Marx|ism /mɑː r ks I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Marxism is a political philosophy based on the writings of Karl Marx which stresses the importance of the struggle between different social classes.

Marx|ist /mɑː r ks I st/ (Marxists )


1 ADJ Marxist means based on Marxism or relating to Marxism. □ …a Marxist state. □ …Marxist ideology.


2 N‑COUNT A Marxist is a person who believes in Marxism or who is a member of a Marxist party.

mar|zi|pan /mɑː r zipæn/ N‑UNCOUNT Marzipan is a paste made of almonds, sugar, and egg which is sometimes put on top of cakes.

masc. Masc. is a written abbreviation of masculine .

mas|cara /mæskɑː rə, [AM ] -kæ r-/ (mascaras ) N‑VAR Mascara is a substance used as make-up to make eyelashes darker. □ …water-resistant mascaras.

mas|car|pone /mæskə r poʊ ni/ N‑UNCOUNT Mascarpone is a soft white cheese traditionally made in Italy. It is used to make desserts.

mas|cot /mæ skɒt/ (mascots ) N‑COUNT A mascot is an animal, toy, or symbol which is associated with a particular organization or event, and which is thought to bring good luck. □ [+ of ] …the official mascot of the Commonwealth Games.

mas|cu|line /mæ skjʊl I n/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Masculine qualities and things relate to or are considered typical of men, in contrast to women. □ …masculine characteristics like a husky voice and facial hair. □ …masculine pride.


2 ADJ If you say that someone or something is masculine , you mean that they have qualities such as strength or confidence which are considered typical of men. □ …her aggressive, masculine image. □ The Duke's study was very masculine, with deep red wall-covering and dark oak shelving.


3 ADJ In some languages, a masculine noun, pronoun, or adjective has a different form from a feminine or neuter one, or behaves in a different way.

mas|cu|lin|ity /mæ skjʊl I n I ti/


1 N‑UNCOUNT A man's masculinity is the fact that he is a man. □ …a project on the link between masculinity and violence.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Masculinity means the qualities, especially sexual qualities, which are considered to be typical of men. □ The old ideas of masculinity do not work for most men.

mas|cu|lin|ize /mæ skjʊl I na I z/ (masculinizes , masculinizing , masculinized ) in BRIT, also use masculinise VERB [usu passive] To masculinize something means to make it into something that involves mainly men or is thought suitable for or typical of men. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] Not all plantation work has been masculinized.

mash /mæ ʃ/ (mashes , mashing , mashed )


1 VERB If you mash food that is solid but soft, you crush it so that it forms a soft mass. □ [V n] Mash the bananas with a fork. □ [V -ed] …mashed potatoes.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Mash is mashed potato. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]

mask ◆◇◇ /mɑː sk, mæ sk/ (masks , masking , masked )


1 N‑COUNT A mask is a piece of cloth or other material, which you wear over your face so that people cannot see who you are, or so that you look like someone or something else. □ The gunman, whose mask had slipped, fled. □ …actors wearing masks.


2 N‑COUNT A mask is a piece of cloth or other material that you wear over all or part of your face to protect you from germs or harmful substances. □ You must wear goggles and a mask that will protect you against the fumes.


3 N‑COUNT If you describe someone's behaviour as a mask , you mean that they do not show their real feelings or character. □ [+ of ] His mask of detachment cracked, and she saw for an instant an angry and violent man.


4 N‑COUNT A mask is a thick cream or paste made of various substances, which you spread over your face and leave for some time in order to improve your skin. □ This mask leaves your complexion feeling soft and supple.


5 VERB If you mask your feelings, you deliberately do not show them in your behaviour, so that people cannot know what you really feel. □ [V n] Mr Straw has, in public at least, masked his disappointment.


6 VERB If one thing masks another, it prevents people from noticing or recognizing the other thing. □ [V n] Too much salt masks the true flavour of the food.


7 → see also death mask , gas mask , oxygen mask COLLOCATIONS mask NOUN 2


noun + mask : eye, face, ski


adjective + mask : protective, respiratory, surgical


verb + mask : remove, wear VERB 5


mask + noun : feeling


noun + mask : smile

masked /mɑː skt, mæ skt/ ADJ If someone is masked , they are wearing a mask. □ Masked youths threw stones and fire-bombs.

ma sk|ing tape N‑UNCOUNT Masking tape is plastic or paper tape which is sticky on one side and is used, for example, to protect part of a surface that you are painting.

maso|chism /mæ sək I zəm/


1 N‑UNCOUNT Masochism is behaviour in which someone gets sexual pleasure from their own pain or suffering. □ The tendency towards masochism is however always linked with elements of sadism. ● maso|chist (masochists ) N‑COUNT □ …consensual sexual masochists.


