OED "M"
Terms
undefined, object
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- macaronic
- denoting language, esp. burlesque verse, containing words or inflections from one language introduced into the context of another.
- macerate
-
soften or break up something (esp. food) by soaking in a liquid
become softened or broken up by soaking
cause to grow thinner or waste away, esp. by fasting - Mach
- ratio of speed of a bnody to the speed of sound in the surrounding medium. Mach 1 = speed of sound, Mach 2 = twice the speed of sound ,etc.
- Machiavellian
- cunning, scheming and unscrupulous, esp in politics or in advancing one's career
- machinate
- engage in plots and intrigues; scheme
- macrocosm
- the Universe
- madrigal
- a part-song for several voices, esp. one of the Renaissance period, typically arranged in elaborate counterpoint and w/o instrumental accompaniment. Originally used of a genre of 14th century Italian songs, the term now usually refers to English or Italian songs of the late 16h and 17th c., in a free style strongly influenced by the text.
- maelstrom
- a powerful whirpool in the sea or a river.
- maenad
- (in ancient Greece) a female follower of Bacchus, the god of wine, traditionally associated w/ divine possession and frenzied rites.
- maestoso
- (music) in a majestic manner; a movement or passage marked to be performed in this way
- maestro
- a distinguished musician
- Magi
- the "wise men" from the East who brought gifts to the baby Jesus.
- Magna Carta
- a charter of liberty and political rights obtained from King John of England by his rebellious barons at Runnymede in 1215, which came to be seen as the seminal document of English constitutional practice.
- magneto
- a small electric generator containing a permanent magnet and used to provide high-voltage pulses esp (formerly) in the ignition systems of internal combustion engines.
- magniloquent
- using high flown or bombastic language
- magnum opus
- a large and important work of art, music, or literature, esp. one regarded as the most important work of an artist or writer.
- maharaja
- an Indian prince ranking righer than a rajah, esp. one who ruled a Native State before independence (1947).
- mahatma
-
(in the Indian subcontinent) a person regarded w/ reverence or loving respect; a holy person or sage.
a person in India or Tibet said to have supernatural powers - Mahayana
- one of the 2 major traditions of Buddhism, now practiced in a variety of forms, esp in China, Tibet, Japan and Korea. Altruistically oriented spiritual practice as emobdied in the ideal of the Bodhisattva. 1st C. CE.
- maieutic
- of or denoting the Socratic mode of inquiry, which aims to bring a person's latent ideas into clear consiousness.
- maillot
-
a pair of tights worn for dancing or gymnastics
a woman's tight-fitting one-piece simwsuit
a jersey or top, esp. one worn in sports such as cycling. - maiolica
- fine earthenware w/ colored decoration on an opaque white tin glaze, originating in Italy during the Renaissance.
- maitre d'hotel
-
the person in a restaurant who oversees the serving staff, and who typically handles reservations
manager of a hotel - majolica
- a kind of earthenware made in imitation of Italian maiolica, esp. in England 19th CE
- major domo
- the chief steward of a large household
- majority
- the age when aperson is legally considered a full adult
- majuscule
-
large lettering, either capital or uncial, in which all the letters are usually the same height.
a large letter. - maladroit
- ineffective or bungling; clumsy.
- malaise
- a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify.
- malapert
- boldly disrespectful to a person of higher standing; an impudent person
- malaprop
- the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect, (dance a "flamingo" instead of dance a "flamenco")
- malediction
- a magical word or phrase uttered w/ the intention of bringing about evil; a curse
- malefactor
- a person who commits a crime or some other wrong.
- malefic
-
causing or capable of causing harm or destruction, esp. by supernatural means
relating to the planets Saturn and Mars, traditionally considered by astologists to have an unfavorable influence. - malevolent
- having or showing a wish to do evil to others
- malfeasance
- wrongdoing, esp. by a public official when it affects his or her public duties.
