Mahoohoo Ma·hoo"hoo noun (Zoology) The African white two-horned rhinoceros ( Atelodus simus ).

Mahori Ma"ho·ri noun [ Native name. Confer Maori .] (Ethnol.) One of the dark race inhabiting principally the islands of Eastern Polynesia. Also used adjectively.

Mahound Ma`hound noun A contemptuous name for Mohammed; hence, an evil spirit; a devil. [ Obsolete]

Who's this, my mahound cousin ?

Beau. & Fl.

Mahout Ma·hout" noun [ Hind. mahāwat , Sanskrit mahāmātra ; mahat great + mātrā measure.] The keeper and driver of an elephant. [ East Indies]

Mahovo Ma·ho"vo noun (Machinery) A device for saving power in stopping and starting a railroad car, by means of a heavy fly wheel.

Mahrati Mah·rat"i noun The language of the Mahrattas; the language spoken in the Deccan and Concan. [ Written also Marathi .]

Mahratta Mah·rat"ta noun [ Hind. Marhatā , Marhāttā , the name of a famous Hindoo race, from the old Sanskrit name Mahā- rāshtra .] One of a numerous people inhabiting the southwestern part of India. Also, the language of the Mahrattas; Mahrati. It is closely allied to Sanskrit. -- adjective Of or pertaining to the Mahrattas. [ Written also Maratha .]

Mahumetan, Mahumetanism Ma·hu"met·an, Ma·hu"met·an·ism noun See Mohammedan , Mohammedanism .

Mahwa tree Mah"wa tree` (Botany) An East Indian sapotaceous tree ( Bassia latifolia , and also B. butyracea ), whose timber is used for wagon wheels, and the flowers for food and in preparing an intoxicating drink. It is one of the butter trees. The oil, known as mahwa and yallah , is obtained from the kernels of the fruit.

Maia Ma"i·a noun [ From Latin Maia , a goddess.] (Zoology) (a) A genus of spider crabs, including the common European species ( Maia squinado ). (b) A beautiful American bombycid moth ( Eucronia maia ).

Maian Ma"ian noun (Zoology) Any spider crab of the genus Maia, or family Maiadæ .

Maid Maid noun [ Shortened from maiden . ... . See Maiden .] 1. An unmarried woman; usually, a young unmarried woman; esp., a girl; a virgin; a maiden.

Would I had died a maid ,
And never seen thee, never borne thee son.

Shak.

Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me.

Jer. ii. 32. 2. A man who has not had sexual intercourse. [ Obsolete]

Christ was a maid and shapen as a man.

Chaucer. 3. A female servant.

Spinning amongst her maids .

Shak. » Maid is used either adjectively or in composition, signifying female , as in maid child, maid servant. 4. (Zoology) The female of a ray or skate, esp. of the gray skate ( Raia batis ), and of the thornback ( R. clavata ). [ Prov. Eng.] Fair maid . (Zoology) See under Fair , adjective -- Maid of honor , a female attendant of a queen or royal princess; -- usually of noble family, and having to perform only nominal or honorary duties. -- Old maid . See under Old . Maid"en noun [ Middle English maiden , meiden , Anglo-Saxon mægden , dim. of Anglo-Saxon mæg... , from mago son, servant; akin to German magd , mädchen , maid, Old High German magad , Icelandic mögr son, Goth. magus boy, child, magaps virgin, and perhaps to Zend. magu youth. Confer Maid a virgin.] 1. An unmarried woman; a girl or woman who has not experienced sexual intercourse; a virgin; a maid.

She employed the residue of her life to repairing of highways, building of bridges, and endowing of maidens .

Carew.

A maiden of our century, yet most meek.

Tennyson. 2. A female servant. [ Obsolete] 3. An instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals. Wharton. 4. A machine for washing linen.

Maid's hair Maid's" hair` (Botany) The yellow bedstraw ( Galium verum ).

Maidan Mai·dan" noun [ Written also midan , meidan , mydan , etc.] [ Hind. & Persian maidān , from Arabic maidān .] In various parts of Asia, an open space, as for military exercises, or for a market place; an open grassy tract; an esplanade.

A gallop on the green maidan .

M. Crawford.

Maiden Maid"en adjective 1. Of or pertaining to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence. "Amid the maiden throng." Addison.

Have you no modesty, no maiden shame ?

Shak. 2. Never having been married; not having had sexual intercourse; virgin; -- said usually of the woman, but sometimes of the man; as, a maiden aunt. "A surprising old maiden lady." Thackeray. 3. Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused. " Maiden flowers." Shak.

