Mainor, mā′nor, n. act or fact, esp. of theft: that which is stolen.
Mains, mānz, n. (Scot.) the principal or home farm.
Maintain, men-tān′, v.t. to keep in any state: to keep possession of: to preserve from capture or loss: to carry on: to keep up: to support: to make good: to support by argument: to affirm: to defend.—v.i. to affirm, as a position: to assert.—adj. Maintain′able, that can be supported or defended.—ns. Maintain′er, one who maintains; Main′tenance, the act of maintaining, supporting, or defending: continuance: the means of support: defence, protection: (law) an interference in a lawsuit, &c., in favour of one of the parties, by one who has no right or interest.—Cap of maintenance, a cap of dignity borne by or before nobles and other persons of rank. [Fr. maintenir—L. manu tenēre, to hold in the hand—manus, a hand, tenēre, to hold.]
Maister, mās′tėr, n. an obsolete form of Master.—Maistery=Mastery; Maistring=Mastering; Maître=Master.
Maize, māz, n. a plant, and its fruit, called also Indian corn or wheat. [Sp.,—Haitian.]
Majesty, maj′es-ti, n. greatness: grandeur: dignity: elevation of manner or style: royal state: a title of kings and other sovereigns, esp. with possessive pronouns, as His or Her Majesty, &c.: a symbolic representation of the first person of the Trinity enthroned: the canopy of a hearse: (her.) an eagle crowned and sceptred.—adjs. Majes′tic, -al, having or exhibiting majesty: stately: sublime.—adv. Majes′tically, in a majestic manner.—n. Majes′ticalness, Majes′ticness, majesty. [Fr. majesté—L. majestas—majus, comp. of magnus, great.]
Majolica, ma-jol′i-ka, n. name applied to decorative enamelled pottery, esp. that of Italy from the 15th to the 17th cent.: a modern ware in imitation, used for vases, &c. [From Majorca, where first made.]
Major, mā′jur, adj. greater in number, quantity, or size: more important: (mus.) greater by a semitone.—n. a person of full age (21 years): an officer in rank between a captain and lieutenant-colonel.—v.i. to play the major, to talk big.—ns. Majorat (ma-zhō-rä′), primogeniture; Mā′jorate, Mā′jorship, the office or rank of major: majority; Mā′jor-dō′mo, an official who has the general management in a large household: a general steward: a chief minister (Sp. mayor-domo, a house-steward—L. major, greater, domus, a house); Mā′jor-gen′eral, an officer in the army next in rank below a lieutenant-general; Major′ity, the greater number: the amount between the greater and the less number: full age (at 21): the office or rank of major.—Major key (mus.), a key in which the semitones lie between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth; Major premise (logic), the principal or major statement in a syllogism; Major scale (see Major key).—Go over to, or Join, the majority, to die; The majority, the Great majority, the dead. [L., comp. of magnus.]
Majuscule, mā-jus′kūl, n. in paleography, a capital or uncial letter:—opp. to Minuscule. [L. majuscula (litera), a somewhat larger letter.]