2 N‑UNCOUNT If you describe someone's behaviour as masochism , you mean that they seem to be trying to get into a situation which causes them suffering or great difficulty. □ Once you have tasted life in southern California, it takes a peculiar kind of masochism to return to a British winter. ● maso|chist N‑COUNT □ Anybody who enjoys this is a masochist.


3 → see also sado-masochism

maso|chis|tic /mæ sək I st I k/


1 ADJ Masochistic behaviour involves a person getting sexual pleasure from their own pain or suffering. □ …his masochistic tendencies.


2 ADJ If you describe someone's behaviour as masochistic , you mean that they seem to be trying to get into a situation which causes them suffering or great difficulty. □ It seems masochistic, somehow.


3 → see also sado-masochistic

ma|son /me I s ə n/ (masons )


1 N‑COUNT A mason is a person who is skilled at making things or building things with stone. In American English, masons are people who work with stone or bricks.


2 N‑COUNT A Mason is the same as a Freemason .

Ma|son|ic /məsɒ n I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Masonic is used to describe things relating to the organization of Freemasons. □ …a Masonic lodge on Broughton Street.

ma|son|ry /me I sənri/ N‑UNCOUNT Masonry is bricks or pieces of stone which have been stuck together with cement as part of a wall or building.

mas|quer|ade /mæ skəre I d/ (masquerades , masquerading , masqueraded )


1 VERB To masquerade as someone or something means to pretend to be that person or thing, particularly in order to deceive other people. □ [V + as ] He masqueraded as a doctor and fooled everyone.


2 N‑COUNT A masquerade is an attempt to deceive people about the true nature or identity of something. □ He told a news conference that the elections would be a masquerade.


3 N‑COUNT A masquerade is an event such as a party or dance where people dress up in disguise and wear masks. □ …a masquerade ball.

mass ◆◆◇ /mæ s/ (masses , massing , massed )


1 N‑SING A mass of things is a large number of them grouped together. □ [+ of ] On his desk is a mass of books and papers.


2 N‑SING A mass of something is a large amount of it. □ [+ of ] She had a mass of auburn hair.


3 QUANT Masses of something means a great deal of it. [INFORMAL ] □ There's masses of work for her to do. □ It has masses of flowers each year.


4 ADJ [ADJ n] Mass is used to describe something which involves or affects a very large number of people. □ …ideas on combating mass unemployment. □ …weapons of mass destruction.


5 N‑COUNT A mass of a solid substance, a liquid, or a gas is an amount of it, especially a large amount which has no definite shape. □ …before it cools and sets into a solid mass. □ [+ of ] The fourteenth century cathedral was reduced to a mass of rubble.


6 N‑PLURAL If you talk about the masses , you mean the ordinary people in society, in contrast to the leaders or the highly educated people. □ His music is commercial. It is aimed at the masses.


7 N‑SING The mass of people are most of the people in a country, society, or group. □ [+ of ] The 1939-45 world war involved the mass of the population.


8 VERB When people or things mass , or when you mass them, they gather together into a large crowd or group. □ [V ] Shortly after the workers went on strike, police began to mass at the shipyard. □ [V n] The General was massing his troops for a counterattack.


9 N‑SING If you say that something is a mass of things, you mean that it is covered with them or full of them. □ [+ of ] In the spring, the meadow is a mass of daffodils.


10 N‑VAR In physics, the mass of an object is the amount of physical matter that it has. [TECHNICAL ] □ Astronomers know that Pluto and Triton have nearly the same size, mass, and density.


11 N‑VAR Mass is a Christian church ceremony, especially in a Roman Catholic or Orthodox church, during which people eat bread and drink wine in order to remember the last meal of Jesus Christ. □ She attended a convent school and went to Mass each day.


12 → see also massed , critical mass , land mass

mas|sa|cre /mæ səkə r / (massacres , massacring , massacred )


1 N‑VAR A massacre is the killing of a large number of people at the same time in a violent and cruel way. □ Maria lost her 62-year-old mother in the massacre. □ …reports of massacre, torture and starvation.


