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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