- mean
- mean1verb (past and past participle meant)1》 intend to convey or refer to.↘(of a word) have as its signification in the same language or its equivalent in another language.↘(mean something to) be of a specified degree of importance to.2》 intend to occur or be the case.↘(be meant to do something) be supposed to do something.↘(often be meant for) design or destine for a particular purpose.↘(mean something by) have as a motive or excuse in explanation.3》 have as a consequence or result.Phrasesmean business be in earnest.mean well have good intentions, but not always carry them out.OriginOE mænan, of W. Gmc origin.————————mean2adjective1》 chiefly Brit. unwilling to give or share things, especially money.2》 unkind or unfair.↘N. Amer. vicious or aggressive.3》 poor in quality and appearance.↘(of a person's mental ability) inferior.4》 dated of low birth or social class.5》 informal excellent.Phrasesno mean —— very good of its kind: it was no mean feat.Derivativesmeanly adverbmeanness nounOriginME (orig. in the sense 'common to two or more persons'), shortening of OE gemne, of Gmc origin.————————mean3noun1》 (also arithmetic mean) the average of a set of quantities. See also geometric mean.2》 a condition, quality, or course of action equally removed from two opposite extremes.adjective1》 calculated as a mean.2》 equally far from two extremes.OriginME: from OFr. meien, from L. medianus (see median).
English new terms dictionary. 2014.