Magnolia - Maigre

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4. Greatness; grandeur. “With plain, heroic magnitude of mind.” Milton.
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5. Greatness, in reference to influence or effect; importance; as, an affair of magnitude.
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The magnitude of his designs. Bp. Horsley.
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6. (Astron.) See magnitude of a star, below.
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Coloq. Apparent magnitude 1. (Opt.), the angular breadth of an object viewed as measured by the angle which it subtends at the eye of the observer; -- called also apparent diameter. 2. (Astron.) Same as magnitude of a star, below. -- Coloq. Magnitude of a star (Astron.), the rank of a star with respect to brightness. About twenty very bright stars are said to be of first magnitude, the stars of the sixth magnitude being just visible to the naked eye; called also visual magnitude, apparent magnitude, and simply magnitude. Stars observable only in the telescope are classified down to below the twelfth magnitude. The difference in actual brightness between magnitudes is now specified as a factor of 2.512, i.e. the difference in brightness is 100 for stars differing by five magnitudes.
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Magnolia (?), n. [NL. Named after Pierre Magnol, professor of botany at Montpellier, France, in the 17th century.] (Bot.) A genus of American and Asiatic trees, with aromatic bark and large sweet-scented whitish or reddish flowers.
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☞ Magnolia grandiflora has coriaceous shining leaves and very fragrant blossoms. It is common from North Carolina to Florida and Texas, and is one of the most magnificent trees of the American forest. The sweet bay (Magnolia glauca)is a small tree found sparingly as far north as Cape Ann. Other American species are Magnolia Umbrella, Magnolia macrophylla, Magnolia Fraseri, Magnolia acuminata, and Magnolia cordata. Magnolia conspicua and Magnolia purpurea are cultivated shrubs or trees from Eastern Asia. Magnolia Campbellii, of India, has rose-colored or crimson flowers.
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Coloq. Magnolia warbler (Zoöl.), a beautiful North American wood warbler (Dendroica maculosa). The rump and under parts are bright yellow; the breast and belly are spotted with black; the under tail coverts are white; the crown is ash.
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Magnoliaceae n. A natural family of plants, a subclass of the Magnoliidae; it includes the genera Liriodendron; Magnolia; Manglietia; and Michelia.
Syn. -- family Magnoliaceae, magnolia family.
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Magnoliaceous (?), a. (Bot.) Pertaining to a natural order (Magnoliaceæ) of trees of which the magnolia, the tulip tree, and the star anise are examples.
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Magnolia State prop. n. The state of Mississippi; -- a nickname.
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Magnoliidae n. a group of families of trees and shrubs and herbs having well-developed perianths and apocarpous ovaries and generally regarded as the most primitive extant flowering plants; contains 36 families including Magnoliaceae and Ranunculaceae; sometimes classified as a superorder.
Syn. -- subclass Magnoliidae, ranalian complex.
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Magnoliophyta n. A class of flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in an ovary; in some systems considered a class (Angiospermae) and in others a division (Magnoliophyta or Anthophyta).
Syn. -- Angiospermae, class Angiospermae, division Magnoliophyta, Anthophyta, division Anthophyta.
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magnoliopsid n. A flowering plant.
Syn. -- dicot, dicotyledon.
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Magnoliopsida n. A class of seed plants that produce an embryo with two cotyledons and net-veined leaves; divided into six (not always well distinguished) subclasses (or superorders): Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae (considered primitive); Caryophyllidae (an early and distinctive offshoot); and three more or less advanced groups: Dilleniidae; Rosidae; Asteridae.
Syn. -- Dicotyledones, class Dicotyledones, Dicotyledonae, class Dicotyledonae, class Magnoliopsida.
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Magnum (măgnŭm), n. [Neut. sing. of L. magnus great.] 1. A large wine bottle.
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They passed the magnum to one another freely. Sir W. Scott.
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2. (Anat.) A bone of the carpus at the base of the third metacarpal bone.
