–auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person may, 2nd may or (Archaic) may·est or mayst, 3rd may; present plural may; past might.
1.
(used to express possibility): It may rain.
2.
(used to express opportunity or permission): You may enter.
3.
(used to express contingency, esp. in clauses indicating condition, concession, purpose, result, etc.): I may be wrong but I think you would be wise to go. Times may change but human nature stays the same.
4.
(used to express wish or prayer): May you live to an old age.
O.E. mæg "I am able" (inf. magan, pt. meahte, mihte), from P.Gmc. root *mag-, inf. *maganan (cf. O.Fris. muga, O.N. mega, Du. mogen, Ger. mögen, Goth. magan "to be able"), from PIE *mogh-/*megh- "power" (cf. Gk. mekhos, makhos "means, instrument," O.C.S. mogo "to be able," mosti "power, force," Skt. mahan "great"). Also related to might (q.v.). Mayhap is 1536, from phrase (it) may hap.
1110, from O.Fr. mai, from L. Majus, Maius mensis "month of May," possibly from Maja, Maia a Roman earth goddess (wife of Vulcan) whose name is possibly from PIE *mag-ya "she who is great," fem. suffixed form of base *meg- "great" (cognate with L. magnus). Replaced O.E. þrimilce, month in which cows can be milked three times a day. May marriage have been considered unlucky at least since Ovid's day. Mayflower (1626) was used locally for the cowslip, the lady's smock, and other plants that bloom in May. May apple attested from 1733.
thorny Eurasian shrub of small tree having dense clusters of white to scarlet flowers followed by deep red berries; established as an escape in eastern North America [syn: whitethorn]
Cape May County, NJ (county, FIPS 9) Location: 39.07747 N, 74.85861 W Population (1990): 95089 (85537 housing units) Area: 661.0 sq km (land), 945.6 sq km (water)
Cape May Point, NJ (borough, FIPS 10330) Location: 38.93678 N, 74.96564 W Population (1990): 248 (578 housing units) Area: 0.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Cape May Court H, NJ Zip code(s): 08210
Cape May Court House, NJ (CDP, FIPS 10300) Location: 39.07990 N, 74.82389 W Population (1990): 4426 (1859 housing units) Area: 23.2 sq km (land), 0.3 sq km (water)
May, OK (town, FIPS 47000) Location: 36.61650 N, 99.74896 W Population (1990): 42 (34 housing units) Area: 0.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 73851
May, TX Zip code(s): 76857
Cape May, NJ (city, FIPS 10270) Location: 38.94006 N, 74.90548 W Population (1990): 4668 (4052 housing units) Area: 6.4 sq km (land), 0.8 sq km (water)
North Cape May, NJ (CDP, FIPS 52650) Location: 38.97629 N, 74.95171 W Population (1990): 3574 (2120 housing units) Area: 3.6 sq km (land), 0.2 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 08204
West Cape May, NJ (borough, FIPS 78530) Location: 38.94139 N, 74.93787 W Population (1990): 1026 (913 housing units) Area: 3.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Dis*may"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dismayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Dismaying.] [OE. desmaien, dismaien, OF. esmaier; pref. es- (L. ex) + OHG. magan to be strong or able; akin to E. may. In English the pref. es- was changed to dis- (L. dis-). See May, v. i.]1. To disable with alarm or apprehensions; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive or firmness and energy through fear; to daunt; to appall; to terrify. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. --Josh. i. 9. What words be these? What fears do you dismay? --Fairfax. 2. To render lifeless; to subdue; to disquiet. [Obs.] Do not dismay yourself for this. --Spenser. Syn: To terrify; fright; affright; frighten; appall; daunt; dishearthen; dispirit; discourage; deject; depress. -- To Dismay, Daunt, Appall. Dismay denotes a state of deep and gloomy apprehension. To daunt supposes something more sudden and startling. To appall is the strongest term, implying a sense of terror which overwhelms the faculties. So flies a herd of beeves, that hear, dismayed, The lions roaring through the midnight shade. --Pope. Jove got such heroes as my sire, whose soul No fear could daunt, nor earth nor hell control. --Pope. Now the last ruin the whole host appalls; Now Greece has trembled in her wooden walls. --Pope.
