meiny

American  

[mey-nee] / ˈmeɪ ni /

Or meinie

noun

meinies plural

1. Archaic. a group or suite of attendants, followers, dependents, etc.

2. Scot. Archaic. a multitude; crowd.

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meiny British  

/ ˈmeɪnɪ /

noun

1. a retinue or household

2. a crowd

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• meinies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of meiny

1250–1300; Middle English meynee household < Old French meyne, mesnie, mesnede < Vulgar Latin *mānsiōnāta. See mansion, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Gunther's wife stood before the minster, and the knights dallied in converse with the women, till that Kriemhild came up with her meiny.

From The Fall of the Niebelungs by Armour, Margaret

Then thither with his meiny came Dankrat's haughty son, And thither too grim Hagan; it had been better left undone.

From The Nibelungenlied Revised Edition by Unknown

When King Mark saw him do so, as fast as Sir Dinadan rode toward them, King Mark rode froward them with all his menial meiny.

From Le Mort d'Arthur: Volume 2 by Malory, Thomas, Sir

Then thither with his meiny came Dancrat's haughty son, And thither too grim Hagan; it had been better left undone.

From Song and Legend from the Middle Ages by MacClintock, Porter Lander

Queen Brunhild with her meiny was now upon her way.

From The Nibelungenlied Revised Edition by Unknown