Matter - Maxilla

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7. Amount; quantity; portion; space; -- often indefinite.
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Away he goes, . . . a matter of seven miles. L' Estrange.
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I have thoughts to tarry a small matter. Congreve.
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No small matter of British forces were commanded over sea the year before. Milton.
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8. Substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is thrown out or discharged in a tumor, boil, or abscess; pus; purulent substance.
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9. (Metaph.) That which is permanent, or is supposed to be given, and in or upon which changes are effected by psychological or physical processes and relations; -- opposed to form. Mansel.
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10. (Print.) Written manuscript, or anything to be set in type; copy; also, type set up and ready to be used, or which has been used, in printing.
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Coloq. Dead matter (Print.), type which has been used, or which is not to be used, in printing, and is ready for distribution. -- Coloq. Live matter (Print.), type set up, but not yet printed from. -- Coloq. Matter in bar , Coloq. Matter of fact . See under , and . -- Coloq. Matter of record , anything recorded. -- Coloq. Upon the matter , or Coloq. Upon the whole matter , considering the whole; taking all things into view; all things considered.
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Waller, with Sir William Balfour, exceeded in horse, but were, upon the whole matter, equal in foot. Clarendon.
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Matter (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Mattered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mattering.] 1. To be of importance; to import; to signify.
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It matters not how they were called. Locke.
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2. To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate. [R.] “Each slight sore mattereth.” Sir P. Sidney.
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Matter, v. t. To regard as important; to take account of; to care for. [Obs.]
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He did not matter cold nor hunger. H. Brooke.
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Matterhorn prop. n. A mountain in Italy and Switzerland, 14,690 feet high. According to WordNet, 14,780 feet high
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Matterless, a. 1. Not being, or having, matter; as, matterless spirits. Davies (Wit's Pilgr.).
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2. Unimportant; immaterial. [Obs.]
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Matter-of-fact (?), a. Adhering to facts; not turning aside from absolute realities; not fanciful or imaginative; commonplace; dry.
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Mattery (?), a. 1. Generating or containing pus; purulent.
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2. Full of substance or matter; important. B. Jonson.
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Matteuccia prop. n. A small genus sometimes included in genus Onoclea; in some classifications both genera are placed in Polypodiaceae.
Syn. -- genus Matteuccia, Pteretis, genus Pteretis.
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Matthew prop. n. Saint Matthew, a disciple of Jesus; author of the first Gospel.
Syn. -- Saint Matthew, St. Matthew, Saint Matthew the Apostle, Levi.
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Matthiola prop. n. A genus of Old World plants grown as ornamentals.
Syn. -- genus Matthiola.
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Matting (?), n. [From , v. t. & i.] 1. The act of interweaving or tangling together so as to make a mat; the process of becoming matted.
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2. Mats, in general, or collectively; mat work; a matlike fabric, for use in covering floors, packing articles, and the like; a kind of carpeting made of straw, etc.
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3. Materials for mats.
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4. An ornamental border. See 3d , 4.
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Matting, n. [See .] A dull, lusterless surface in certain of the arts, as gilding, metal work, glassmaking, etc.
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Mattock (?), n. [AS. mattuc; cf. W. matog.] An implement for digging and grubbing. The head has two long steel blades, one like an adz and the other like a narrow ax or the point of a pickax.
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'T is you must dig with mattock and with spade. Shak.
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Mattoid (?), n. [It. matto mad (cf. L. mattus, matus, drunk) + -oid.] A person of congenitally abnormal mind bordering on insanity or degeneracy.
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Mattoir (?), n. [F. matoir.] (Engraving) A kind of coarse punch with a rasplike face, used for making a rough surface on etching ground, or on the naked copper, the effect after biting being very similar to stippled lines.
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Mattowacca (?), n. [Indian name.] (Zoöl.) An American clupeoid fish (Clupea mediocris), similar to the shad in habits and appearance, but smaller and less esteemed for food; -- called also hickory shad, tailor shad, fall herring, and shad herring.
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Mattress (?), n. [OF. materas, F. matelas, LL. matratium; cf. Sp. & Pg. almadraque, Pr. almatrac; all from Ar. maṭrah a place where anything is thrown, what is thrown under something, fr. ṭaraha to throw.]
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1. A large pad stuffed with hair, moss, or other suitable soft material, and quilted or otherwise fastened, used as or in a bed, to support the human body while lying down. [Written also matress.]
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2. (Hydraulic Engin.) A mass of interwoven brush, poles, etc., to protect a bank from being worn away by currents or waves.
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Coloq. innerspring mattress A variety of mattress{1} having springs inside to provide a flexible support; it is considered more comfortable than a stuffed mattress.
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Maturant (?), n. [L. maturans, p. pr. See .] (Med.) A medicine, or application, which promotes suppuration.