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3. A magnum pistol, or the cartridge such a pistol uses; as, he always carried a .44 magnum.
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magnum (măgnŭm), a. 1. (Firearms) Having a larger charge than usual for a cartridge of the same caliber; -- of cartridges for handgun; as, a .44 magnum cartridge.
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2. (Firearms) Designed to use a cartridge with a larger charge than usual for handguns of the same caliber; -- of handguns; as, a .44 magnum pistol.
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magnum opus (măgnŭm ōpŭs), n. 1. A great work of art or literature.
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2. The greatest work or achievement of a particular artist, writer, or other individual.
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Inspired by this milieu, [Max Stirner] wrote his magnum opus The Ego and Its Own, which was published in November 1844. Svein Nyberg (The Small Max Stirner Web Page, 1988 [http://www.math.uio.no/~solan/stirner/stirner.html])
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magnus hitch n. A rolling hitch similar to a clove hitch.
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mag tape n. Same as .
Syn. -- magnetic tape, tape.
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Magot (?), n. [F.] (Zoöl.) The Barbary ape.
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Magot-pie (?), n. A magpie. [Obs.] Shak.
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Magpie (?), n. [OE. & Prov. E. magot pie, maggoty pie, fr. Mag, Maggot, equiv. to Margaret, and fr. F. Marquerite, and common name of the magpie. Marguerite is fr. L. margarita pearl, Gr. �, prob. of Eastern origin. See magpie, and cf. the analogous names , and .] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of the genus Pica and related genera, allied to the jays, but having a long graduated tail.
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2. Any one of several black-and-white birds, such as Gymnorhina tibicen, not belonging to the genus Pica.
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☞ The common European magpie (Pica pica, or Pica caudata) is a black and white noisy and mischievous bird. It can be taught to speak. The American magpie (Pica Hudsonica) is very similar. The yellow-belled magpie (Pica Nuttalli) inhabits California. The blue magpie (Cyanopolius Cooki) inhabits Spain. Other allied species are found in Asia. The Tasmanian and Australian magpies are crow shrikes, as the white magpie (Gymnorhina organicum), the black magpie (Strepera fuliginosa), and the Australian magpie (Cracticus picatus).
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3. A talkative person; a chatterbox.
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Coloq. Magpie lark (Zoöl.), a common Australian bird (Grallina picata), conspicuously marked with black and white; -- called also little magpie. -- Coloq. Magpie moth (Zoöl.), a black and white European geometrid moth (Abraxas grossulariata); the harlequin moth. Its larva feeds on currant and gooseberry bushes.
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Maguari (?), n. [From native name: cf. Pg. magoari.] (Zoöl.) A South American stork (Euxenara maguari), having a forked tail.
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Maguey (?), n. [Sp. maguey, Mexican maguei and metl.] (Bot.) Any of several species of Agave, such as the century plant (Agave Americana), a plant requiring many years to come to maturity and blossoming only once before dying; and the Agave atrovirens, a Mexican plant used especially for making pulque, the source of the colorless Mexican liquor mescal; and the cantala (Agave cantala), a Philippine plant yielding a hard fibre used in making coarse twine. See .
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2. A hard fibre used in making coarse twine, derived from the Philippine Agave cantala (Agave cantala); also called cantala.
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magus n. 1. a magician or sorcerer of ancient times.
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2. a member of the Zoroastrian priesthood of the ancient Persians.
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Magyar (măgyär; Hung. mŏdyŏr), prop. n. [Hung.] 1. (Ethnol.) One of the dominant people of Hungary, allied to the Finns; a Hungarian.
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2. The language of the Magyars.
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Magyar (?), prop. a. Of or pertaining to the Magyars or their language; Hungarian.
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Maha (?), n. (Zoöl.) A kind of baboon; the wanderoo.
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Maha (?), prop. n. (Ethnol.) A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in Northeastern Nebraska; called also Omaha.
