mean

Signification

Verb

1. To intend.
2. To intend.
3. To intend.
4. To intend.
5. To convey (a meaning).
6. To convey (a meaning).
7. To convey (a meaning).
8. To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).
9. To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).
10. To be of some level of importance.

Adj

1. (obsolete) Common; general.
2. Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.
3. Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
4. Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
5. Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
6. Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.
7. Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating.
8. Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another.
9. Powerful; fierce; strong.
10. (colloquial) Hearty; spicy.
11. (colloquial) Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.
12. (informal) Difficult, tricky.

Adj

1. Having the mean (see noun below) as its value; average.
2. (obsolete) Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.

Noun

1. A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
2. (obsolete) An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
3. Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
4. The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.
5. The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.
6. Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
7. Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/miːn/

Étymologie

From Middle English menen (“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”), from Old English mǣnan (“to mean, complain”), Proto-West Germanic *mainijan, from Proto-Germanic *mainijaną (“to mean, think; complain”), from Proto-Indo-European *meyn- (“to think”), or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *meyno-, extended form of Proto-Indo-European *mey-.
Germanic cognates include West Frisian miene (“to deem, think”) (Old Frisian mēna (“to signify”)), Dutch menen (“to believe, think, mean”) (Middle Dutch menen (“to think, intend”)), German meinen (“to think, mean, believe”), Old Saxon mēnian. Indo-European cognates include Old Irish mían (“wish, desire”) and Polish mienić (“to signify, believe”). Non-Indo-European cognates include Finnish mainita (“to mention”), Finnish meinata (“to mean, to plan, to intend”) Estonian mainima (“to mention”), Northern Sami máinnastit (“to tell”). Related to moan.

Phrases

What does this mean ?

Qu'est-ce que cela signifie?

You mean spies and things like that ?

Vous voulez dire des espions et des choses comme ça?