Emily Dickinson Lexicon

matter (-s), n. [ME < L. materia, the stuff of which a thing is made.] (webplay: spoken, stone).

1. Affair; event.
2. Import; consequence.
3. [Fig.] pebbles; stones.

matter (-s), v. [see matter, n.]

To be of importance.

mattress (mattrass), n. [OFr materas.]

Cloth sewn and stuffed with hair, feathers, or straw and used as bedding.

mature (-d, -r), adj. [L. maturus, ripe, timely.] (webplay: reject, time, used).

Advanced; complete; whole; grown; ripe.

maturity, n. [see mature, adj.]

Completeness; wholeness; ripeness; perfection.

mausoleum, n. [L.]

Tomb; crypt; grave; [historical] magnificent tomb of Mausolus, King of Caria; monument erected in the middle of the 4^th century B.C. at Halicarnassus by the widowed queen Artemisia; one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

may (-s), n. [OE; plural noun use of the modal auxiliary verb “may”; see may, v.] (webplay: willing).

Allowance; possibility; permission; opening.

May (-s), proper n. [OFr mai < L. Maia, mother, nurse.]

1. Springtime; [fig.] youth; the early days; the part of life.
2. Time of blooming; season of floral abundance;[fig.] young woman personified; Roman goddess of springtime.
3. Hope; faith in promises; [fig.] rebirth; renewal; resurrection; time of new life.
4. Late spring; fifth month of the year in New England; [fig.] place of refuge; time of safety.

may (-est), v. [OE; present tense form of a modal auxiliary denoting ability, liberty, leave, license, permission, allowance, possibility, or futurity; see might, v.] (webplay: absent, against, best, better, chance, common, country, done, experienced, good, happened, happy, liberty, life, long, might, moral, never, people, perhaps, permit, possible, power, prayer, press, said, same, say, senses, servant, some, tell, told, used, willing).

1. Can; could; be able to.
2. Might; have power to; be strong enough to.
3. Will; shall.
4. Should; must; be allowed; have leave to.
5. Can do; [lexical verb form without a subsequent infinitive phrase] have power to accomplish.

maybe, adv. [short for “it may be”.]

Perhaps; by chance; peradventure; possibly.