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Means

 [meen]   Example Sentences Origin

mean

1   [meen] verb, meant, mean·ing.
verb (used with object)
1.
to have in mind as one's purpose or intention; intend: I meant to compliment you on your work.
2.
to intend for a particular purpose, destination, etc.: They were meant for each other.
3.
to intend to express or indicate: What do you mean by “liberal”?
4.
to have as its sense or signification; signify: The word “freedom” means many things to many people.
5.
to bring, cause, or produce as a result: This bonus means that we can take a trip to Florida.
EXPAND
6.
to have (certain intentions) toward a person: He didn't mean you any harm.
7.
to have the value of; assume the importance of: Money means everything to them. She means the world to him.
COLLAPSE
verb (used without object)
8.
to be minded or disposed; have intentions: Beware, she means ill, despite her solicitous manner.

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Means is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Idiom
9.
mean well, to have good intentions; try to be kind or helpful: Her constant queries about your health must be tiresome, but I'm sure she means well.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English menen, Old English mǣnan; cognate with German meinen, Dutch meenen

Synonyms
1. contemplate. See intend. 2. destine, foreordain. 4. denote, indicate; import, imply, connote.

Example Sentences
  • Growing edibles inevitably means growing snails, especially because our garden is organic and hospitable to wildlife.
  • It means you can watch cartoons and kids' shows without having to make excuses.
  • Making seed tape ahead of time means less time bending over in the garden.
EXPAND
Dictionary.com Unabridged

mean

3   [meen]
noun
1.
Usually, means. (used with a singular or plural verb) an agency, instrument, or method used to attain an end: The telephone is a means of communication. There are several means of solving the problem.
2.
means,
a.
available resources, especially money: They lived beyond their means.
b.
considerable financial resources; riches: a man of means.
3.
something that is midway between two extremes; something intermediate: to seek a mean between cynicism and blind faith.
4.
Mathematics.
a.
a quantity having a value intermediate between the values of other quantities; an average, especially the arithmetic mean.
b.
either the second or third term in a proportion of four terms.
5.
Statistics. expected value. See mathematical expectation (def. 2).
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6.
Logic. the middle term in a syllogism.
COLLAPSE
adjective
7.
occupying a middle position or an intermediate place, as in kind, quality, degree, or time: a mean speed; a mean course; the mean annual rainfall.
Idioms
8.
by all means,
a.
(in emphasis) certainly: Go, by all means.
b.
at any cost; without fail.
9.
by any means, in any way; at all: We were not surprised at the news by any means.
10.
by means of, with the help of; by the agency of; through: We crossed the stream by means of a log.
11.
by no means, in no way; not at all: The prize is by no means certain.
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English mene < Middle French meen, variant of meien < Latin mediānus; see median

Can be confused: mean, median.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To Means
Collins
World English Dictionary
means (miːnz)
 
—n
1.  (functioning as singular or plural) the medium, method, or instrument used to obtain a result or achieve an end: a means of communication
2.  (functioning as plural) resources or income
3.  (functioning as plural) considerable wealth or income: a man of means
4.  by all means without hesitation or doubt; certainly: come with us by all means
5.  by means of with the use or help of
6.  by no manner of means definitely not: he was by no manner of means a cruel man
7.  by no means, not by any means on no account; in no way: by no means come!

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

mean
"that which is halfway between extremes," early 14c., from O.Fr. meien, from L. medianus "of or that is in the middle" (see median). Oldest sense is musical. Sense of "so-so, mediocre" led to confusion with mean (adj.). This is the mean in meantime, meanwhile, and by no means (late 15c.).
EXPAND

means
"course of action," late 14c., from mean (n.); sense of "wealth" is first recorded c.1600.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

mean (mēn)
n.

  1. Something having a position, quality, or condition midway between extremes; a medium.

  2. A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean.

  3. The average value of a set of numbers.

adj.

  1. Occupying a middle or intermediate position between two extremes.

  2. Intermediate in size, extent, quality, time, or degree; medium.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
mean   (mēn)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A number or quantity having a value that is intermediate between other numbers or quantities, especially an arithmetic mean or average. See more at arithmetic mean.

  2. Either the second or third term of a proportion of four terms. In the proportion 2/3 = 4/6 , the means are 3 and 4. Compare extreme.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

mean definition


In statistics, an average of a group of numbers or data points. With a group of numbers, the mean is obtained by adding them and dividing by the number of numbers in the group. Thus the mean of five, seven, and twelve is eight (twenty-four divided by three). (Compare median and mode.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

mean definition


  1. mod.
    having to do with someone or something that is very good; cool. : This music is mean, man, mean. What a great sound!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

means

see beyond one's means; by all means; by any means; by means of; by no means; end justifies the means.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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