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{ Mahabarata (?), Mahabharatam (?), } n. [Skr. mahābhārata.] (Hinduism) A celebrated sacred epic poem of the Hindus, written in Sanskrit. It is of great length, and is chiefly devoted to a history, in many episodes, of a civil war between two dynasties of ancient India.
Syn. -- Mahabharatam, Mahabharatum.
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Mahaled (?), n.[Ar. mahled.] (Bot.) A cherry tree (Prunus Mahaleb) of Southern Europe. The wood is prized by cabinetmakers, the twigs are used for pipe stems, the flowers and leaves yield a perfume, and from the fruit a violet dye and a fermented liquor (like kirschwasser) are prepared.
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maharaja, maharajah (?), n. [Skr. mahārāja; mahat great + rāja king.] A sovereign prince in India; a Hindu prince or king in India ranking above a raja; -- a title given also to other persons of high rank.
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maharani n. A great rani; a princess in India or the wife of a maharaja. [Also spelled maharanee.]
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Maharif (?), n. (Zoöl.) An African antelope (Hippotragus Bakeri). Its face is striped with black and white.
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Maharmah (?), n. A muslin wrapper for the head and the lower part of the face, worn by Turkish and Armenian women when they go abroad.
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Mahatma (?), n. [Skr. mahātman, lit., great-souled, wise.] (Theosophy) One of a class of sages, or “adepts,” reputed to have knowledge and powers of a higher order than those of ordinary men. The title was popularly applied to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in tribute to his wisdom, though not implying any supernatural powers; he is thus often referred to as Mahatma Ghandi or The Mahatma. He was most noted for his advocacy of non-violence in resisting oppression, and played an important role in convincing Great Britain to grant independence to India and Pakistan. -- Mahatmaism (#), n.
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Mahatma Ghandi (?), prop. n. See the note under .
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Mahayana n. 1. a major school of Buddhism teaching social concern and universal salvation, found in China; Japan; Tibet; Nepal; Korea; and Mongolia.
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2. one of two great schools of Buddhist doctrine emphasizing a common search for universal salvation esp through faith alone; chiefly in China; Tibet; Japan.
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Mahayanist n. an adherent of Mahayana Buddhism.
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Mahdi (?), n. [Ar., guide, leader.] Among Mohammedans, the last imam or leader of the faithful. The Sunni, the largest sect of the Mohammedans, believe that he is yet to appear.
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☞ The title has been taken by several persons in countries where Mohammedanism prevails, -- notably by Mohammad Ahmed, who overran the Egyptian Sudan, and in 1885 captured Khartum, his soldiers killing General Gordon, an Englishman, who was then the Egyptian governor of the region.
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Mahdiism (?), n. See .
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Mahdism (?), n. Belief in the coming of the Mahdi; fanatical devotion to the cause of the Mahdi or a pretender to that title. -- Mahdist (#), n.

Mahdism has proved the most shameful and terrible instrument of bloodshed and oppression which the modern world has ever witnessed. E. N. Bennett.
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Mahican prop. n. Variant of . [Also spelled Mohican.]
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mahimahi n. 1. either of two large slender food and game fish (Coryphaena equisetis or Coryphaena hippurus) of warm waters. They are highly esteemed as food fish, especially in Hawaii. See also .
Syn. -- dolphin, dolphinfish.
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2. lean-fleshed fish of warm waters, esp. Hawaii.
Syn. -- dolphinfish.
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mahjong, Mah-Jongg n. A Chinese game played by 4 people with 144 tiles.
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mahlstick, mahl-stick (?), n. [G. malerstock; maler a painter + stock stick.] A long stick that a painter uses to support the hand holding the brush while painting. Same as .
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Mahoe (?), n. (Bot.) A name given to several malvaceous trees (species of Hibiscus, Ochroma, etc.), and to their strong fibrous inner bark, which is used for strings and cordage.