- malign
-
evil in nature or effect; malevolent
(disease) malignant - mlignant
-
very virulent or infectious
tending to invade normal tissue or to recure after removal; cancerous
characterized by intense ill will. - malinger
- exaggerate or feign illness in order to escape duty or work
- maladorous
- smelling very unpleasant
- malversation
- corrupt behavior in a position of trust, esp in public office
- mammon
- wealth regarded as an evil influence or false object of worshi pand devotion. It was taken by medieval writers as the name of the devil of covetousness.
- manana
- in the indefinite future, implying procrastnation.
- mandala
-
geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism.
(Jungian) such a symbol in a dream, representing the dreamer's search for completeness and self-unity. - mandamus
- judicial writ issued as a command to an inferior court or ordering a person to perform a public or statutory duty.
- mandarin
- powerful official or senior bureaucrat, esp. one perceived as reactionary and secretive.
- manege
-
an arena, school, or enclosed area in which horses and riders are trained
the movements of a trained horse
horsemanship - Manichaeism
-
a dualistic religious system w/ Christian, Gnostic, and pagan elements, founded in Persia in the 3rd C. by Manes. The system was based on a supposed primeval conflict between light and darkness. It spread widely in the Roman Empire and in Asia, and survived in Chinese Turkestan until the 13th C.
religious or philophical dualism. - manifest
-
a document giving comprehensive details of a ship and its cargo and other contents, passengers, and crew for the use of customs officers.
same as above, but for airplane, or train. - manifesto
- a public declaration of policy and aims, esp. one issued before an election by a political party or candidate.
- manikin
-
a person who is very small, esp one not otherwise abnormal or deformed
a jointed model of the human body, used in anatomy or as an artist's lay figure. - manna
-
(Biblical) the substance miraculously supplied as food to the Israelites in the wilderness
an unexpected or gratuitous benefit
(Christian context) spiritual nourishment - mano-a-mano
- competition/combat that is hand-to-hand.
- manque
- having failed to become what one might have been; unfulfilled: "a poet manque"
- mansard
-
a roof that has four sloping sides, each of which becoems steeper halfway down
a story or apartment under a mansard roof - mansuetude
- meekness; gentleness
- mantic
- of or relating to divination or prophecy
- manumit
- release from slavery; set free
- maquiladora
- a factory in Mexico run by a foreign company (typically American) and exporting its products (typically, assembled from parts imported into Mexico) to the country of that company.
- marchioness
-
wife or widow of a marquess
woman holding the rank of marquess in her own right - mare's nest
-
a complex and difficult situation
an illusory discovery - marginalia
- marginal notes
- mariculture
- the cultivation of fish or other marine life for food
- Mariolatry
- idolatrous worship of the Virgin Mary
- marque
- a make of car, as distinct from a specific model
- marquee
- a lg tent used for social or commercial functions
- marquess
- a British nobleman ranking above an earl/count and below a duke
- marquetry
- inlaid work made from small pieces of variously colored wood or other materials, used chiefly for the decoration of furniture
- marquise
-
a finger ring set w/ a pointed oval gem or cluster of gem
a chilled essert similar to a chocolate mousse - martinet
- a strict disciplinarian, esp in the armed forces.
- masque
-
a form of amateur dramatic entertainment, popular among the nobility in the 16th and 17th-C England, which consisted of dancing and acting performed by masked players
a masked ball - massif
- a compact group of mountains, esp. one that is separate from other groups.
- mast
- fruit of beech, oak, chestnut, and other forest trees, esp. as food for pigs and wild animals.
- mate
- leaves of a S American shrub which is high in caffeine and bitter
- materfamilias
- the female head of a family or household.
