main

Meaning

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Of chief or leading importance; prime, principal.
2. (not-comparable) Chief, most important, or principal in extent, size, or strength; consisting of the largest part.
3. (archaic, not-comparable, usually) Full, sheer, undivided.
4. (dialectal, not-comparable) Big; angry.
5. (not-comparable) Belonging to or connected with the principal mast in a vessel.
6. (not-comparable, obsolete) Great in size or degree; important, powerful, strong, vast.

Adv

Exceedingly, extremely, greatly, mightily, very, very much.

Verb

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, slang, transitive) Ellipsis of mainline (“to inject (a drug) directly into a vein”).
2. (transitive) To mainly play a specific character or side, or with specific equipment, during a game.
3. (obsolete) To convert (a road) into a main or primary road.

Noun

1. That which is chief or principal; the chief or main portion; the bulk, the greater part, gross.
2. That which is chief or principal; the chief or main portion; the bulk, the greater part, gross.
3. (Internet) That which is chief or principal; the chief or main portion; the bulk, the greater part, gross.
4. A large cable or pipe providing utility service to an area or a building, such as a water main or electric main.
5. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal) Ellipsis of main course (“the principal dish of a meal”).
6. (poetic) The high seas.
7. (US, archaic, dialectal) The mainland.
8. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of mainsail.
9. (obsolete) Force, power, strength, violent effort.

Noun

1. (obsolete) A hand or match in a game of dice.
2. (obsolete) The largest throw in a match at dice; in the game of hazard, a number from one to nine called out by a person before the dice are thrown.
3. (obsolete) A stake played for at dice.
4. (obsolete) A sporting contest or match, especially a cockfighting match.
5. A banker's shovel for coins.

Noun

A basket for gathering grapes.

Opposite of

alt

Synonyms

principal

chief

primary

major

important

leading

head

central

master

capital

cardinal

basic

fundamental

essential

prime

senior

front

prominent

leader

straight track

sheer

staple

arterial

main track

duct

dominant

briny

crucial

supreme

main pipe

conduit

big

principle

most

most important

pre-eminent

foremost

first

1st

main line

keystone

independent

general

ringleader

eldest

earlier

artery

deep

high sea

core

hegemonic

Translations

principal

principal

principale

hauptsächlich

essentiel

voornaamste

hoofd-

κύριος

essenziale

principal

principal

asıl

capital

Haupt-

Pronounced as (IPA)

/meɪn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: mayn

Inherited from Old English: mægen-

Cognate with Old High German: megīn

Cognate with German: Möge

Cognate with Old English: magan

Inherited from Old English: mæġen

Cognate with Old High German: magen

Cognate with Old Norse: magn

Cognate with Old Saxon: megin

In summary

From Middle English mayn, main, maine, mæin, meyn, from main (noun) (see further at etymology 2); compare Old English mæġen (“strong, main, principal”) (used in combination) and Old Norse megn, megenn (“strong, main”).
The word is cognate with Old High German megīn (“strong, mighty”) (modern German Möge, Vermögen (“power, wealth”)), and also akin to Old English magan (“to be able to”). See also may.

Sentences

Their main enemy is the Nightmare Prince .

Her main areas of research are .

Why else would he tell his main rival to prepare for a run ?

Industry is a main branch of region economy .

The main palace is surrounded by out buildings of later vintage .

Its main actors and actresses have also become major stars in their own right .