2 VERB If people are massacred , a large number of them are attacked and killed in a violent and cruel way. □ [be V -ed] 300 civilians are believed to have been massacred by the rebels. □ [V n] Troops indiscriminately massacred the defenceless population.

mas|sage /mæ sɑːʒ, [AM ] məsɑː ʒ/ (massages , massaging , massaged )


1 N‑VAR Massage is the action of squeezing and rubbing someone's body, as a way of making them relax or reducing their pain. □ Alex asked me if I wanted a massage.


2 VERB If you massage someone or a part of their body, you squeeze and rub their body, in order to make them relax or reduce their pain. □ [V n] She continued massaging her right foot, which was bruised and aching.


3 VERB If you say that someone massages statistics, figures, or evidence, you are criticizing them for changing or presenting the facts in a way that misleads people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] Their governments have no reason to 'massage' the statistics.

ma s|sage pa r|lour (massage parlours ) in AM, use massage parlor N‑COUNT A massage parlour is a place where people go and pay for a massage. Some places that are called massage parlours are in fact places where people pay to have sex.

masse → see en masse

massed /mæ st/ ADJ [ADJ n] Massed is used to describe a large number of people who have been brought together for a particular purpose. □ He could not escape the massed ranks of newsmen.

mas|seur /mæsɜː r , [AM ] -sʊ ə r/ (masseurs ) N‑COUNT A masseur is a person whose job is to give massages.

mas|seuse /mæsɜː z, [AM ] -suː s/ (masseuses ) N‑COUNT A masseuse is a woman whose job is to give massages.

mas|sif /mæsiː f/ (massifs ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] A massif is a group of mountains that form part of a mountain range.

mas|sive ◆◇◇ /mæ s I v/


1 ADJ Something that is massive is very large in size, quantity, or extent. [EMPHASIS ] □ There was evidence of massive fraud. □ …massive air attacks. □ The scale of the problem is massive. ● mas|sive|ly ADV □ …a massively popular game.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe a medical condition as massive , you mean that it is extremely serious. □ He died six weeks later of a massive heart attack. SYNONYMS massive ADJ 1


huge: …a tiny little woman with huge black glasses.


enormous: The main bedroom is enormous.


gigantic: …gigantic rocks.


vast: …Afrikaner farmers who own vast stretches of land.


immense: …an immense cloud of smoke.

ma ss ma r|ket (mass markets )


1 N‑COUNT Mass market is used to refer to the large numbers of people who want to buy a particular product. [BUSINESS ] □ [+ of ] They now have access to the mass markets of Japan and the U.K…


2 ADJ [ADJ n] Mass-market products are designed and produced for selling to large numbers of people. [BUSINESS ] □ …mass-market paperbacks.

ma ss me |dia N‑SING [with sing or pl verb] You can use the mass media to refer to the various ways, especially television, radio, newspapers, and magazines, by which information and news are given to large numbers of people. □ …mass media coverage of the issue.

ma ss mu r|der (mass murders ) N‑VAR Mass murder is the deliberate illegal killing of a large number of people by a person or an organization.

ma ss mu r|der|er (mass murderers ) N‑COUNT A mass murderer is someone who deliberately kills a large number of people illegally.

ma ss noun (mass nouns )


1 N‑COUNT A mass noun is a noun such as 'wine' which is usually uncount but is used with 'a' or 'an' or used in the plural when it refers to types of that substance, as in 'a range of Australian wines'.


2 N‑COUNT In some descriptions of grammar, a mass noun is the same as an uncount noun .

ma ss-produ ce (mass-produces , mass-producing , mass-produced ) VERB If someone mass-produces something, they make it in large quantities, usually by machine. This means that the product can be sold cheaply. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] …the invention of machinery to mass-produce footwear. ● mass-produced ADJ [ADJ n] □ …the first mass-produced mountain bike.

ma ss pro|du c|tion also mass-production N‑UNCOUNT Mass production is the production of something in large quantities, especially by machine. [BUSINESS ] □ [+ of ] …equipment that would allow the mass production of baby food.

mast /mɑː st, mæ st/ (masts )


1 N‑COUNT The masts of a boat are the tall upright poles that support its sails.


2 N‑COUNT A radio mast is a tall upright structure that is used to transmit radio or television signals.

mas|tec|to|my /mæste ktəmi/ (mastectomies ) N‑VAR A mastectomy is a surgical operation to remove a woman's breast.

mas|ter ◆◆◇ /mɑː stə r , mæ s-/ (masters , mastering , mastered )


1 N‑COUNT A servant's master is the man that he or she works for. □ My master ordered me not to deliver the message except in private.