Main\, n. [AS. m[ae]gen strength, power, force; akin to OHG. magan, Icel. megin, and to E. may, v. ?. See May, v.]1. Strength; force; might; violent effort. [Obs., except in certain phrases.] There were in this battle of most might and main. --R. of Gl. He 'gan advance, With huge force, and with importable main. --Spenser. 2. The chief or principal part; the main or most important thing. [Obs., except in special uses.] Resolved to rest upon the title of Lancaster as the main, and to use the other two . . . but as supporters. --Bacon. 3. Specifically: (a) The great sea, as distinguished from an arm, bay, etc.; the high sea; the ocean. "Struggling in the main." --Dryden. (b) The continent, as distinguished from an island; the mainland. "Invaded the main of Spain." --Bacon. (c) principal duct or pipe, as distinguished from lesser ones; esp. (Engin.), a principal pipe leading to or from a reservoir; as, a fire main. Forcing main, the delivery pipe of a pump. For the main, or In the main, for the most part; in the greatest part. With might and main, or With all one's might and main, with all one's strength; with violent effort. With might and main they chased the murderous fox. --Dryden.
Man"drake\, n. [AS. mandragora, L. mandragoras, fr. Gr. ?: cf. F. mandragore.]1. (Bot.) A low plant (Mandragora officinarum) of the Nightshade family, having a fleshy root, often forked, and supposed to resemble a man. It was therefore supposed to have animal life, and to cry out when pulled up. All parts of the plant are strongly narcotic. It is found in the Mediterranean region. And shrieks like mandrakes, torn out of the earth, That living mortals, hearing them, run mad. --Shak. Note: The mandrake of Scripture was perhaps the same plant, but proof is wanting. 2. (Bot.) The May apple (Podophyllum peltatum). See May apple under May, and Podophyllum. [U.S.]
May\, v. [imp. Might] [AS. pres. m[ae]g I am able, pret. meahte, mihte; akin to D. mogen, G. m["o]gen, OHG. mugan, magan, Icel. mega, Goth. magan, Russ. moche. ?. Cf. Dismay, Main strength, Might. The old imp. mought is obsolete, except as a provincial word.] An auxiliary verb qualifyng the meaning of another verb, by expressing: (a) Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener expressed by can. How may a man, said he, with idle speech, Be won to spoil the castle of his health ! --Spenser. For what he [the king] may do is of two kinds; what he may do as just, and what he may do as possible. --Bacon. For of all sad words of tongue or pen The saddest are these: "It might have been." --Whittier. (b) Liberty; permission; allowance. Thou mayst be no longer steward. --Luke xvi. 2. (c) Contingency or liability; possibility or probability. Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxims, or be right by chance. --Pope. (d) Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to soften a question or remark. How old may Phillis be, you ask. --Prior. (e) Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation, benediction, and the like. "May you live happily." --Dryden. May be, & It may be, are used as equivalent to possibly, perhaps, by chance, peradventure. See 1st Maybe.
May\, n. [F. Mai, L. Maius; so named in honor of the goddess Maia (Gr. ?), daughter of Atlas and mother of Mercury by Jupiter.]1. The fifth month of the year, containing thirty-one days. --Chaucer. 2. The early part or springtime of life. His May of youth, and bloom of lustihood. --Shak. 3. (Bot.) The flowers of the hawthorn; -- so called from their time of blossoming; also, the hawthorn. The palm and may make country houses gay. --Nash. Plumes that micked the may. --Tennyson. 4. The merrymaking of May Day. --Tennyson. Italian may (Bot.), a shrubby species of Spir[ae]a (S. hypericifolia) with many clusters of small white flowers along the slender branches. May apple (Bot.), the fruit of an American plant (Podophyllum peltatum). Also, the plant itself (popularly called mandrake), which has two lobed leaves, and bears a single egg-shaped fruit at the forking. The root and leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic. May beetle, May bug (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of large lamellicorn beetles that appear in the winged state in May. They belong to Melolontha, and allied genera. Called also June beetle. May Day, the first day of May; -- celebrated in the rustic parts of England by the crowning of a May queen with a garland, and by dancing about a May pole. May dew, the morning dew of the first day of May, to which magical properties were attributed. May flower (Bot.), a plant that flowers in May; also, its blossom. See Mayflower, in the vocabulary. May fly (Zo["o]l.), any species of Ephemera, and allied genera; -- so called because the mature flies of many species appear in May. See Ephemeral fly, under Ephemeral. May game, any May-day sport. May lady, the queen or lady of May, in old May games. May lily (Bot.), the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis). May pole. See Maypole in the Vocabulary. May queen, a girl or young woman crowned queen in the sports of May Day. May thorn, the hawthorn.