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Mahogany, Mahogany tree (?), n. [From the South American name.] 1. (Bot.) A large tree of the genus Swietenia (Swietenia Mahogoni), found in tropical America.
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☞ Several other trees, with wood more or less like mahogany, are called by this name; as, African mahogany (Khaya Senegalensis), Australian mahogany (Eucalyptus marginatus), Bastard mahogany (Batonia apetala of the West Indies), Indian mahogany (Cedrela Toona of Bengal, and trees of the genera Soymida and Chukrassia), Madeira mahogany (Persea Indica), Mountain mahogany, the black or cherry birch (Betula lenta), also the several species of Cercocarpus of California and the Rocky Mountains.
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2. The wood of the Swietenia Mahogoni. It is of a reddish brown color, beautifully veined, very hard, and susceptible of a fine polish. It is used in the manufacture of furniture.
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3. A table made of mahogany wood. [Colloq.]
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Coloq. To be under the mahogany , to be so drunk as to have fallen under the table. [Eng.] -- Coloq. To put one's legs under some one's mahogany , to dine with him. [Slang]
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Maholi (?), n. (Zoöl.) A South African lemur (Galago maholi), having very large ears. [Written also moholi.]
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{ Mahomedan (?), Mahometan (?), } n. See .
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Mahomet (?), prop. n. Same as .
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Mahometanism (?), prop. n. See .
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Mahometanize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mahometanized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mahometanizing (?).] To convert to the religion of Mohammed; to Mohammedanize.
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Mahometism (?), n. See .
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Mahometist, n. A Mohammedan. [R.]
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Mahometry (?), n. Mohammedanism. [Obs.]
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Mahone (?), n. A large Turkish ship. Crabb.
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mahonia (?), n. [Named after Bernard McMahon.] (Bot.) The Oregon grape, a species of barberry (Berberis Aquifolium), often cultivated for its hollylike foliage.
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Mahonia prop. n. A genus of evergreen shrubs and small trees of North and Central America and Asia.
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mahon stock (?). (Bot.) An annual cruciferous plant with reddish purple or white flowers (Malcolmia maritima). It is called in England Virginia stock, but the plant comes from the Mediterranean.
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Mahoohoo (?), n. (Zoöl.) The African white two-horned rhinoceros (Atelodus simus).
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Mahori (?), n. [Native name. Cf. .] (Ethnol.) One of the dark race inhabiting principally the islands of Eastern Polynesia. Also used adjectively.
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Mahound (?), n. A contemptuous name for Mohammed; hence, an evil spirit; a devil. [Obs.]
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Who's this, my mahound cousin ? Beau. & Fl.
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Mahout (?), n. [Hind. mahāwat, Skr. mahāmātra; mahat great + mātrā measure.] The keeper and driver of an elephant. [East Indies]
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Mahovo (?), n. (Mach.) A device for saving power in stopping and starting a railroad car, by means of a heavy fly wheel.
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Mahrati (?), n. The language of the Mahrattas; the language spoken in the Deccan and Concan. [Written also Marathi.]
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Mahratta (?), n. [Hind. Marhatā, Marhāttā, the name of a famous Hindoo race, from the old Skr. name Mahā-rāshtra.] One of a numerous people inhabiting the southwestern part of India. Also, the language of the Mahrattas; Mahrati. It is closely allied to Sanskrit. -- a. Of or pertaining to the Mahrattas. [Written also Maratha.]
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{ Mahumetan (?), Mahumetanism (?), n. } See , .
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Mahwa tree (?). (Bot.) An East Indian sapotaceous tree (Bassia latifolia, and also Bassia butyracea), whose timber is used for wagon wheels, and the flowers for food and in preparing an intoxicating drink. It is one of the butter trees. The oil, known as mahwa and yallah, is obtained from the kernels of the fruit.
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Maia (?), n. [From L. Maia, a goddess.] (Zoöl.) (a) A genus of spider crabs, including the common European species (Maia squinado). (b) A beautiful American bombycid moth (Eucronia maia).