2 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] A dog's master is the man or boy who owns it. □ The dog yelped excitedly when his master opened a desk drawer and produced his leash.


3 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a master of a particular activity, you mean that they are extremely skilled at it. □ They appear masters in the art of making regulations work their way. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Master is also an adjective. □ …a master craftsman. □ …a master criminal.


4 → see also past master


5 N‑VAR If you are master of a situation, you have complete control over it. □ [+ of ] Jackson remained calm and always master of his passions.


6 VERB If you master something, you learn how to do it properly or you succeed in understanding it completely. □ [V n] Duff soon mastered the skills of radio production. □ [V n] Students are expected to master a second language.


7 VERB If you master a difficult situation, you succeed in controlling it. □ [V n] When you have mastered one situation you have to go on to the next.


8 N‑COUNT A famous male painter of the past is often called a master . □ …a portrait by the Dutch master, Vincent Van Gogh.


9 → see also old master


10 ADJ [ADJ n] A master copy of something such as a film or a tape recording is an original copy that can be used to produce other copies. □ Keep one as a master copy for your own reference and circulate the others.


11 N‑SING A master's degree can be referred to as a master's . □ [+ in ] I've a master's in economics. SYNONYMS master NOUN 1


lord: …the lords of the black market.


ruler: He was a weak-willed and indecisive ruler.


boss: He cannot stand his boss.


employer: He had been sent to Rome by his employer. COLLOCATIONS master VERB 6


master + noun : art, basics, skill, technique; language, technology


master + adverb : completely, successfully

ma s|ter be d|room (master bedrooms ) N‑COUNT The master bedroom in a large house is the largest bedroom.

mas|ter|class /mɑː stə r klɑːs, mæ stə r klæs/ (masterclasses ) N‑COUNT A masterclass is a lesson where someone who is an expert at something such as dancing or music gives advice to a group of good students. Masterclasses usually take place in public or are broadcast on television.

mas|ter|ful /mɑː stə r f ə l, mæ s-/


1 ADJ If you describe a man as masterful , you approve of him because he behaves in a way which shows that he is in control of a situation and can tell other people what to do. [APPROVAL ] □ Big, successful moves need bold, masterful managers.


2 ADJ If you describe someone's behaviour or actions as masterful , you mean that they show great skill. □ …a masterful performance of boxing and punching skills.

ma s|ter key (master keys ) N‑COUNT A master key is a key which will open all the locks in a set, even though each lock has its own different key.

mas|ter|ly /mɑː stə r li, mæ s-/ ADJ If you describe something as masterly , you admire it because it has been done extremely well or shows the highest level of ability and skill. [APPROVAL ] □ Malcolm Hebden gives a masterly performance.

master|mind /mɑː stə r ma I nd, mæ s-/ (masterminds , masterminding , masterminded )


1 VERB If you mastermind a difficult or complicated activity, you plan it in detail and then make sure that it happens successfully. □ [V n] The finance minister will continue to mastermind the country's economic reform.


2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The mastermind behind a difficult or complicated plan, often a criminal one, is the person who is responsible for planning and organizing it. □ [+ behind/of ] He was the mastermind behind the plan to acquire the explosives.

Ma s|ter of A rts N‑SING A Master of Arts degree is the same as an MA degree.

ma s|ter of ce r|emo|nies (masters of ceremonies ) N‑COUNT At events such as formal dinners, award ceremonies, and variety shows, the master of ceremonies is the person who introduces the speakers or performers, and who announces what is going to happen next.

Ma s|ter of Sci |ence N‑SING A Master of Science degree is the same as an MSc or MS degree.

master|piece /mɑː stə r piːs, mæ s-/ (masterpieces )


1 N‑COUNT A masterpiece is an extremely good painting, novel, film, or other work of art. □ His book, I must add, is a masterpiece.


2 N‑COUNT [with poss] An artist's, writer's, or composer's masterpiece is the best work that they have ever produced. □ 'Man's Fate,' translated into sixteen languages, is probably his masterpiece.