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Maturate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Maturated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Maturating (?).] [L. maturatus, p. p. of maturare to make ripe, fr. maturus ripe, mature. See , v. & a.] 1. To bring to ripeness or maturity; to ripen.
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A tree may be maturated artificially. Fuller.
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2. To promote the perfect suppuration of (an abscess).
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Maturate, v. i. To ripen; to become mature; specifically, to suppurate.
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Maturation (?), n. [L. maturatio a hastening: cf. F. maturation.] The process of bringing, or of coming, to maturity; hence, specifically, the process of suppurating perfectly; the formation of pus or matter.
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Maturative (?), a. [Cf. F. maturatif.] Conducing to ripeness or maturity; hence, conducing to suppuration.
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Maturative, n. (Med.) A remedy promoting maturation; a maturant.
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Mature (?), a. [Compar. Maturer (?); superl. Maturest.] [L. maturus; prob. akin to E. matin.]
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1. Brought by natural process to completeness of growth and development; fitted by growth and development for any function, action, or state, appropriate to its kind; full-grown; ripe.
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Now is love mature in ear. Tennison.
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How shall I meet, or how accost, the sage,
Unskilled in speech, nor yet mature of age? Pope.
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2. Completely worked out; fully digested or prepared; ready for action; made ready for destined application or use; perfected; as, a mature plan.
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This lies glowing, . . . and is almost mature for the violent breaking out. Shak.
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3. Of or pertaining to a condition of full development; as, a man of mature years.
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4. Come to, or in a state of, completed suppuration.
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Syn. -- Ripe; perfect; completed; prepared; digested; ready. -- , . Both words describe fullness of growth. Mature brings to view the progressiveness of the process; ripe indicates the result. We speak of a thing as mature when thinking of the successive stayes through which it has passed; as ripe, when our attention is directed merely to its state. A mature judgment; mature consideration; ripe fruit; a ripe scholar.
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Mature (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Matured (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Maturing.] [See , .] To bring or hasten to maturity; to promote ripeness in; to ripen; to complete; as, to mature one's plans. Bacon.
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Mature, v. i. 1. To advance toward maturity; to become ripe; as, wine matures by age; the judgment matures by age and experience.
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2. Hence, to become due, as a note.
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matured adj. Fully grown.
Syn. -- full-blown.
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Maturely, adv. 1. In a mature manner; with ripeness; completely.
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2. With caution; deliberately. Dryden.
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3. Early; soon. [A Latinism, little used] Bentley.
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maturement n. The process of maturing; coming to full development; becoming mature; maturation.
Syn. -- maturation, maturing, ripening.
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Matureness, n. The state or quality of being mature; maturity.
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Maturer (?), n. One who brings to maturity.
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Maturescent (?), a. [L. maturescens, p. pr. of maturescere to become ripe, v. incho. from maturus. See , a.] Approaching maturity.
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Maturing (?), a. Approaching maturity; as, maturing fruits; maturing notes of hand.
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Maturity (?), n. [L. maturitas: cf. F. maturité.]
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1. The state or quality of being mature; ripeness; full development; as, the maturity of corn or of grass; maturity of judgment; the maturity of a plan.
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2. Arrival of the time fixed for payment; a becoming due; termination of the period a note, etc., has to run.
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Matutinal (?), a. [L. matutinalis, matutinus: cf. F. matutinal. See .] Of or pertaining to the morning; early.
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Matutinary (?), a. Matutinal. [R.]
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Matutine (?), a. Matutinal. [R.]
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Matweed (?), n. (Bot.) A name of several maritime grasses, as the sea sand-reed (Ammophila arundinacea) which is used in Holland to bind the sand of the seacoast dikes (see Beach grass, under ); also, the Lygeum Spartum, a Mediterranean grass of similar habit.
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Maty (?), n. [Etymology uncertain.] A native house servant in India. Balfour (Cyc. of India).
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matzo, matzoh (?), n.; pl. E. matzos or matzohs; Hebr. matzoth (#) [Heb. matstsōth, pl. of matstsāh unleavened.] A cake of unleavened bread eaten by the Jews at the feast of the Passover.
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Maucaco (?), n. [From the native name.] (Zoöl.) A lemur; -- applied to several species, as the White-fronted, the ruffed, and the ring-tailed lemurs.
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Maud (?), n. A gray plaid; -- used by shepherds in Scotland.
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Maudle (?), v. t. To throw onto confusion or disorder; to render maudlin. [Obs.]
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Maudlin (?), a. [From Maudlin, a contr. of Magdalen, OE. Maudeleyne, who is drawn by painters with eyes swelled and red with weeping.] 1. Tearful; easily moved to tears; exciting to tears; excessively sentimental; weak and silly. “Maudlin eyes.” Dryden. “Maudlin eloquence.” Roscommon. “A maudlin poetess.” Pope. “Maudlin crowd.” Southey.
