browse words by letter
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
may |
5 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: May \May\, v. [imp. {Might}] [AS. pres. m[ae]g I am able, pret. meahte, mihte; akin to D. mogen, G. m["o]gen, OHG. mugan, magan, Icel. mega, Goth. magan, Russ. moche. ?. Cf {Dismay}, {Main} strength, {Might}. The old imp. mought is obsolete, except as a provincial word.] An auxiliary verb qualifyng the meaning of another verb by expressing: a Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener expressed by can. How may a man, said he with idle speech, Be won to spoil the castle of his health ! --Spenser. For what he [the king] may do is of two kinds; what he may do as just and what he may do as possible. --Bacon. For of all sad words of tongue or pen The saddest are these: ``It might have been.'' --Whittier. b Liberty; permission; allowance. Thou mayst be no longer steward. --Luke xvi. 2. c Contingency or liability; possibility or probability. Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxims, or be right by chance. --Pope. d Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to soften a question or remark. How old may Phillis be you ask --Prior. e Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation, benediction, and the like ``May you live happily.'' --Dryden. {May be}, & {It may be}, are used as equivalent to possibly, perhaps, by chance, peradventure. See 1st {Maybe}. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: May \May\, n. [Cf. Icel. m[ae]r, Goth. mawi; akin to E. maiden. ?.] A maiden. [Obs.] --Chaucer. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: May \May\, n. [F. Mai, L. Maius; so named in honor of the goddess Maia (Gr. ?), daughter of Atlas and mother of Mercury by Jupiter.] 1. The fifth month of the year, containing thirty-one days. --Chaucer. 2. The early part or springtime of life. His May of youth, and bloom of lustihood. --Shak. 3. (Bot.) The flowers of the hawthorn; -- so called from their time of blossoming; also the hawthorn. The palm and may make country houses gay. --Nash. Plumes that micked the may --Tennyson. 4. The merrymaking of May Day --Tennyson. {Italian may} (Bot.), a shrubby species of {Spir[ae]a} ({S. hypericifolia}) with many clusters of small white flowers along the slender branches. {May apple} (Bot.), the fruit of an American plant ({Podophyllum peltatum}). Also the plant itself (popularly called {mandrake}), which has two lobed leaves, and bears a single egg-shaped fruit at the forking. The root and leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic. {May beetle}, {May bug} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of large lamellicorn beetles that appear in the winged state in May They belong to {Melolontha}, and allied genera. Called also {June beetle}. {May Day}, the first day of May -- celebrated in the rustic parts of England by the crowning of a May queen with a garland, and by dancing about a May pole. {May dew}, the morning dew of the first day of May to which magical properties were attributed. {May flower} (Bot.), a plant that flowers in May also its blossom. See {Mayflower}, in the vocabulary. {May fly} (Zo["o]l.), any species of {Ephemera}, and allied genera; -- so called because the mature flies of many species appear in May See {Ephemeral fly}, under {Ephemeral}. {May game}, any May-day sport. {May lady}, the queen or lady of May in old May games. {May lily} (Bot.), the lily of the valley ({Convallaria majalis}). {May pole}. See {Maypole} in the Vocabulary. {May queen}, a girl or young woman crowned queen in the sports of May Day {May thorn}, the hawthorn. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: May n 1: the month following April and preceding June [syn: {May}] 2: thorny Eurasian shrub of small tree having dense clusters of white to scarlet flowers followed by deep red berries; established as an escape in eastern North America [syn: {whitethorn}, {English hawthorn}, {Crataegus laevigata}, {Crataegus oxycantha}] v 1: expresses permission; "You may leave now"; "Can I have another piece of cake?" [syn: {can}, {might}] 2: get to or be allowed to do something "May I go to the movies tonight?" "Can I have some ice cream?" "We got to play video games all day long" [syn: {can}, {get}] [ant: {must not}] From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]: May OK (town, FIPS 47000) Location: 36.61650 N, 99.74896 W Population (1990): 42 (34 housing units) Area: 0.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 73851 May TX Zip code(s): 76857
more about may