Full bravely hast thou fleshed
Thy maiden sword.

Shak. 4. Used of a fortress, signifying that it has never been captured, or violated. T. Warton. Macaulay. Maiden assize (Eng. Law) , an assize which there is no criminal prosecution; an assize which is unpolluted with blood. It was usual, at such an assize, for the sheriff to present the judge with a pair of white gloves. Smart. -- Maiden name , the surname of a woman before her marriage. -- Maiden pink . (Botany) See under Pink . -- Maiden plum (Botany) , a West Indian tree ( Comocladia integrifolia ) with purplish drupes. The sap of the tree is glutinous, and gives a persistent black stain. -- Maiden speech , the first speech made by a person, esp. by a new member in a public body. -- Maiden tower , the tower most capable of resisting an enemy.

Maiden Maid"en transitive verb To act coyly like a maiden; -- with it as an indefinite object.

For had I maiden'd it, as many use.
Loath for to grant, but loather to refuse.

Bp. Hall.

Maidenhair Maid"en·hair` noun (Botany) A fern of the genus Adiantum ( A. pedatum ), having very slender graceful stalks. It is common in the United States, and is sometimes used in medicine. The name is also applied to other species of the same genus, as to the Venus-hair. Maiden grass , the smaller quaking grass. -- Maiden tree . See Ginkgo .

Maidenhead Maid"en·head noun [ See Maidenhood .] 1. The state of being a maiden; maidenhood; virginity. Shak. 2. The state of being unused or uncontaminated; freshness; purity. [ Obsolete]

The maidenhead of their credit.

Sir H. Wotton. 3. The hymen, or virginal membrane.

Maidenhood Maid"en·hood noun [ Anglo-Saxon mægdenhād . See Maid , and -hood .] 1. The state of being a maid or a virgin; virginity. Shak. 2. Newness; freshness; uncontaminated state.

The maidenhood
Of thy fight.

Shak.

Maidenlike Maid"en·like` adjective Like a maiden; modest; coy.

Maidenliness Maid"en·li·ness noun The quality of being maidenly; the behavior that becomes a maid; modesty; gentleness.

Maidenly Maid"en·ly adjective Like a maid; suiting a maid; maiden-like; gentle, modest, reserved.

Must you be blushing ? . . .
What a maidenly man-at-arms are you become !

Shak.

Maidenly Maid"en·ly adverb In a maidenlike manner. " Maidenly demure." Skelton.

Maidenship Maid"en·ship noun Maidenhood. [ Obsolete] Fuller.

Maidhood Maid"hood noun [ Anglo-Saxon mægðhād . See Maid , and -hood .] Maidenhood. Shak.

Maidmarian Maid`ma"ri·an noun [ Maid + Marian , relating to Mary , or the Virgin Mary .] 1. The lady of the May games; one of the characters in a morris dance; a May queen. Afterward, a grotesque character personated in sports and buffoonery by a man in woman's clothes. 2. A kind of dance. Sir W. Temple.

Maidpale Maid"pale` adjective Pale, like a sick girl. Shak.

Maidservant Maid"serv`ant noun A female servant.

Maieutic Ma·ieu"tic (ma*ū"tĭk), Ma*ieu"tic*al (-tĭ*k a l) adjective [ Greek maieytiko`s , from mai^a midwife.] 1. Serving to assist childbirth. Cudworth. 2. Fig. : Aiding, or tending to, the definition and interpretation of thoughts or language. Payne.

Maieutics Ma·ieu"tics noun The art of giving birth ( i. e. , clearness and conviction) to ideas, which are conceived as struggling for birth. Payne.

Maiger Mai"ger noun (Zoology) The meagre.

Maigre Mai"gre adjective [ French See Meager .] Belonging to a fast day or fast; as, a maigre day. Walpole. Maigre food (R. C. Ch.) , food allowed to be eaten on fast days.

Maihem Mai"hem (mā"hĕm) noun See Maim , and Mayhem .

Maikel Mai·kel" (mäĭ*kal") noun (Zoology) A South American carnivore of the genus Conepatus , allied to the skunk, but larger, and having a longer snout. The tail is not bushy.

Maikong Mai·kong" noun (Zoology) A South American wild dog ( Canis cancrivorus ); the crab- eating dog.