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2. Drunk, or somewhat drunk; fuddled; given to drunkenness.
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Maudlin Clarence in his malmsey butt. Byron.
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{ Maudlin, Maudeline (?), } n. (Bot.) An aromatic composite herb, the costmary; also, the South European Achillea Ageratum, a kind of yarrow.
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Maudlinism (?), n. A maudlin state. Dickens.
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Maudlinwort (?), n. (Bot.) The oxeye daisy.
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{ Mauger, Maugre } (m�gẽr), prep. [OF. maugré, malgré, F. malgré. See , , and .] In spite of; in opposition to; notwithstanding. [Archaic]
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A man must needs love maugre his heed. Chaucer.
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This mauger all the world will I keep safe. Shak.
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Maugre, v. t. To defy. [Obs.] J. Webster.
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Maukin (?), n. 1. See .
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2. (Zoöl.) A hare. [Scot.]
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Maul (?), n. [See a hammer.] A heavy wooden hammer or beetle. [Written also mall.]
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Maul, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mauled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mauling.] 1. To beat and bruise with a heavy stick or cudgel; to wound in a coarse manner.
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Meek modern faith to murder, hack, and maul. Pope.
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2. To injure greatly; to do much harm to.
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It mauls not only the person misrepreseted, but him also to whom he is misrepresented. South.
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Maule (?), n. (Bot.) The common mallow.
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Mauling (?), n. A severe beating with a stick, cudgel, or the fist.
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maulstick, maul-stick (?), n. [G. malerstock; maler a painter + stock stick.] A stick used by painters as a rest for the hand while working. [Written also mahl-stick and mahlstick.]
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Maumet (?), n. See . [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Maunch (?), v. t. To munch. [Obs.]
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Maunch (?), n. See .
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Maund (?), n. [AS. mand, mond.] A hand basket. [Obs.] Herrick.
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Maund, n. [Hind, & Per. man.] An East Indian weight, varying in different localities from 25 to about 82 pounds avoirdupois.
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{ Maund (?), Maunder (?), } v. i. [Cf. F. mendier to beg, E. mendicant.] 1. To beg. [Obs.] B. Jonson. Beau. & Fl.
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2. To mutter; to mumble; to grumble; to speak indistinctly or disconnectedly; to talk incoherently.
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He was ever maundering by the how that he met a party of scarlet devils. Sir W. Scott.
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Maunder, v. t. To utter in a grumbling manner; to mutter.
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Maunder, n. A beggar. [Obs.]
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Maunderer (?), n. One who maunders.
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Maundril (?), n. [Cf. .] (Coal Mining) A pick with two prongs, to pry with.
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Maundy (?), n. [See .] 1. The sacrament of the Lord's Supper. [Obs.]
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2. The ceremony of washing the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday.
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3. The alms distributed in connection with this ceremony or on Maundy Thursday.

☞ In England, the foot washing is obsolete, but the “royal maundy” is distributed annually on behalf of the sovereign. Since 1890 this distribution has been made from Westminster Abbey.
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{ Maundy coins or Maundy money }. Silver coins or money of the nominal value of 1d., 2d., 3d., and 4d., struck annually for the Maundy alms.
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Maundy Thursday (?). [OE. maunde a command, OF. mandé, L. mandatum, from mandare to command. See called from the ancient custom of washing the feet of the poor on this day, which was taken to be the fulfillment of the “new commandment,” John xiii. 5, 34.] (Eccl.) The Thursday in Passion week, or next before Good Friday.
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Maungy (?), a. Mangy. [Obs.] Skelton.
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Mauresque (?), a. & n. See .
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Maurist (?), n. [From Maurus, the favorite disciple of St. Benedict.] A member of the Congregation of Saint Maur, an offshoot of the Benedictines, originating in France in the early part of the seventeenth century. The Maurists have been distinguished for their interest in literature.
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Mauritius prop. n. 1. A country on the island of Mauritius.
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2. An island in the Indian Ocean.
Syn. -- Ile de France.
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Mausolean (?), a. [L. Mausoleus. See .] Pertaining to a mausoleum; monumental.
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Mausoleum (?), n.; pl. E. Mausoleums (#), L. -lea (#). [L. mausoleum, Gr. �, fr. � Mausolus, king of Caria, to whom Artemisia, his widow, erected a stately monument, one of the wonders of the ancient world.] A magnificent tomb, or stately sepulchral monument.
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Mauther (?), n. [Cf. AS. mæg� a maid.] [Also spelled mawther, mother.] A girl; esp., a great, awkward girl; a wench. [Prov. Eng.]
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Mauvaniline (?), n. (Chem.) See Mauve aniline, under .