- matins
-
a serice of morning prayer in various churches, esp the Anglican Church
a service of the W Christian Church, originally said (or chanted) at or after midnight, but historically often held w/ lauds on the previous evening. - matrix
-
an environment or material in which something develops; a surrounding medium or structure
a mass of fine-grained rock in which gems, crystals, or fossils are embedded
the tissue from which a tooth, hair, feather, nail, etc. arises.
fine material
a mold in which something, such as printing type or a phonograph record, is cast or shaped
an organizational strucutre in which two or more lines of command, responsibility, or communication may run through the same individual - matron
- a married woman, esp a dignified and sober middle-aged one
- maudlin
- self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness
- maven
- an expert or connoisseur
- mawkish
-
sentimental in a feeble or sickly way
having a faint sickly flavor - maya
-
the supernatural power wielded by Hindu gods and demons to produce illusions
the power by which the universe becomes manifest
the illusion or appearance of the phenomenal world - mayhen
- a former designation for the crime of maliciously injuring or maiming someone, originally so as to render the victim defenseless.
- mea culpa
-
an acknowledgment of one's fault or error:
"well, whose fault was that?"
"mea culpa!" Frank said. - meed
- a deserved share or reward
-
Megillah
also: "The whole megillah" - something in its entirety, esp. a complicated set of arrangements or a long-winded story
- megrim
-
depression, low spirits
a whim or fancy
old-fashioned term for migraine - melange
- a mixture, a medley
- meld
- (in cards) lay down or declare (a combination of cards) in order to score points: "my opponent melded four kings".
- meliorism
- the belief that the world can be made better by human effort
- mellifluous
- (of a voice or words) sweet or musical; pleasant to hear
- meme
- an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to replicate by passing from one individual to another by nongenetic means, esp. imitation.
- memento mori
- an object serving as a warning or reminder of death, such as a skull.
- mendacious
- not telling the truth; lying.
- mendacity
- untruthfulness
- mendicant
-
given to begging
of, belonging to, or denoting one of the religious orders that originally relied solely on alms - menhir
- a tall upright stone of a kind erected in prehistoric times in western Europe.
- mensch
- a person, esp. a man, of integrity and honor.
- mensural
-
of or involving measuring
(in music) involving notes of definite duration and usually a regular meter. - mephitic
- (esp of a gas or vapor) foul-semlling; noxious
- mercenary
- making money at the price of ethics
- mercurial
-
(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind
(of a person) sprightly; lively - mere
- a lake, pond, or arm of the sea; often appearing in place names.
- meretricious
-
apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity
of, relating to, or characterstic of a prostitute. - meronym
-
term that denotes part of something but that is used to refer to the whole of it. "best heads in government"
= metonymy - mesalliance
- a marriage w/ a person thought to be unsuitable or of a lower social position
- meshuga
- (of a person) mad; idiotic
- mesne
- (in law) intermediate; intervening
- mesomorph
- a person w/ a compact and muscular body build
- messianic
- fervent and passionate
- mestizo
- a man of mixed race, esp. the offspring of European and native parents.
- metanoia
- change in one's way of life resulting from penitence or spiritual conversion.
- metaphysical
-
abstract, above natural law
of or characteristic of the English poets of the 17th C whose works exhibited subtlety of thought and complex imagery - metathesis
- transposition of sounds or letters in a word, esp one occurring in the development of a language over time (Li Bo => Li Bai)
- mete
- boundary stone
- metempsychosis
- the supposed transmigration at death of the soul of a human being or animal into a new body of the same or a different species.
- metier
-
a trade, profession, or occupation
an occupation or activity that one is good at
an outstanding or advantageous characteristic - metis
- a person (esp in W Canada) of mixed American Indian and Euro-American ancestry.
- metonymy
- the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example "suit" = "business executive".
- metroplex
- a very large metropolitan area, esp one that is an aggregation of two or more cities.
- mews
-
a row or street of houses or apts that have been converted from stables or built to look like former stables.
a group of stables, typically w/ rooms above, built around a yard or along an alley. - mezzanine
-
a low story between 2 others in a building, typically between the ground and second floors
the lowest balcony of a theater, cinema, stadium,.
relating to or denoting unsecured, higher-yielding loans that are subordinate to bank loans and secured loans but rank above equity. - miasma
-
a highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapor
an oppressive or unpleasant atmosphere that surrounds or emanates from something. - micturate
- urinate
- midden
-
a dunghill or refuse heap
a prehistoric refuse heap associated w/ a site of human habitation, often a focus of scientific study. - Middle English
- English language from c.1150 to c.1470, reflecting the post-conquest (post 1066) influence of Norman French on Old English.
