British Dictionary definitions for mayst (5 of 6)

may²

/ (meɪ) /

noun

an archaic word for maiden

Word Origin for may

Old English mæg; related to Old High German māg kinsman, Old Norse māgr a relative by marriage

British Dictionary definitions for mayst (6 of 6)

may³

/ (meɪ) /

noun

Also: may tree a Brit name for hawthorn

short for may blossom

Word Origin for may

C16: from the month of May, when it flowers

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

Idioms and Phrases with mayst

may

see be that as it may; come what may; let the chips fall where they may; to whom it may concern.