main
1 Americanadjective
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chief in size, extent, or importance; principal; leading.
the company's main office;
the main features of a plan.
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sheer; utmost, as strength or force.
to lift a stone by main force.
- Synonyms:
- unqualified, pure
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of or relating to a broad expanse.
main sea.
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Grammar. syntactically independent; capable of use in isolation.
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Nautical.
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Obsolete.
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having or exerting great strength or force; mighty.
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having momentous or important results; significant.
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noun
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a principal pipe or duct in a system used to distribute water, gas, etc.
- Synonyms:
- conduit
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physical strength, power, or force.
to struggle with might and main.
- Synonyms:
- might
- Antonyms:
- weakness
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the chief or principal part or point.
The main of their investments was lost during the war.
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Literary. the open ocean; high sea.
the bounding main.
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the mainland.
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Usually mains a main course in a meal.
The restaurant offers four mains: one chicken, two beef, and one fish.
adverb
verb (used with or without object)
idioms
noun
noun
adjective
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chief or principal in rank, importance, size, etc
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sheer or utmost (esp in the phrase by main force )
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nautical of, relating to, or denoting any gear, such as a stay or sail, belonging to the mainmast
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obsolete significant or important
noun
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a principal pipe, conduit, duct, or line in a system used to distribute water, electricity, etc
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(plural)
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the main distribution network for water, gas, or electricity
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( as modifier )
mains voltage
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the chief or most important part or consideration
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great strength or force (now chiefly in the phrase ( with ) might and main )
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literary the open ocean
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archaic short for Spanish Main
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archaic short for mainland
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on the whole; for the most part
noun
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a throw of the dice in dice games
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a cockfighting contest
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a match in archery, boxing, etc
noun
Etymology
Origin of main1
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun main(e), mayn(e) “strength, power,” Old English mægen, megen, cognate with Old Norse magn, megin, megn “strength”; Middle English adjective main(e), partly from Old Norse megin-, megn “strong,” partly from Old English noun mægen used in compounds, as in mægen-weorc “mighty work”
Origin of main2
First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain; perhaps special use of main 1; compare main chance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Three people were also injured on one of the main roads of Jerusalem.
From Barron's
The main shipping companies have already confirmed that they are suspending the passage of their fleets along the route.
From Barron's
“Their main advantage here is that mass production is relatively simple and effective and they can fire it both from the sea and from land,” he said.
The street lights were switched off on Tehran's main roads Sunday night, and apartments appeared dark, suggesting many people had left the capital.
From Barron's
It is the main conduit for oil and other energy products like liquefied natural gas as they flow between much of the Persian Gulf and Asia, Africa and beyond.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