- mien
- a person's look or manner, esp one of a particular kind indicating character or mood.
- miff
-
put out of humor; offend; annoy
a petty quarrel or fit of pique - militate
- (of a fact or circumstance) be a powerful or conclusive factor in preventing
- milksop
- a person who is indecisive and lacks courage
- millenarian
-
relating to or believing in the idea that Christ will return to earth and reign for one thousand years.
believing in the imminence or inevitability of a golden age of peace, justice, and prosperity
denoting a religious or political group seeking solutions to present crises through rapid and radical transformation of politics and society - milliner
- a person who makes or sells women's hats
- milquetoast
- a person who is timid or submissive
- mimesis
-
representation or imitation of the real world in art and lit
the deliberate imitation of the behavior of one group of ppl by another as afactor in social chane - minacious
- menacing; threatening
- minatory
- expressing or conveying a threat
- mingy
-
mean and stingy
unexpectedly or undesirably small - minuscule
-
of or in a small cursive script of the Roman alphabet, developed in the 7th century AD.
small or lowercase letter. - minx
- an impudent, cunning, or boldly flirtatious girl or young woman
- minyan
- a meeting of Jews for public worship
- miscarry
- (of a letter) fail to reach its destination
- miscegenation
- the interbreeding of ppl considered to be of different races
- miscreant
-
a person who behaves badly, breaks the law
a heretic
heretical - mis en scene
-
the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play
the setting or surroundings of an event or action - misnomer
- a wrong or inaccurate name or designation; a wrong or inaccurate use of a name or term
- missal
- any book of prayers
- missive
- a letter, esp a long or official one
- mixologist
- bartender; a person who is skilled and mixing cocktails and other drinks.
- mnemonic
- the power of memory
- modality
-
modal quality
particular mode in which something exists or is expereinced or expressed
a particular form of sensory perception - moderne
-
of or relating to a popularization of the art deco style marked by bright colors and geometric shapes
facetiously or disparagingly denoting an ultra-modern style - modiste
- a fashionable milliner or dressmaker.
- moiety
-
each of two parts into which a thing is or can be divided
each of two social or ritual groups into which a people is divided, esp among Australian Aboriginals and some American Indians
a part or portion, esp a lesser share - moire
-
silk fabric that has been subjected to heat and pressure rollers after weaving to give it a rippled appearance
denoting or showing a pattern of irregular wavy lines like that of such silk - molder
- slowly decay or disintegrate, esp because of neglect
- mollycoddle
-
treat (someone) very indulgently or protectively.
an effeminate or ineffectual man or boy; a milksop - monad
-
a single unit; the number one (as opposed to Dyad; triad)
Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716) philosophy: an indivisible and hence ultimately simple entity, such as an atom or a person
a name formerly used for a single-celled organism. - monadnock
- an isolated hill or ridge of erosion-resistant rock rising above a peneplain
- monetize
- convert into or express in the form of currency
- monism
-
theory/doctrine that denies the existence of a distinction/duality in some sphere, such as that between matter and mind, or God and the world
the doctrine that only one supreme being exists - monition
-
a warning of impending danger
a formal notice from a bishop or ecclesiastical court admonishing a person not to do something specified. - monitory
- giving or serving as a warning.
