mean
I. mean1 (mēn)v. meant, (mĕnt) mean·ing, meansv. tr. 1. a. To be used to convey; denote: “‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things’” (Lewis Carroll). b. To act as a symbol of; signify or represent: In this poem, the budding flower means youth. 2. To intend to convey or indicate: “No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous” (Henry Adams). 3. To have as a purpose or an intention; intend: I meant to go running this morning, but I overslept. 4. To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end: a building that was meant for storage; a student who was meant to be a scientist. 5. To have as a consequence; bring about: Friction means heat. 6. To have the importance or value of: The opinions of the critics meant nothing to him. She meant so much to me.v. intr. To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed: They mean well but lack tact.Idiom:mean business Informal To be in earnest. [Middle English menen, from Old English mǣnan, to tell of. See mei-no- in Indo-European Roots.] II. mean2 (mēn)adj. mean·er, mean·est 1. a. Selfish in a petty way; unkind. b. Cruel, spiteful, or malicious. 2. Ignoble; base: a mean motive. 3. Miserly; stingy. 4. a. Low in quality or grade; inferior. b. Low in value or amount; paltry: paid no mean amount for the new shoes. 5. Common or poor in appearance; shabby: “The rowhouses had been darkened by the rain and looked meaner and grimmer than ever” (Anne Tyler). 6. Low in social status; of humble origins. 7. Humiliated or ashamed. 8. In poor physical condition; sick or debilitated. 9. Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable: The meanest storm in years. 10. Informal. Ill-tempered. 11. Slang. a. Hard to cope with; difficult or troublesome: He throws a mean fast ball. b. Excellent; skillful: She plays a mean game of bridge. [Middle English, from Old English gemǣne, common. See mei-1 in Indo-European Roots.] Synonyms: mean2, low1, base2, abject, ignoble, sordid These adjectives mean lacking in dignity or falling short of the standards befitting humans. Mean suggests pettiness, spite, or niggardliness: “Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own” (J.M. Barrie). Something low violates standards of morality, ethics, or propriety: low cunning; a low trick. Base suggests a contemptible, mean-spirited, or selfish lack of human decency: “that liberal obedience, without which your army would be a base rabble” (Edmund Burke). Abject means brought low in condition: abject submission; abject poverty. Ignoble means lacking noble qualities, such as elevated moral character: “For my part I think it a less evil that some criminals should escape than that the government should play an ignoble part” (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.). Sordid suggests foul, repulsive degradation: “It is through art... that we can shield ourselves from the sordid perils of actual existence” (Oscar Wilde). III. mean3 (mēn)n. 1. Something having a position, quality, or condition midway between extremes; a medium. 2. Mathematics. a. A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean. b. The average value of a set of numbers. 3. Logic. The middle term in a syllogism. 4. means (used with a sing. or pl. verb)A method, a course of action, or an instrument by which an act can be accomplished or an end achieved. 5. means (used with a pl. verb) a. Money, property, or other wealth: You ought to live within your means. b. Great wealth: a woman of means.adj. 1. Occupying a middle or intermediate position between two extremes. 2. Intermediate in size, extent, quality, time, or degree; medium.Idioms:by all means Without fail; certainly.by any means In any way possible; to any extent: not by any means an easy opponent.by means of With the use of; owing to: They succeeded by means of patience and sacrifice.by no means In no sense; certainly not: This remark by no means should be taken lightly. [Middle English mene, middle, from Old French meien, from Latin mediānus, from medius. See medhyo- in Indo-European Roots.] Usage Note: In the sense of “financial resources” means takes a plural verb: His means are more than adequate. In the sense of “a way to an end,” means may be treated as either a singular or plural. It is singular when referring to a particular strategy or method: The best means of securing the cooperation of the builders is to appeal to their self-interest. It is plural when it refers to a group of strategies or methods: The most effective means for dealing with the drug problem have generally been those suggested by the affected communities.·Means is most often followed by of: a means of noise reduction. But for, to, and toward are also used: a means for transmitting sound; a means to an end; a means toward achieving equality.
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