Main , adv. [See Main, a.]
Very; extremely; as, main heavy. "I'm
main dry." Foote.
[Obs. or Low]
Main (?), a. [From Main strength, possibly
influenced by OF. maine, magne, great,
L. magnus. Cf. Magnate.]
1. Very or extremely strong.
[Obs.]
That current with main fury ran.
Daniel. 2. Vast; huge. [Obs.] "The main abyss." Milton.
3.
Unqualified; absolute; entire; sheer. [Obs.] "It's a man untruth." Sir W. Scott.
4. Principal; chief; first in size, rank,
importance, etc.
Our main interest is to be happy as we can.
Tillotson.
5. Important; necessary. [Obs.]
That which thou aright
Believest so main to our success, I bring.
Milton. By main force, by mere force or
sheer force; by violent effort; as, to
subdue insurrection
by main force.
That Maine which by main force Warwick did win.
Shak. -- By main
strength, by sheer strength; as, to lift a heavy weight by main strength. --
Main beam (Steam Engine), working beam. -- Main boom (Naut.),
the boom which extends the foot of the mainsail in a
fore and aft vessel. -- Main brace. (a) (Mech.) The brace which resists the chief strain. Cf. Counter brace. (b)
(Naut.) The brace
attached to the main yard. -- Main center (Steam Engine), a shaft upon
which a working beam or side lever
swings. -- Main chance. See under Chance. --
Main couple (Arch.), the principal truss in a roof.
-- Main deck
(Naut.), the deck next below the spar deck; the principal deck. -- Main keel (Naut.),
the principal or true keel
of a vessel,
as distinguished from the false keel.
Syn. -- Principal; chief; leading; cardinal; capital.
Main , n. [AS. mægen 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.
Main (?), n. [F. main hand, L. manus. See Manual.]
1. A hand or match at dice. Prior.
Thackeray.
2. A stake played for at dice. [Obs.]
Shak.
3. The
largest throw in a match at dice; a throw
at dice within given limits, as in the game of hazard.
4. A match at cockfighting. "My lord would ride twenty miles . . . to see a main fought."
Thackeray.
5. A main-hamper. [Obs.]
Ainsworth.
Hear it pronounced