Mail Mail (māl) noun A spot. [ Obsolete]

Mail Mail noun [ French maille , Old French also maaille , Late Latin medalia . See Medal .] 1. A small piece of money; especially, an English silver half-penny of the time of Henry V. [ Obsolete] [ Written also maile , and maille .] 2. Rent; tribute. [ Obsolete, except in certain compounds and phrases, as blackmail, mails and duties, etc.] Mail and duties (Scots Law) , the rents of an estate, in whatever form paid.

Mail Mail noun [ Middle English maile , maille , French maille a ring of mail, mesh, network, a coat of mail, from Latin macula spot, a mesh of a net. Confer Macle , Macula , Mascle .] 1. A flexible fabric made of metal rings interlinked. It was used especially for defensive armor. Chaucer. Chain mail , Coat of mail . See under Chain , and Coat . 2. Hence generally, armor, or any defensive covering. 3. (Nautical) A contrivance of interlinked rings, for rubbing off the loose hemp on lines and white cordage. 4. (Zoology) Any hard protective covering of an animal, as the scales and plates of reptiles, shell of a lobster, etc.

We . . . strip the lobster of his scarlet mail .

Gay.

Mail Mail transitive verb 1. To arm with mail. 2. To pinion. [ Obsolete]

Mail Mail noun [ Middle English male bag, Old French male , French malle bag, trunk, mail, Old High German malaha , malha , wallet; akin to Dutch maal , male ; confer Gael. & Ir. mala , Greek molgo`s hide, skin.] 1. A bag; a wallet. [ Obsolete] Chaucer. 2. The bag or bags with the letters, papers, or other matter contained therein, conveyed under public authority from one post office to another; the whole system of appliances used by government in the conveyance and delivery of mail matter.

There is a mail come in to-day, with letters dated Hague.

Tatler. 3. That which comes in the mail; letters, etc., received through the post office. 4. A trunk, box, or bag, in which clothing, etc., may be carried. [ Obsolete] Sir W. Scott. Mail bag , a bag in which mailed matter is conveyed under public authority. -- Mail boat , a boat that carries the mail. -- Mail catcher , an iron rod, or other contrivance, attached to a railroad car for catching a mail bag while the train is in motion. -- Mail guard , an officer whose duty it is to guard the public mails. [ Eng.] -- Mail train , a railroad train carrying the mail.

Mail Mail transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Mailed ; present participle & verbal noun Mailing .] To deliver into the custody of the postoffice officials, or place in a government letter box, for transmission by mail; to post; as, to mail a letter. [ U. S.] » In the United States to mail and to post are both in common use; as, to mail or post a letter. In England post is the commoner usage.

Mail-shell Mail"-shell` noun (Zoology) A chiton.

Mailable Mail"a·ble adjective Admissible lawfully into the mail. [ U.S.]

Mailclad Mail"clad` adjective Protected by a coat of mail; clad in armor. Sir W. Scott.

Mailed Mailed adjective (Zoology) Protected by an external coat, or covering, of scales or plates.

Mailed Mailed adjective [ See 1st Mail .] Spotted; speckled.

Mailing Mail"ing noun [ Scot., from mail tribute, rent. See 2d Mail .] A farm. [ Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Maim Maim (mām) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Maimed (māmd); present participle & verbal noun Maiming .] [ Middle English maimen , Old French mahaignier , mehaignier , meshaignier , confer Italian magagnare , Late Latin mahemiare , mahennare ; perhaps of Celtic origin; confer Armor. mac'haña to mutilate, māc'ha to crowd, press; or confer Old High German mangōn to lack, perhaps akin to English mangle to lacerate. Confer Mayhem .] 1. To deprive of the use of a limb, so as to render a person in fighting less able either to defend himself or to annoy his adversary.

By the ancient law of England he that maimed any man whereby he lost any part of his body, was sentenced to lose the like part.

Blackstone. 2. To mutilate; to cripple; to injure; to disable; to impair.

My late maimed limbs lack wonted might.

Spenser.

You maimed the jurisdiction of all bishops.

Shak. Syn. -- To mutilate; mangle; cripple.

Maim Maim noun [ Written in law language maihem , and mayhem .] [ Old French mehaing . See Maim , v. ] 1. The privation of the use of a limb or member of the body, by which one is rendered less able to defend himself or to annoy his adversary. 2. The privation of any necessary part; a crippling; mutilation; injury; deprivation of something essential. See Mayhem .

Surely there is more cause to fear lest the want there of be a maim than the use of it a blemish.

Hooker.

A noble author esteems it to be a maim in history that the acts of Parliament should not be recited.

Hayward.

Maimedly Maim"ed·ly adverb In a maimed manner.