Emily Dickinson Lexicon

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.