Word.ws English Dictionary

main

UK/meɪn/

main adjective: of chief or leading importance; prime, principal. Also the ellipsis of mainline.

Adjective

main (not comparable)

  1. Of chief or leading importance; prime, principal.
    • The main office is actually one of the smaller rooms.
    • Religion direct us rather to ſecure inward peace than outward eaſe, to be more careful to avoid everlaſting and intolerable torment than ſhort and light afflictions which are but for a moment; […] In a word, our main intereſt is to be as happy as we can, and as long as is poſſible; and if we be...1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], London: […] B. Aylmer...
  2. Chief, most important, or principal in extent, size, or strength; consisting of the largest part.
    • main timbers
    • main branch of a river
    Synonyms:
    largest
  3. (archaic, usually, strength) Full, sheer, undivided.
    • […] I shall never forget the diabolical sneer which writhed Rashleigh's wayward features, as I was forced from the apartment by the main strength of two of these youthful Titans.1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], chapter XII, in Rob Roy. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst...
    • Wounded and overthrown, the Britons continued their resistance, clung round the legs of the Norman steeds, and cumbered their advance; while their brethren, thrusting with pikes, proved every joint and crevice of the plate and mail, or grappling with the men-at-arms, strove to pull them from their...1825 June 22, [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in Tales of the Crusaders. […], volume I (The Betrothed), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson...
  4. (dialectal) Big; angry.
  5. Belonging to or connected with the principal mast in a vessel.
  6. (obsolete) Great in size or degree; important, powerful, strong, vast.
    • And now that Current with main Fury ran / (The Stop remov'd that did the Courſe defend) / Unto the full of Miſchief, that began / T' an univerſal Ruin to extend; […]1718, Samuel Daniel, “The History of the Civil War. Book V.”, in The Poetical Works of Mr. Samuel Daniel, Author of the English History. […], volume II, London: Printed for R. Gosling, […] W. Mears...

Adverb

main (comparative more main, superlative most main)

  1. (UK, dialectal) Exceedingly, extremely, greatly, mightily, very, very much.
    • Suck[y]. A Draught of Ale, Friend, for I'm main dry. / Pen[elope]. Fie! fie! Niece! Is that Liquor for a young Lady? Don't disparage your Family and Breeding!1754, Samuel Foote, “The Knights”, in The Knights. A Comedy, in Two Acts. […], Dublin: Printed by Richard James, […], →OCLC, act II, page 35
    • Why, it's main jolly to be sure, and all that so fair.1778, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, “The Camp: A Musical Entertainment”, in The Dramatic Works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. With a Memoir of the Author (Dove’s English Classics), London: Printed and...

Verb

main (third-person singular simple present mains, present participle maining, simple past and past participle mained)

  1. (transitive) To mainly play a specific character or side, or with specific equipment, during a game.
    • He mains the same character as me in that game.
    • What race do you main and what is your favourite race to beat?
  2. (obsolete) To convert (a road) into a main or primary road.
    • When a rural district council considers that a highway in its district ought to become a main road by reason of its being a medium of communication between great towns, or a thoroughfare to a railway station, or otherwise, it may apply to the county council for an order "maining" the road under s....1904, Arthur Underhill, Charles Otto Blagden, et al., editors, An Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents Other than Court Forms, volume 6, London: Butterworth, →OCLC
    • The borough did not have an opportunity of conferring with the County Council, but the County Council requested particulars of district roads in the borough which the Council suggested should be mained.1927, The Municipal Journal and Public Works Engineer, volume XXXVI, London: Municipal Journal, →OCLC

Noun (1)

main (plural mains)