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Mauve (mōv), n. [F., mallow, L. malva. So named from the similarity of the color to that of the petals of common mallow, Malva sylvestris. See .] A color of a delicate purple, violet, or lilac.
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Coloq. Mauve aniline (Chem.), a dyestuff produced artificially by the oxidation of commercial aniline, and the first discovered of the so-called coal-tar, or aniline, dyes. It consists of the sulphate of mauveïne, and is a dark brown or bronze amorphous powder, which dissolves to a beatiful purple color. Called also aniline purple, violine, Perkin's mauve, etc.
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mauveïne (?), n. (Chem.) An artificial organic base, obtained by oxidizing a mixture of aniline and toluidine, and valuable for the dyestuffs it forms. [Written also mauvine.]
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Mauvine (?), a. Mauve-colored.
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Maverick (?), n. In the southwestern part of the united States, a bullock or heifer that has not been branded, and is unclaimed or wild; -- said to be from Maverick, the name of a cattle owner in Texas who neglected to brand his cattle.
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Maverick (?), v. t. To take a maverick. [Western U. S.]
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Maverick brand. A brand originated by a dishonest cattleman, who, without owning any stock, gradually accumulates a herd by finding mavericks. [Western U. S.]
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Mavis (māvĭs), n. [F. mauvis, Arm. milvid, milfid, milc'hhouid, Corn. melhuez.] (Zoöl.) The European throstle or song thrush (Turdus musicus).
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{ Mavournin, Mavourneen } (mȧv�rnēn), n. [Ir. mo mhuirnin my darling; mo my + mhuirnin darling.] My darling; -- an Irish term of endearment for a girl or woman. “Erin mavournin.” Campbell.
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Maw (m�), n. [See a gull.] (Zoöl.) A gull.
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Maw, n. [OE. mawe, AS. maga stomach; akin to D. maag, OHG. mago, G. magen, Icel. magi, Sw. mage, Dan. mave. √103.] 1. A stomach; the receptacle into which food is taken by swallowing; in birds, the craw; -- now used only of the lower animals, exept humorously or in contempt. Chaucer.
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Bellies and maws of living creatures. Bacon.
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2. Appetite; inclination. [Obs.]
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Unless you had more maw to do me good. Beau. & Fl.
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Coloq. Fish maw . (Zoöl.) See under .
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Maw, n. An old game at cards. Sir A. Weldon.
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Mawk (m�k), n. [OE. mauk, maðek, Icel. maðkr; akin to Dan. maddik, and E. mad an earthworm. See , n.]
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1. A maggot. [Scot.]
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2. A slattern; a mawks. [Prov. Eng.]
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Mawkin (?), n. See , and .
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Mawkingly (?), adv. Slatternly. [Obs.]
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Mawkish, a. [Orig., maggoty. See .] 1. Apt to cause satiety or loathing; nauseous; slightly nauseating; disgusting.
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So sweetly mawkish', and so smoothly dull. Pope.
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2. Easily disgusted; squeamish; sentimentally fastidious. J. H. Newman.
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3. Weakly sentimental; maudlin.
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Mawkishly, adv. In a mawkish way.
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Mawkishness, n. The quality or state of being mawkish. J. H. Newman.
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Mawks (?), n. A slattern; a mawk. [Prov. Eng.]
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Mawky (?), a. Maggoty. [Prov. Eng.]
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Mawmet (?), n. [Contr. fr. Mahomet.] A puppet; a doll; originally, an idol, because in the Middle Ages it was generally believed that the Mohammedans worshiped images representing Mohammed. [Obs.] Wyclif. Beau. & Fl.
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Mawmetry (?), n. The religion of Mohammed; also, idolatry. See . [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Mawmish (?), a. [Prov. E. maum soft, mellow, rotten; cf. OD. molm rotten wood, G. mulm.] Nauseous. [Obs.] L' Estrange.
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Mawseed (?), n. [Cf. G. magsamen.] (Bot.) The seed of the opium poppy.
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Mawworm (?), n. [Maw the belly + worm.] (Zoöl.) (a) Any intestinal worm found in the stomach, esp. the common round worm (Ascaris lumbricoides), and allied species. (b) One of the larvæ of botflies of horses; a bot.
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Maxilla (?), n.; pl. Maxillæ (#). [L., dim. of mala jaw, jawbone.] 1. (Anat.) (a) The bone of either the upper or the under jaw. (b) The bone, or principal bone, of the upper jaw, the bone of the lower jaw being the mandible. [Now commonly used in this restricted sense.]
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2. (Zoöl.) One of the lower or outer jaws of arthropods.
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☞ There are usually two pairs in Crustacea and one pair in insects. In certain insects they are not used as jaws, but may form suctorial organs. See Illust. under , and .
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