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Maian (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any spider crab of the genus Maia, or family Maiadæ.
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Maid (?), n. [Shortened from maiden. �. See .] 1. An unmarried woman; usually, a young unmarried woman; esp., a girl; a virgin; a maiden.
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Would I had died a maid,
And never seen thee, never borne thee son. Shak.
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Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me. Jer. ii. 32.
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2. A man who has not had sexual intercourse. [Obs.]
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Christ was a maid and shapen as a man. Chaucer.
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3. A female servant.
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Spinning amongst her maids. Shak.
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☞ Maid is used either adjectively or in composition, signifying female, as in maid child, maidservant.
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4. (Zoöl.) The female of a ray or skate, esp. of the gray skate (Raia batis), and of the thornback (Raia clavata). [Prov. Eng.]
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Coloq. Fair maid . (Zoöl.) See under , a. -- Coloq. Maid of honor , a female attendant of a queen or royal princess; -- usually of noble family, and having to perform only nominal or honorary duties. -- Coloq. Old maid . See under .
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Maidan (?), n. [Written also midan, meidan, mydan, etc.] [Hind. & Per. maidān, fr. Ar. maidān.] In various parts of Asia, an open space, as for military exercises, or for a market place; an open grassy tract; an esplanade.

A gallop on the green maidan. M. Crawford.
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Maiden (mād'n), n. [OE. maiden, meiden, AS. mægden, dim. of AS. mægð, fr. mago son, servant; akin to G. magd, mädchen, maid, OHG. magad, Icel. mögr son, Goth. magus boy, child, magaps virgin, and perh. to Zend. magu youth. Cf. a virgin.] 1. An unmarried woman; a girl or woman who has not experienced sexual intercourse; a virgin; a maid.
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She employed the residue of her life to repairing of highways, building of bridges, and endowing of maidens. Carew.
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A maiden of our century, yet most meek. Tennyson.
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2. A female servant. [Obs.]
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3. An instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals. Wharton.
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4. A machine for washing linen.
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Maiden, a. 1. Of or pertaining to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence. “Amid the maiden throng.” Addison.
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Have you no modesty, no maiden shame ? Shak.
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2. Never having been married; not having had sexual intercourse; virgin; -- said usually of the woman, but sometimes of the man; as, a maiden aunt. “A surprising old maiden lady.” Thackeray.
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3. Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused. “Maiden flowers.” Shak.
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Full bravely hast thou fleshed
Thy maiden sword. Shak.
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4. Used of a fortress, signifying that it has never been captured, or violated. T. Warton. Macaulay.
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Coloq. Maiden assize (Eng. Law), an assize which there is no criminal prosecution; an assize which is unpolluted with blood. It was usual, at such an assize, for the sheriff to present the judge with a pair of white gloves. Smart. -- Coloq. Maiden name , the surname of a woman before her marriage. -- Coloq. Maiden pink . (Bot.) See under . -- Coloq. Maiden plum (Bot.), a West Indian tree (Comocladia integrifolia) with purplish drupes. The sap of the tree is glutinous, and gives a persistent black stain. -- Coloq. Maiden speech , the first speech made by a person, esp. by a new member in a public body. -- Coloq. Maiden tower , the tower most capable of resisting an enemy. -- Coloq. maiden voyage the first regular service voyage of a ship.
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Maiden, v. t. To act coyly like a maiden; -- with it as an indefinite object.
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For had I maiden'd it, as many use.
Loath for to grant, but loather to refuse. Bp. Hall.
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Coloq. Maiden grass , the smaller quaking grass. -- Coloq. Maiden tree . See .
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maiden aunt n. Literally, an aunt who has never been married. Figuratively, it is a term used as the prototype of a person who is broadly naive and not wise in worldly ways; as, he knows as much about programming as my maiden aunt.