  1. That which is chief or principal; the chief or main portion; the bulk, the greater part, gross.
    • Antiochus […] thought it a proper time for him to attempt the recovery of Syria; and Hermias his prime Miniſter preſſed hard for his going in perſon to this war, contrary to the Opinion of Epigenes his General; who thought it chiefly concerned him to ſuppreſs the Rebellion of Alexander and Molon in...1718, Humphrey Prideaux, The Old and New Testaments Connected in the History of the Jews and Neighbouring Nations, from the Declension of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah to the Time of Christ, 3rd...
    • But the King [Henry VII of England], […] preferring his affection to his own line and blood, […] resolved to rest upon the title of Lancaster as the main, and to use the other two, that of marriage, and that of battle, but as supporters, the one to appease secret discontents, and the other to beat...1803, Francis Bacon, “The History of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh”, in The Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St. Alban, and Lord High Chancellor of England. In Ten Volumes...
    1. The primary character that one plays in a video game in which one can play more than one character.
      • My WoW main has reached level cap and I’m on my way getting my first alt there as well.
    2. (Internet) A main account.
      • His main got banned after his last post.
  2. A large cable or pipe providing utility service to an area or a building, such as a water main or electric main.
    • There's a gas leak in the main outside the building.
    • [T]he Contract with the Pipe-water Pavior was, as he recollects, to keep the Pavement in Repair for ſix Weeks; did oblige the Contractor to repair many Places in that ſix Weeks; there was a Part of the new Main failed in Dame-ſtreet; was obliged to take up three or four Pieces in Length, in...1778 April 3, “Appendix. Report from the Committee on the State of the Pavements, &c. in the Streets of Dublin”, in The Journals of the House of Commons, of the Kingdom of Ireland, […], volume XX...
  3. (poetic) The high seas.
    • Who ſhall him rew, that ſwimming in the maine, / Will die for thriſt, and water doth refuſe? / Refuſe ſuch fruitleſſe toile, and preſent pleaſures chuſe.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 17, page 261
    • The God, inſulting with ſuperiour Strength, / Fell heavy on him, plung'd him in the Sea, / And, with the Stern, the Rudder tore away, / Headlong he fell, and, ſtrugling in the Main, / Cry'd out for helping hands, but cry'd in vain: […]1697, Virgil, “The Fifth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 360, lines...
  4. (US, archaic, dialectal) The mainland.
    • In the year that followed of 1589, we gave the Spaniards no breath, but turned challengers, invaded the main of Spain. In which enterprize, although we failed of our end, which was to ſettle Don Antonio in the kingdom of Portugal, yet a man ſhall hardly meet with an action that doth better reveal...1624, Francis Bacon, “Considerations Touching a War with Spain. Inscribed to Prince Charles, An. 1624.”, in The Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St. Alban, and Lord High Chancellor...
    • No man is an Iland, intire of it ſelfe; euery man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; […]1624, John Donne, “17. Meditation”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: […] A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, →OCLC, pages 415–416
  5. (obsolete, except in might and main) Force, power, strength, violent effort.
    • For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe Champions broke on them, that forſt the fly, / Like ſcattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds ſwaine / A Lyon and a Tigre doth eſpye, / With greedy pace forth ruſhing from the foreſt nye.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 14, page 311

Noun (2)

main (plural mains)

  1. (obsolete) A hand or match in a game of dice.
    • That writing is but juſt like dice, / And lucky mains make people wiſe: / That jumbled words, if fortune throw 'em, / Shall, well as Dryden, form a poem; […]1689 May 14, Mr. Prior [Matthew Prior?], “Epistle to Fleetwood Shephard, Esq.”, in “Mr. Gentleman” [pseudonym], The New Pleasing Instructor: Or, Entertaining Moralist. […], York, Yorkshire: Printed...
    • That no minute might be wasted, the gay gallants of the time generally had a dice-box and a cast of dice in their pockets. This was convenient in the extreme, as, in the intervals of racing, a main could be thrown […]1876, Charles Dickens, All the Year Round
  2. (obsolete) The largest throw in a match at dice; in the game of hazard, a number from one to nine called out by a person before the dice are thrown.
    • Euery man hath not beene brought vp in the knowledge of toungs. And it chanceth often to the reader, as it doth to diceplayers, that gaine more by the bye then by the maine.1598, Richard Barckley, “To the Reader”, in A Discourse of the Felicitie of Man: Or His Summum Bonum, London: Printed [by Richard Field] for VVilliam Ponsonby, →OCLC; republished as “To the Reader”...
    • I had such a run of luck last night, with five for the main, and seven to five all night, until those ruffians wanted to pay me with Altamont’s bill upon me. The luck turned from that minute. Never held the box again for three mains, and came away cleared out, leaving that infernal cheque behind me.1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 44, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published...
  3. (obsolete) A stake played for at dice.
    • [W]ere it good / To ſet the exact wealth of al our ſtates / Al at one caſt? to ſet ſo rich a maine / On the nice hazard of one doubtfull houre?c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]
  4. (obsolete) A sporting contest or match, especially a cockfighting match.
    • My lord was hunting all day when the ſeaſon admitted; he frequented all the cockfights and fairs in the country, and would ride twenty miles to ſee a main fought, or two clowns break their heads at a cudgelling match; […]1852, William Makepeace Thackeray, “After Good Fortune Comes Evil”, in The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. […] , volume I, London: […] Smith, Elder, & Company, […], →OCLC, page 171
  5. A banker's shovel for coins.

Noun (3)

main (plural mains)

  1. (obsolete, rare) A basket for gathering grapes.
    • A main [hamper] Corbis vindemiatorius[1751, Robert Ainsworth, Samuel Patrick, “A main”, in Thesaurus Linguæ Latinæ Compendiarius: Or, A Compendious Dictionary of the Latin Tongue: […], 3rd edition, London: Printed by C. and J. Ackers...

