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main

   Also found in: Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
main  (mn)
adj.
1. Most important; principal. See Synonyms at chief.
2. Exerted to the utmost; sheer: by main strength.
3. Nautical Connected to or located near the mainmast: a main skysail.
4. Grammar Of, relating to, or being the principal clause or verb of a complex sentence.
5. Obsolete Of or relating to a continuous area or stretch, as of land or water.
n.
1. The chief or largest part: His ideas are, in the main, impractical.
2. The principal pipe or conduit in a system for conveying water, gas, oil, or other utility.
3. Physical strength: fought with might and main.
4. A mainland.
5. The open ocean.
6. Nautical
a. A mainsail.
b. A mainmast.

[Middle English, from Old English mægen, strength; see magh- in Indo-European roots.]

main
Adjective
chief or principal
Noun
1. a principal pipe or line in a system used to distribute water, electricity, or gas
2. mains the main distribution network for water, gas, or electricity
3. great strength or force: with might and main
4. Literary the open ocean
5. in the main on the whole [Old English mægen strength]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.mainmain - any very large body of (salt) water
body of water, water - the part of the earth's surface covered with water (such as a river or lake or ocean); "they invaded our territorial waters"; "they were sitting by the water's edge"
high sea, international waters - the open seas of the world outside the territorial waters of any nation
hydrosphere - the watery layer of the earth's surface; includes water vapor
offing - the part of the sea that can be seen from the shore and is beyond the anchoring area; "there was a ship in the offing"
territorial waters - the waters surrounding a nation and its territories over which that nation exercises sovereign jurisdiction
2.main - a principal pipe in a system that distributes water or gas or electricity or that collects sewage
electric main - a main that distributes electricity
gas main - a main that distributes gas
infrastructure, base - the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; "the industrial base of Japan"
pipage, pipe, piping - a long tube made of metal or plastic that is used to carry water or oil or gas etc.
sewer line, sewer main - a main in a sewage system
water main - main (a pipe or conduit) for conveying water
Adj.1.mainmain - most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"; "the master bedroom"; "a master switch"
important, of import - of great significance or value; "important people"; "the important questions of the day"
2.main - (of a clause) capable of standing syntactically alone as a complete sentence; "the main (or independent) clause in a complex sentence has at least a subject and a verb"
grammar - the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics)
dependent, subordinate - (of a clause) unable to stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence; "a subordinate (or dependent) clause functions as a noun or adjective or adverb within a sentence"
3.main - of force; of the greatest possible intensity; "by main strength"
intense - possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree; "intense heat"; "intense anxiety"; "intense desire"; "intense emotion"; "the skunk's intense acrid odor"; "intense pain"; "enemy fire was intense"

main
plural noun 2. pipeline, channel, pipe, conduit, duct
plural noun 3. cable, line, electricity supply, mains supply in the main on the whole, generally, mainly, mostly, in general, for the most part
Translations
Spanish main [meɪn] adjprincipal, mayor
n (pipe) → cañería principal or maestra;
(US) → red f eléctrica;
the mains (BRIT) (ELEC) → la red eléctrica;
in the main → en general

French main [meɪn] adjprincipal(e)
n (= pipe) → conduite principale, canalisation f;
the mains (Elec) → le secteur;
the main thing → l'essentiel m;
in the main → dans l'ensemble

German main [meɪn] adjHaupt-, wichtigste(r, s);
(door, entrance, meal) → Haupt-
nHauptleitung f;
the mains npl (Elec) → das Stromnetz;
(gas, water) → die Hauptleitung;
in the main → im Großen und Ganzen

Italian main [meɪn] adjprincipale
n (pipe) → conduttura principale;
the mains (ELEC) → la linea principale;
mains operated adjche funziona a elettricità;
in the main → nel complesso, nell'insieme

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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
He had been seated before the door of the main house.
THE main purpose of this story is to appeal to the reader's interest in a subject which has been the theme of some of the greatest writers, living and dead -- but which has never been, and can never be, exhausted, because it is a subject eternally interesting to all mankind.
It were a main place for pirates once, and a hand we had on board knowed all their names for it.
 
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