Emily Dickinson Lexicon
Dictionary: MAIN – MAIS-TRESS
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MAIN, n.1
- Strength; force; violent effort; as in the phrase, “with might and main.” Dryden.
- The gross; the bulk; the greater part. The main of them may be reduced to language and an improvement in wisdom. Locke.
- The ocean; the great sea, as distinguished from rivers, bays, sounds and the like. He fell, and struggling in the main. Dryden.
- The continent, as distinguished from an isle. We arrived at Nantucket on Saturday, but did not reach the main till Monday. In this use of the word, land is omitted; main for main land.
- A hamper. Ainsworth.
- A course; a duct. Act of Parliament. For the main, in the main, for the most part; in the greatest part.
MAIN, n.2 [L. manus, hand; Fr. main.]
- A hand at dice. We throw a merry main. And lucky mains make people wise. [Not used.] Prior.
- A match at cock-fighting.
MAIN-KEEL, n.
The principal keel, as distinguished from the false keel.
MAIN-LAND, n.
The continent; the principal land, as opposed to an isle. Dryden.
MAIN-LY, adv.
- Chiefly; principally. He is mainly occupied with domestic concerns.
- Greatly; to a great degree; mightily. Bacon.
MAIN-MAST, n.
The principal mast in a ship or other vessel.
MAIN-OR, n. [Old Fr. manoevre, meinour, L. a manu, from the hand, or in the work.]
The old law phrase, to be taken as a thief with the mainor, signifies to be taken in the very act of killing venison or stealing wood, or in preparing so to do; or it denotes the being taken with the thing stolen upon him. Blackstone.
MAIN-PERN'A-BLE, a.
That may be admitted to give surety by mainpernors; that may be mainprized.
MAIN-PERN'OR, n. [Old Fr. main, the hand, and prendre, to take; pernon, pernez, for prenon, prenez.]
In law, a surety for a prisoner's appearance in court at a day. Mainpernors differ from bail, in that a man's bail may imprison or surrender him before the stipulated day of appearance; mainpernors can do neither; they are bound to produce him to answer all charges whatsoever. Blackstone.
MAIN-PRIZE, n. [Fr. main, hand, and prendre, pris, to take.]
- In law, a writ directed to the sherif, commanding him to take sureties for the prisoner's appearance, and to let him go at large. These sureties are called mainpernors. Blackstone.
- Deliverance of a prisoner on security for his appearance at a day.
MAIN-PRIZE, v.t.
To suffer a prisoner to go at large, on his finding sureties, mainpernors, for his appearance at a day.
MAIN-PRIZ-ED, pp.
Bailed; suffered to go at large, upon giving security for appearance.
MAIN-SAIL, n.
The principal sail in a ship. The main-sail of a ship or brig is extended by a yard attached to the main-mast, and that of a sloop, by the boom.
MAIN-SHEET, n.
The sheet that extends and fastens the main-sail.
MAIN-SWEAR, v.i. [Sax. manswerian; man, evil, and swerian, to swear.]
To swear falsely; to perjure one's self. Blount.
MAIN-TAIN, v.t. [Fr. maintenir; main, hand, and tenir, to hold; L. manus and teneo.]
- To hold, preserve or keep in any particular state or condition; to support; to sustain; not to suffer to fail or decline; as, to maintain a certain degree of heat in a furnace; to maintain the digestive process or powers of the stomach; to maintain the fertility of soil; to maintain present character or reputation.
- To hold; to keep; not to lose or surrender; as, to maintain a place or post.
- To continue; not to suffer to cease; as, to maintain a conversation.
- To keep up; to uphold; to support the expense of; as, to maintain state or equipage. What maintains one vice would bring up two children. Franklin.
- To support with food, clothing and other conveniences; as, to maintain a family by trade or labor.
- To support by intellectual powers, or by force of reason; as, to maintain an argument.
- To support; to defend; to vindicate, to justify; to prove to be just; as, to maintain one's right or cause.
- To support by assertion or argument; to affirm. In tragedy and satire, I maintain that this age and the last have excelled the ancients. Dryden.
MAIN-TAIN-A-BLE, a.
- That may be maintained, supported, preserved or sustained.
- That may be defended or kept by force or resistance; as, a military post is not maintainable.
- That may be defended by argument or just claim; vindicable; defensible.
MAIN-TAIN-ED, pp.
Kept in any state; preserved; upheld; supported; defended; vindicated.
MAIN-TAIN-ER, n.
One who supports, preserves, sustains, or vindicates.
MAIN-TAIN-ING, ppr.
Supporting; preserving; upholding; defending; vindicating.
MAIN-TE-NANCE, n.
- Sustenance; sustentation; support by means of supplies of food, clothing and other conveniences; as, his labor contributed little to the maintenance of his family.
- Means of support; that which supplies conveniences. Those of better fortune not making learning their maintenance. Swift.
- Support; protection; defense; vindication; as, the maintenance of right or just claims.
- Continuance; security from failure or decline. Whatever is granted to the church for God's honor and the maintenance of his service, is granted to God. South.
- In law, an officious intermeddling in a suit in which the person has no interest, by assisting either party with money or means to prosecute or defend it. This is a punishable offense. But to assist a poor kinsman from compassion, is not maintenance. Encyc.
MAIN-TOP, n.
The top of the main-mast of a ship or brig.
MAIN-YARD, n.
The yard on which the main-sail is extended, supported by the main-mast.
MAIS-TER, n. [for Master, is obsolete. Spenser.]
MAIS-TRESS, n. [for Mistress, is obsolete. Chaucer.]