Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

may

 - 10 dictionary results

may

1  [mey]
Use may in a Sentence
–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.
5. Archaic. (used to express ability or power.)
Compare might 1 .

Origin:
bef. 900; ME mai 1st and 3rd pers. sing. pres. ind. of mouen, OE mæg (inf. magan); c. G mögen

Usage note:
See can 1 .

may

2  [mey]
–noun Archaic.
a maiden.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME mai; OE mæg

May

  [mey]
–noun
1. the fifth month of the year, containing 31 days.
2. the early part of one's life, esp. the prime: a young woman in her May.
3. the festivities of May Day.
4. (lowercase) British. the hawthorn.
5. a female given name.
–verb (used without object)
6. (lowercase) to gather flowers in the spring: when we were maying.
Origin:
bef. 1050; ME, OE Maius < L, short for Maius mēnsis Maia's month

May

  [mey]
–noun
Cape, a cape at the SE tip of New Jersey, on Delaware Bay.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To may
may 1   (mā)   
aux.v.   Past tense might (mīt)

  1. To be allowed or permitted to: May I take a swim? Yes, you may.

  2. Used to indicate a certain measure of likelihood or possibility: It may rain this afternoon.

  3. Used to express a desire or fervent wish: Long may he live!

  4. Used to express contingency, purpose, or result in clauses introduced by that or so that: expressing ideas so that the average person may understand.

  5. To be obliged; must. Used in statutes, deeds, and other legal documents. See Usage Note at can1.


[Middle English, to be able, from Old English mæg, first and third person sing. of magan, to be strong, be able; see magh- in Indo-European roots.]
may 2   (mā)   
n.   Chiefly British
The blossoms of the hawthorn.

[French mai, hawthorn, from Mai, May (so called because it blooms in May); see May.]
May   (mā)   
n.  

  1. The fifth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. See Table at calendar.

  2. The springtime of life; youth.

  3. The celebration of May Day.


[Middle English, from Old French Mai, from Latin Māius (mēnsis), (the month) of Maia, from Māia, an Italic goddess; see meg- in Indo-European roots.]
May, Cape  
A peninsula of southern New Jersey between the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. The southern tip forms Cape May Point.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

may

see be that as it may; come what may; let the chips fall where they may; to whom it may concern.

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

May

fifth month of the Gregorian calendar. It was named after Maia, a Roman fertility goddess.

Learn more about May with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see may on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way