Minotaur, min′o-tawr, n. the bull of Minos, a fabulous monster, half-man, half-bull. [L.,—Gr., prob. from Minos, king of Crete, taurus, a bull.]
Minster, min′stėr, n. the church of an abbey or priory, but often applied to a cathedral church without any monastic connection. [A.S. mynster—L. monasterium, a monastery.]
Minstrel, min′strel, n. one of an order of men who sang to the harp verses composed by themselves or others: a musician: one of a class of performers, with blackened faces, of negro songs.—n. Min′strelsy, the art or occupation of a minstrel: a company or body of minstrels: a collection of songs: (Chaucer) instrumental music. [O. Fr. menestrel—Low L. ministralis—L. minister.]
Mint, mint, n. the place where money is coined by government: a place where anything is invented or made: any source of abundant supply.—v.t. to coin: to invent.—ns. Mint′age, the money which is minted or coined: the duty paid for coining; Mint′er, one who mints or coins: an inventor; Mint′-man, one skilled in coining or coinage; Mint′-mark, a private mark put by the mint on coins for purposes of identification; Mint′-mas′ter, the master of a mint: one who invents. [A.S. mynet, money—L. monēta, a surname of Juno—monēre to remind.]
Mint, mint, n. an aromatic plant producing a highly odoriferous oil.—ns. Mint′-ju′lep, a spirituous drink flavoured with mint, and sucked through a straw or small tube; Mint′-sauce, chopped mint mixed with vinegar and sugar, used as a sauce for roast lamb. [A.S. minte—L. mentha—Gr. mintha.]
Mint, mint, v.i. (Scot.) to purpose, try: to hint. [A.S. myntan, to mean—munan, to think.]
Minuend, min′ū-end, n. the number from which another is to be subtracted. [L. minuendum—minuĕre, to lessen.]
Minuet, min′ū-et, n. a slow, graceful dance in triple measure, invented in Poitou about the middle of the 17th century: the music for such a dance. [Fr. menuet—menu, small—L. minutus, small.]
Minus, mī′nus, adj. less: less than nothing or less than zero: deficient in respect of, deprived of, without.—n. an amount less than nothing: the sign (-) before quantities requiring to be subtracted.—n. Minus′cūle, a semi-uncial cursive script, originated by the monks in the 7th-9th centuries: any small or lower-case letter as distinguished from a capital or Majuscule.—adj. small, of a letter: written in minuscule. [L., neuter of minor, less.]
Minute, min-ūt′, adj. very small or slender: of small consequence: slight: attentive to small things: particular, exact.—adv. Minute′ly.—n. Minute′ness. [L. minūtus, pa.p. of minuĕre, to lessen.]