3 N‑COUNT A masterpiece is an extremely clever or skilful example of something. □ [+ of ] The whole thing was a masterpiece of crowd management.

ma s|ter plan (master plans ) N‑COUNT A master plan is a clever plan that is intended to help someone succeed in a very difficult or important task. □ …the master plan for the reform of the economy.

ma s|ter's de|gree (master's degrees ) also Master's degree N‑COUNT A master's degree is a university degree such as an MA or an MSc which is of a higher level than a first degree and usually takes one or two years to complete.

master|stroke /mɑː stə r stroʊk, mæ s-/ (masterstrokes ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A masterstroke is something you do which is unexpected but very clever and which helps you to achieve something. □ The company played a masterstroke in promoting her to be director of innovation.

master|work /mɑː stə r wɜː r k, mæ s-/ (masterworks ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] If you describe something such as a book or a painting as a masterwork , you think it is extremely good or the best that someone has produced. □ [+ of ] They endure as masterworks of American musical theatre.

mas|tery /mɑː stəri, mæ s-/ N‑UNCOUNT If you show mastery of a particular skill or language, you show that you have learned or understood it completely and have no difficulty using it. □ [+ of ] He doesn't have mastery of the basic rules of grammar.

mast|head /mɑː sthed, mæ st-/ (mastheads )


1 N‑COUNT A ship's masthead is the highest part of its mast.


2 N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu with poss] A newspaper's masthead is the part at the top of the front page where its name appears in big letters.

mas|ti|cate /mæ st I ke I t/ (masticates , masticating , masticated ) VERB When you masticate food, you chew it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Her mouth was working, as if she was masticating some tasty titbit. □ [V ] Don't gulp everything down without masticating. ● mas|ti|ca|tion /mæ st I ke I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] Poor digestion can be caused by defective mastication of the food in the mouth.

mas|tiff /mæ st I f/ (mastiffs ) N‑COUNT A mastiff is a large, powerful, short-haired dog.

mas|tur|bate /mæ stə r be I t/ (masturbates , masturbating , masturbated ) VERB If someone masturbates , they stroke or rub their own genitals in order to get sexual pleasure. ● mas|tur|ba|tion /mæ stə r be I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ The sperm sample is produced by masturbation.

mat /mæ t/ (mats )


1 N‑COUNT A mat is a small piece of something such as cloth, card, or plastic which you put on a table to protect it from plates or cups. □ The food is served on polished tables with mats.


2 N‑COUNT A mat is a small piece of carpet or other thick material which is put on the floor for protection, decoration, or comfort. □ There was a letter on the mat.


3 → see also matt , place mat

mata|dor /mæ tədɔː r / (matadors ) N‑COUNT A matador is the person in a bullfight who is supposed to kill the bull.

match ◆◆◆ /mæ tʃ/ (matches , matching , matched )


1 N‑COUNT A match is an organized game of football, tennis, cricket, or some other sport. [mainly BRIT ] □ He was watching a football match. □ France won the match 28-19.


2 N‑COUNT A match is a small wooden stick with a substance on one end that produces a flame when you rub it along the rough side of a matchbox. □ …a packet of cigarettes and a box of matches.


3 VERB If something of a particular colour or design matches another thing, they have the same colour or design, or have a pleasing appearance when they are used together. □ [V n] Her nails were painted bright red to match her dress. □ [V ] All the chairs matched. □ [V n + to/with ] You don't have to match your lipstick exactly to your outfit. □ [V n] Mix and match your tableware and textiles from the new Design House collection. ● PHRASAL VERB Match up means the same as match . □ [V P + with/to ] The pillow cover can match up with the sheets. □ [V n P + with/to ] False eyelashes come in various shades, so it's easy to match them up with your own.


