means (miːnz
)
Definitions
noun
- (functioning as singular or plural) the medium, method, or instrument used to obtain a result or achieve an end ⇒
a means of communication
- (functioning as plural) resources or income
- (functioning as plural) considerable wealth or income ⇒
a man of means
- See by all means
- See by means of
- See by no manner of means
- See by no means
1mean1 (miːn)
Definitions
verb
Word forms: means, meaning, meant
(mainly tr) - (may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to intend to convey or express
- (may take a clause as object or an infinitive) intend ⇒
she didn't mean to hurt it
- (may take a clause as object) to say or do in all seriousness ⇒
the boss means what he says about strikes
- (often passive) often foll by for to destine or design (for a certain person or purpose) ⇒
she was meant for greater things
- (may take a clause as object) to denote or connote; signify; represent ⇒
examples help show exactly what a word means
- (may take a clause as object) to produce; cause ⇒
the weather will mean long traffic delays
- (may take a clause as object) to foretell; portend ⇒
those dark clouds mean rain
- to have the importance of ⇒
money means nothing to him
- (intr) to have the intention of behaving or acting (esp in the phrases mean well to have the intention of behaving or acting (esp in the phrases or mean ill)
- See mean business
Word Origin
Old English mænan; compare Old Saxon mēnian to intend, Dutch meenenSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
signify,
say,
suggest,
indicate,
represent,
express,
stand for,
convey,
spell out,
purport,
symbolize,
denote,
connote,
betoken,
=
imply,
suggest,
intend,
indicate,
refer to,
intimate,
get at,
hint at,
have in mind
drive at,
allude to
insinuate,
=
result in,
cause,
produce,
effect,
lead to
involve,
bring about,
give rise to,
entail,
engender,
necessitate,
2mean2 (miːn)
Definitions
adjective
- mainly British miserly, ungenerous, or petty
- humble, obscure, or lowly ⇒
he rose from mean origins to high office
- despicable, ignoble, or callous ⇒
a mean action
- poor or shabby ⇒
mean clothing
a mean abode
- informal mainly US Canadian bad-tempered; vicious
- informal ashamed ⇒
he felt mean about not letting the children go to the zoo
- informal mainly US unwell; in low spirits
- slang excellent; skilful ⇒
he plays a mean trombone
- See no mean
Alternative Forms
ˈmeanly adverb ˈmeanness nounWord Origin
C12: from Old English gemǣne common; related to Old High German gimeini, Latin communis common, at first with no pejorative sense3mean3 (miːn)
Definitions
noun
- the middle point, state, or course between limits or extremes
- moderation
- mathematics
- the second and third terms of a proportion, as the second and third terms of a proportion, as b and the second and third terms of a proportion, as and c in the second and third terms of a proportion, as and in a/b = the second and third terms of a proportion, as and in = c/d
- another name for average (sense 2) See also geometric mean
- statistics a statistic obtained by multiplying each possible value of a variable by its probability and then taking the sum or integral over the range of the variable
adjective
- intermediate or medium in size, quantity, etc
- occurring halfway between extremes or limits; average
See also
meansWord Origin
C14: via Anglo-Norman from Old French moien, from Late Latin mediānusmedianTranslations
- British English:
means
You can refer to the money that someone has as their means.The service is available to all, regardless of means.miːnz NOUN The service is available to all, regardless of means.
- Spanish:
medio
nm
- French:
moyens
nm_pl
- German:
Mittel
npl
- Chinese: 财富 n
- Arabic: وَسَائِلُ npl
- Portuguese: meios npl
- Russian: средства npl
- Croatian: sredstva npl
- Czech: prostředky npl
- Danish: middel nnt
- Dutch: inkomen nnt
- Finnish: väline n
- Greek: τα μέσα npl
- Italian: mezzi npl
- Japanese: 手段 n
- Korean: 수단 npl
- Norwegian: midler npl
- Polish: środki npl
- Brazilian Portuguese: meios npl
- European Spanish:
medio
nm
- Swedish: medel npl
- Thai: วิธี npl
- Turkish: yol npl
- Vietnamese: phương tiện n
Usage examples
Bit like being a detective, taking note of what makes people tick, especially the oddities, which means most of us.
, CASCADES - THE DAY OF THE DEAD (2001)The remoteness of the area means that the Highlands are the ideal platform to achieve this aim.
Country Life (2004)The fact is that funding for Irish Olympic athletes is by no means a straightforward issue.
Irish Times (2002)The group has agreed to supply HIV drugs to poor African countries at cost which means at a big discount to the price charged elsewhere.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Moreover, working means that a woman has some money of her own.
, BEYOND FEAR (2002)