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maiden blue-eyed mary n. A small widely branching Western wildflower (Collinsia parviflora) with tiny blue-and-white flowers; found from British Columbia to Ontaria and south to California and Colorado.
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maidenhair, maidenhair fern (?), n. (Bot.) Any of various small to large terrestrial ferns of the genus Adiantum having very slender graceful stalks and delicate palmately branched fronds, especially (Adiantum pedatum). It is common in the United States, and is sometimes used in medicine. The name is also applied to other species of the same genus, as to the Venus-hair.
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maidenhair berry n. A slow-growing procumbent evergreen shrublet (Gaultheria hispidula) of Northern North America and Japan having white flowers and numerous white fleshy rough-hairy seeds.
Syn. -- creeping snowberry, moxie plum, Gaultheria hispidula.
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maidenhair fern n. See .
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maidenhair spleenwort n. A small rock-inhabiting fern (Asplenium trichomanes) of the North temperate zone and Hawaii, having pinnate fronds.
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maidenhair tree n. A deciduous dioecious gymnospermous Chinese tree (Ginkgo biloba) having fan-shaped leaves and fleshy yellow seeds, also called the ginkgo; it exists almost exclusively in cultivation esp. as an ornamental street tree.
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Maidenhead (?), n. [See .] 1. The state of being a maiden; maidenhood; virginity. Shak.
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2. The state of being unused or uncontaminated; freshness; purity. [Obs.]
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The maidenhead of their credit. Sir H. Wotton.
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3. The hymen, or virginal membrane.
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Maidenhood (?), n. [AS. mægdenhād. See , and .] 1. The state of being a maid or a virgin; virginity. Shak.
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2. Newness; freshness; uncontaminated state.
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The maidenhood
Of thy fight. Shak.
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Maidenlike (?), a. Like a maiden; modest; coy.
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Maidenliness (?), n. The quality of being maidenly; the behavior that becomes a maid; modesty; gentleness.
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Maidenly, a. Like a maid; suiting a maid; maiden-like; gentle, modest, reserved.
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Must you be blushing ? . . .
What a maidenly man-at-arms are you become ! Shak.
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Maidenly, adv. In a maidenlike manner. “Maidenly demure.” Skelton.
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maiden over n. (cricket) An over in which no runs are scored.
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maiden pink n. A low-growing loosely mat-forming Eurasian pink (Dianthus deltoides) with single crimson-eyed pale pink flowers.
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Maidenship, n. Maidenhood. [Obs.] Fuller.
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Maidhood (?), n. [AS. mægðhād. See , and .] Maidenhood. Shak.
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Maidmarian (?), n. [Maid + Marian, relating to Mary, or the Virgin Mary.] 1. The lady of the May games; one of the characters in a morris dance; a May queen. Afterward, a grotesque character personated in sports and buffoonery by a man in woman's clothes.
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2. A kind of dance. Sir W. Temple.
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Maidpale (?), a. Pale, like a sick girl. Shak.
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Maidservant (?), n. A female servant.
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Maid's hair (?). (Bot.) The yellow bedstraw (Galium verum).
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{ Maieutic (m�ūtĭk), Maieutical (m�ūtĭk�l), } a. [Gr. maieytikos, fr. mai^a midwife.] 1. Serving to assist childbirth. Cudworth.
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2. [Fig.] Aiding, or tending to, the definition and interpretation of thoughts or language. Payne.
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maieutic method n. A method of teaching by question and answer; it was used by Socrates to elicit truths from his students; -- called also the Socratic method
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Maieutics (?), n. The art of giving birth (i. e., clearness and conviction) to ideas, which are conceived as struggling for birth. Payne.
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Maiger (?), n. (Zoöl.) The meagre.
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Maigre (?), a. [F. See .] Belonging to a fast day or fast; as, a maigre day. Walpole.
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Coloq. Maigre food (R. C. Ch.), food allowed to be eaten on fast days.
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