4 VERB If something such as an amount or a quality matches with another amount or quality, they are both the same or equal. If you match two things, you make them the same or equal. □ [V ] Their strengths in memory and spatial skills matched. □ [V + with ] Our value system does not match with their value system. □ [V n + with ] …efforts to match demand with supply by building new schools. [Also V n]


5 VERB If one thing matches another, they are connected or suit each other in some way. □ [V n + with/to ] The students are asked to match the books with the authors. □ [V n] It can take time and effort to match buyers and sellers. □ [V ] The sale would only go ahead if the name and number matched. □ [be V -ed + with ] Pictures of road signs are matched with their Highway Code meanings. ● PHRASAL VERB Match up means the same as match . □ [V P n + with ] The consultant seeks to match up jobless professionals with small companies in need of expertise. □ [V n P + with ] With this app, friends of singles match them up with other users. □ [V P ] My sister and I never really matched up. □ [V P + to/with ] I'm sure that yellow lead matched up to that yellow socket. [Also V P n]


6 N‑SING [adj N ] If a combination of things or people is a good match , they have a pleasing effect when placed or used together. □ Helen's choice of lipstick was a good match for her skin-tone. □ Moira was a perfect match for him.


7 VERB If you match something, you are as good as it or equal to it, for example in speed, size, or quality. □ [V n] They played some fine attacking football, but I think we matched them in every respect.


8 VERB In a sport or other contest, if you match one person or team against another, in sports or other contests, you make them compete with each other to see which one is better. □ [V n + with/against ] The finals begin today, matching Chelsea against Manchester United.


9 → see also matched , matching


10 PHRASE If you meet your match , you find that you are competing or fighting against someone who you cannot beat because they are as good as you, or better than you. □ I had finally met my match in power and intellect.


11 PHRASE If one person or thing is no match for another, they are unable to compete successfully with the other person or thing. □ I was no match for a man with such power.


▸ match up → see match 3 , match 5


▸ match up to PHRASAL VERB If someone or something does not match up to what was expected, they are smaller, less impressive, or of poorer quality. □ [V P P n] Her career never quite matched up to its promise. USAGE match


Don’t use ‘matches to’. For example, don’t say ‘ Do these shoes match to my dress ?’ You say that the first thing matches the other thing, for example, ‘Do these shoes match my dress?’

match|box /mæ tʃbɒks/ (matchboxes ) N‑COUNT A matchbox is a small box that you buy with matches in it.

matched /mæ tʃt/


1 ADJ [adv ADJ ] If you say that two people are well matched , you mean that they have qualities that will enable them to have a good relationship. □ My parents were not very well matched.


2 ADJ [adv ADJ ] In sports and other competitions, if the two opponents or teams are well matched , they are both of the same standard in strength or ability. □ Two well-matched sides conjured up an entertaining game.

match|ing /mæ tʃ I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Matching is used to describe things which are of the same colour or design. □ …a coat and a matching handbag.

match|less /mæ tʃləs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use matchless to emphasize that you think something is extremely good. [EMPHASIS ] □ A timeless comic actor–his simplicity and his apparent ease are matchless. □ The Savoy provides a matchless hotel experience.

match|maker /mæ tʃme I kə r / (matchmakers ) N‑COUNT A matchmaker is someone who tries to encourage people they know to form a romantic relationship or to get married. □ Some friends played matchmaker and had us both over to dinner.

match|making /mæ tʃme I k I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Matchmaking is the activity of encouraging people you know to form relationships or get married.

ma tch play N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Match play is a form of golf where the game is scored by the number of holes someone wins rather than the number of strokes it takes them to complete the course.

ma tch poi nt (match points ) N‑VAR In a game of tennis, match point is the situation when the player who is in the lead can win the whole match if they win the next point.

match|stick /mæ tʃst I k/ (matchsticks ) N‑COUNT A matchstick is the wooden part of a match.

mate ◆◇◇ /me I t/ (mates , mating , mated )


1 N‑COUNT [usu with poss] You can refer to someone's friends as their mates , especially when you are talking about a man and his male friends. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ He's off drinking with his mates.


2 N‑COUNT Some men use mate as a way of addressing other men when they are talking to them. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Come on mate, things aren't that bad.


3 N‑COUNT [usu sing, oft poss N ] Someone's wife, husband, or sexual partner can be referred to as their mate . □ He has found his ideal mate.


4 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] An animal's mate is its sexual partner. □ The males guard their mates zealously.


5 VERB When animals mate , a male and a female have sex in order to produce young. □ [V ] This allows the pair to mate properly and stops the hen staying in the nest-box. □ [V + with ] They want the males to mate with wild females. □ [V ] It is easy to tell when a female is ready to mate. □ [V -ing] …the mating season.


6 N‑COUNT On a commercial ship, the mate or the first mate is the most important officer except for the captain. Officers of lower rank are also called mates . □ …the mate of a fishing trawler.