- monocoque
- an aircraft or vehicle structure in which the chassis is integral w/ the body
- monoculture
- the cultivation of a single crop in a given area
- monody
-
an ode sung by a single actor in a Greek tragedy
a poem lamenting a person's death
music w/ only one melodic line - monomania
- exaggerated or obsesive enthusiasm for or preoccupation w/ one thing
- mons pubis
- the rounded mass of fatty tissue lying over the joint of the pubic bones, in women typically more prominent and also called the mons veneris ("Venus's Mount")
- moratorium
-
a postponement or temporary prohibition of an activity
a legal authorization to debtors to postpone payment - mordacious
-
denoting or using biting sarcasm or invective
(of a person or animal) given to biting - mordant
-
having or showing a sharp or critical quality; biting
an adhesive compound for fixing gold leaf
a corrosive liquid used to etch the lines on a printing plate - moribudn
-
(of a person) at the point of death
(of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigor - morpheme
- a meaningful morphological unit of a language that cannot be further divided (eg the 3 units IN, COME, -ING, forming INCOMING)
- morphology
-
the study of the forms of things, especially:
biology that deals w/ the form of living organisms, and w/ relationships between their structures
study of the forms of words - mortify
-
subdue (The body or its needs and desires) by self-denial or discipline
(of flesh) be affected by gangrene or necrosis - mortise
- a hole or recess cut into a part, designed to receive a corresponding projection (a tenon) on another part so as to join or lock the parts together.
- mossback
- an old-fashioned or extremely conservative person
- motet
- a short piece of sacred choral music, typically polyphonic and unaccompanied
- motile
-
(of cells) capable of motion (sperm)
of, relating to, or characterized by bodily responses that involve muscular rather than audiovisual sensations - mot juste
- the exact; the appropriate word
- moue
- "moo" a pouting expression used to convey annoyance or distaste
- mountebank
-
a person who deceives others, esp in order to trick them out of their money; a charlatan.
in former times, a person who sold patent medicines in public places. - moxie
- a form of character, determination, or nerve: "when you've got moxie, you need the clothes to match"
- mucilage
-
a viscous secretion or bodily fluid
an adhesive solution; gum, glue. - muezzin
- a man who calls Muslims to prayer from the minaret of a mosque
- mufti
-
a Muslim legal expert who is empowered to give rulings on religious matters
plain clothes worn by a person who wears a unifrom for his or her job, such as a soldier or police officer. - mugwump
- a person who remains aloof or independent, esp from party politics.
- mulct
-
extract money from (someone) by fine or taxation
defraud (someone) of (money or possessions) - muliebrity
- womanly qualities; womanhood.
- mullion
- a vertical bar between the panes of glass in a window
- mummery
-
a performance by mummers (masked actors in a mime show)
ridiculous ceremonial, esp of a religious nature - muniment
- a document or record, esp one kept in an archive.
- murrain
-
any of the various infectious diseases affecting cattle or other animals
a plague, epidemic, or crop blight. - Muse
-
(in Greek/Roman mythology) each of the 9 Goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who preside over the arts and sciences
a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist. - must
-
grape juice before or during fermentation
(also, for this, musth) the frenzied state of certain male animals, esp elephants or camels, that is associated w/ the season: "a big old bull elephant in must" - mutable
-
liable to change
inconstant w/ one's affections - mutatis mutandis
- (used when comparing 2 or more cases/situations) making necessary alterations of detail while not affecting the main point at issue: "what is true of undergraduate teaching in England is equally true, mutatis mutandis, of American graduate schools"
- mutism
-
inability to speak
unwillingness or refusal to speak, arising from psychological causes such as depression or trauma (also: elective mutism) - mutualism
-
the doctrine that mutual dependence is necessary to social well-being
symbiosis that is beneficial to both organisms involved. - muzzy
-
unable to think clearly; confused
(of a person's eyes or visual image) blurred
not thought out clearly; vague
(of sound) indistinct - mycology
- the scientific study of fungi
- myology
- the study of the structure, arrangement, and action of muscles
- myopic
-
nearsighted
lacking imagination, foresight, or intellectual insight - myriad
-
countless
(in classical history) 10,000 - mystagogue
- a teacher or propounder of mystical doctrines
- mythomania
- an abnormal or pathological tendency to exaggerate or tell lies