Might\, n. [AS. meaht, miht, from the root of magan to be able, E. may; akin to D. magt, OS. maht, G. macht, Icel. m[=a]ttr, Goth. mahts. ????. See May, v.] Force or power of any kind, whether of body or mind; energy or intensity of purpose, feeling, or action; means or resources to effect an object; strength; force; power; ability; capacity. What so strong, But wanting rest, will also want of might? --Spenser. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. --Deut. vi. 5. With might and main. See under 2d Main.
Mow\, v. [pres. sing. Mow, pl. Mowe, Mowen, Moun.] [AS. magan. See May, v.] May; can. "Thou mow now escapen." [Obs.] --Chaucer. Our walles mowe not make hem resistence. --Chaucer.
Queen\, n. [OE. quen, quene, queen, quean, AS. cw[=e]n wife, queen, woman; akin to OS. qu[=a]n wife, woman, Icel. kv[=a]n wife, queen, Goth. q[=e]ns. [root]221. See Quean.]1. The wife of a king. 2. A woman who is the sovereign of a kingdom; a female monarch; as, Elizabeth, queen of England; Mary, queen of Scots. In faith, and by the heaven's quene. --Chaucer. 3. A woman eminent in power or attractions; the highest of her kind; as, a queen in society; -- also used figuratively of cities, countries, etc. " This queen of cities." " Albion, queen of isles." --Cowper. 4. The fertile, or fully developed, female of social bees, ants, and termites. 5. (Chess) The most powerful, and except the king the most important, piece in a set of chessmen. 6. A playing card bearing the picture of a queen; as, the queen of spades. Queen apple. [Cf. OE. quyne aple quince apple.] A kind of apple; a queening. "Queen apples and red cherries." --Spenser. Queen bee (Zo["o]l.), a female bee, especially the female of the honeybee. See Honeybee. Queen conch (Zo["o]l.), a very large West Indian cameo conch (Cassis cameo). It is much used for making cameos. Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king. --Blackstone. Queen dowager, the widow of a king. Queen gold, formerly a revenue of the queen consort of England, arising from gifts, fines, etc. Queen mother, a queen dowager who is also mother of the reigning king or queen. Queen of May. See May queen, under May. Queen of the meadow (Bot.), a European herbaceous plant (Spir[ae]a Ulmaria). See Meadowsweet. Queen of the prairie (Bot.), an American herb (Spir[ae]a lobata) with ample clusters of pale pink flowers. Queen pigeon (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of very large and handsome crested ground pigeons of the genus Goura, native of New Guinea and the adjacent islands. They are mostly pale blue, or ash-blue, marked with white, and have a large occipital crest of spatulate feathers. Called also crowned pigeon, goura, and Victoria pigeon. Queen regent, or Queen regnant, a queen reigning in her own right. Queen's Bench. See King's Bench. Queen's counsel, Queen's evidence. See King's counsel, King's evidence, under King. Queen's delight (Bot.), an American plant (Stillinqia sylvatica) of the Spurge family, having an herbaceous stem and a perennial woody root. Queen's metal (Metal.), an alloy somewhat resembling pewter or britannia, and consisting essentially of tin with a slight admixture of antimony, bismuth, and lead or copper. Queen's pigeon. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Queen pigeon, above. Queen's ware, glazed English earthenware of a cream color. Queen's yellow (Old Chem.), a heavy yellow powder consisting of a basic mercuric sulphate; -- formerly called turpetum minerale, or Turbith's mineral.
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