7 N‑UNCOUNT In chess, mate is the same as checkmate .


8 → see also cellmate , classmate , flatmate , playmate , roommate , running mate , schoolmate , shipmate , soul mate

ma|terial ◆◆◇ /mət I ə riəl/ (materials )


1 N‑VAR A material is a solid substance. □ …electrons in a conducting material such as a metal. □ …the design of new absorbent materials.


2 N‑VAR Material is cloth. □ [+ of ] …the thick material of her skirt. □ The materials are soft and comfortable to wear.


3 N‑PLURAL Materials are the things that you need for a particular activity. □ The builders ran out of materials. □ …sewing materials.


4 N‑UNCOUNT Ideas or information that are used as a basis for a book, play, or film can be referred to as material . □ In my version of the story, I added some new material.


5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Material things are related to possessions or money, rather than to more abstract things such as ideas or values. □ Every room must have been stuffed with material things. □ …the material world. ● ma|teri|al|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj/-ed] □ He has tried to help this child materially and spiritually.


6 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that someone is a particular kind of material , you mean that they have the qualities or abilities to do a particular job or task. □ She was not university material. □ His message has changed little since he became presidential material.


7 ADJ [ADJ n] Material evidence or information is directly relevant and important in a legal or academic argument. [FORMAL ] □ The nature and availability of material evidence was not to be discussed. SYNONYMS material NOUN


1


substance: The substance that's causing the problem comes from the barley.


matter: They feed mostly on decaying vegetable matter.


stuff: I don't object to the powdered stuff if it's all you've got.


2


cloth: She began cleaning the wound with a piece of cloth.


fabric: …small squares of red cotton fabric.


textile: …decorative textiles for the home.

ma|teri|al|ise /mət I ə riəla I z/ → see materialize

ma|teri|al|ism /mət I ə riəl I zəm/


1 N‑UNCOUNT Materialism is the attitude of someone who attaches a lot of importance to money and wants to possess a lot of material things. □ …the rising consumer materialism in society at large. ● ma|teri|al|ist (materialists ) N‑COUNT □ Leo is a materialist, living for life's little luxuries.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Materialism is the belief that only physical matter exists, and that there is no spiritual world.

ma|teri|al|ist /mət I ə riəl I st/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Materialist is used to describe things relating to the philosophy of materialism. □ …the materialist view of nature and society.

ma|teri|al|is|tic /mət I ə riəl I st I k/ ADJ If you describe a person or society as materialistic , you are critical of them because they attach too much importance to money and material possessions. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ During the 1980s, Britain became a very materialistic society.

ma|teri|al|ize /mət I ə riəla I z/ (materializes , materializing , materialized ) in BRIT, also use materialise 1 VERB If a possible or expected event does not materialize , it does not happen. □ [V ] A rebellion by radicals failed to materialize.


2 VERB If a person or thing materializes , they suddenly appear, after they have been invisible or in another place. □ [V ] Tamsin materialized at her side, notebook at the ready.

ma|ter|nal /mətɜː r n ə l/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Maternal is used to describe feelings or actions which are typical of those of a kind mother towards her child. □ She had little maternal instinct. □ Her feelings towards him were almost maternal.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] Maternal is used to describe things that relate to the mother of a baby. □ Maternal smoking can damage the unborn child.


3 ADJ [ADJ n] A maternal relative is one who is related through a person's mother rather than their father. □ Her maternal grandfather was Mayor of Karachi.

ma|ter|nity /mətɜː r n I ti/ ADJ [ADJ n] Maternity is used to describe things relating to the help and medical care given to a woman when she is pregnant and when she gives birth. □ Your job will be kept open for your return after maternity leave. □ …maternity clothes.

matey /me I ti/


1 ADJ If someone is matey , they behave in a very friendly way, usually without sincerity. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ …her irritatingly matey tone.


2 N‑COUNT You can address someone as matey when you are being friendly towards them. People sometimes also use matey when they are annoyed with someone. [BRIT , INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ No problem, matey.

math /mæ θ/ N‑UNCOUNT Math is the same as mathematics . [AM ] □ He studied math in college. in BRIT, use maths

math|emati|cal /mæ θəmæ t I k ə l/


1 ADJ [ADJ n] Something that is mathematical involves numbers and calculations. □ …mathematical calculations. ● math|emati|cal|ly /mæ θəmæ t I kli/ ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ …a mathematically complicated formula. □ Mathematically, it made sense.