Proper noun (1) capitalized: Main

Main

  1. A river in southern Germany, flowing from Bavaria to the Rhine.

Proper noun (2) capitalized: Main

Main

  1. A river in Northern Ireland, flowing into Lough Neagh.

Proper noun (3) capitalized: Main

Main

  1. A surname.

Proper noun (4) capitalized: Main

Main

  1. (abbreviation, ellipsis) Ellipsis of Main Street, a street named "Main Street".

Noun (4) capitalized: Main

Main (plural Mains)

  1. (abbreviation, ellipsis) Ellipsis of Main Street (“main street”), a central street of a community.

Also used as

main is also the ellipsis of mainline.

main is also the ellipsis of main course.

main is also the ellipsis of mainsail.

main meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Telugu

main in Hindi

chief, most important, or principal in extent, etc.
मुख्य mukhya, प्रमुख pramukh, प्रधान pradhān

main in Tamil

பிரதானமான, பிரதானமானது

main in Marathi

मुख्य

main in Telugu

chief, most important, or principal in extent, etc.
ముఖ్యమైన mukhyamaina, ప్రధానమైన pradhānamaina
More languagesFewer languages
main in Malayalam
പ്രധാന
main in Kannada
ಮುಖ್ಯ
main in Punjabi
ਮੁੱਖ
main in Gujarati
મુખ્ય, મુખ્ય છે
main in Odia
ମୁଖ୍ଯ଼
main in Nepali
मुख्य
main in Tagalog
pangunahin
main in Arabic
رَئِيسِيّ raʔīsiyy
main in Malay
utama, tino
main in Indonesian
terutama, paling penting
main in Thai
หลัก làk
main in Vietnamese
chính, chủ yếu

Examples of main in a sentence

  • main body of an army
  • For new players, I recommend maining the dagger and using the axe as a backup weapon.
  • With some of it on the south and more of it on the north of the great main thoroughfare that connects Aldgate and the East India Docks, St.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 77:
  • Not uninvented that, which thou aright / Beleivſt ſo main to our ſucceſs, I bring; […]1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert...
  • It was main hot, and the windy was open, and I hear that old song comin’ out as clear as clear […]1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
  • Now, full disclosure: I too main Soldier 76 in "Overwatch" (by the way, the term "maining" is parlance for the most-often used character you play in a given game).2017 January 25, Dave Smith, “After Weeks of Bugging Him on Twitter, Elon Musk just Told Me His ‘Dark Secret’”, in Business Insider...

All 40 example sentences with main

Synonyms of main

Antonyms

Forms of main

Adverb
comparativemore main
superlativemost main
Verb
third-person singular presentmains
present participlemaining
past participlemained
pastmained
Noun
pluralmains
pluralMains

Plural of main: mains

Origin of main

From Middle English mayn, main, maine, mæin, meyn, from main (noun) (see further at etymology 2); compare Old English mæġen (“strong, main, principal”) (used in combination) and Old Norse megn, megenn (“strong, main”). The word is cognate with Old High German megīn (“strong, mighty”) (modern German Möge, Vermögen (“power, wealth”)), and also akin to Old English magan (“to be able to”). See also may.

From Middle English mayn, main, maine, mæine, mæȝen, from Old English mæġen (“strength”), from Proto-Germanic *maginą (“strength, power, might”), *maginaz (“strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- (“be able”). The word is cognate with Old High German magen, megin, Old Norse magn, megn, megin, Old Saxon megin. More recent senses are derived from the adjective.

Uncertain; probably from the adjective main. Evidence is lacking for a derivation from French main (“hand”).

Words formed from main

Phrases with main

63 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with main

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about main

What does main mean?
Main means of chief or leading importance; prime, principal.
What is main in Hindi?
Main in Hindi is मुख्य (mukhya), प्रमुख (pramukh), प्रधान (pradhān). See Main meaning in Hindi.
How do you use main in a sentence?
main body of an army
What part of speech is main?
Main can be an adjective, an adverb, a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce main?
Main is pronounced /meɪn/ (UK).

Words near main in the dictionary

  1. Maimonist
  2. Maimonists
  3. maimons
  4. maims
  5. Maimuru
  6. main
  7. Main Arm
  8. main asteroid belt
  9. main battle tank
  10. main battle tanks
  11. main belt

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: main (page history and authors); Main (page history and authors); main (Tamil, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); main (Marathi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); main (Malayalam, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); main (Kannada, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); main (Punjabi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); main (Gujarati, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); main (Odia, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); main (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-main.ogg, en-au-main.ogg.

Cite this entry: “main.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/main. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.