2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you have mathematical abilities or a mathematical mind, you are clever at doing calculations or understanding problems that involve numbers. □ …a mathematical genius. ● math|emati|cal|ly ADV [ADV -ed/adj] □ Anyone can be an astrologer as long as they are mathematically minded.

math|ema|ti|cian /mæ θəmət I ʃ ə n/ (mathematicians )


1 N‑COUNT A mathematician is a person who is trained in the study of numbers and calculations. □ The risks can be so complex that banks hire mathematicians to puzzle them out.


2 N‑COUNT A mathematician is a person who is good at doing calculations and using numbers. □ I'm not a very good mathematician.

math|emat|ics /mæ θəmæ t I ks/


1 N‑UNCOUNT Mathematics is the study of numbers, quantities, or shapes. □ …a professor of mathematics at Boston College.


2 N‑UNCOUNT The mathematics of a problem is the calculations that are involved in it. □ [+ of ] Once you understand the mathematics of debt you can work your way out of it.

maths /mæ θs/ N‑UNCOUNT Maths is the same as mathematics . [BRIT ] □ He taught science and maths. in AM, use math

mati|nee /mæ t I ne I , [AM ] -ne I / (matinees ) N‑COUNT A matinee is a performance of a play or a showing of a film which takes place in the afternoon.

ma|tri|arch /me I triɑː r k/ (matriarchs )


1 N‑COUNT A matriarch is a woman who rules in a society in which power passes from mother to daughter.


2 N‑COUNT A matriarch is an old and powerful female member of a family, for example a grandmother.

ma|tri|ar|chal /me I triɑː r k ə l/


1 ADJ A matriarchal society, family, or system is one in which the rulers are female and power or property is passed from mother to daughter. □ …the 3,000 years of the matriarchal Sumerian society.


2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a woman as matriarchal , you mean that she has authority and power within her family or group. □ …the matriarchal figure of his grandmother.

ma|tri|ar|chy /me I triɑː r ki/ (matriarchies ) N‑VAR A matriarchy is a system in which power or property is passed from mother to daughter.

ma|tri|ces /me I tr I siːz/ Matrices is the plural of matrix .

ma|tricu|late /mətr I kjʊle I t/ (matriculates , matriculating , matriculated ) VERB In some countries, if you matriculate , you register formally as a student at a university, or you satisfy the academic requirements necessary for registration for a course. □ [V ] I had to matriculate if I wanted to do a degree. ● ma|tricu|la|tion /mətri kjʊle I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ The head decided I should have another go at matriculation.

mat|ri|mo|nial /mæ tr I moʊ niəl/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Matrimonial means concerning marriage or married people. [FORMAL ] □ …the matrimonial home.

mat|ri|mo|ny /mæ tr I məni, [AM ] -moʊni/ N‑UNCOUNT Matrimony is marriage. [FORMAL ] □ …the bonds of matrimony.

ma|trix /me I tr I ks/ (matrices )


1 N‑COUNT A matrix is the environment or context in which something such as a society develops and grows. [FORMAL ] □ …the matrix of their culture.


2 N‑COUNT In mathematics, a matrix is an arrangement of numbers, symbols, or letters in rows and columns which is used in solving mathematical problems.

ma|tron /me I trən/ (matrons ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE The matron in a nursing home is the woman who is in charge of all the nurses. In the past, the woman in charge of the nurses in a hospital was also called a matron . [BRIT ] □ The Matron at the nursing home expressed a wish to attend.

ma|tron|ly /me I trənli/ ADJ You can use matronly to describe a woman who is fairly fat and looks middle-aged, especially if you think the clothes she is wearing are not fashionable or attractive. □ …a matronly woman with an air of authority.

matt /mæ t/ The spellings matte in British English, and matte or mat in American English are also used. ADJ A matt colour, paint, or surface is dull rather than shiny. □ …a creamy white matt emulsion. □ …matt black.

mat|ted /mæ t I d/ ADJ If you describe someone's hair as matted , you mean that it has become a thick untidy mass, often because it is wet or dirty. □ She had matted hair and torn dusty clothes.

mat|ter ◆◆◆ /mæ tə r / (matters , mattering , mattered )


1 N‑COUNT A matter is a task, situation, or event which you have to deal with or think about, especially one that involves problems. □ It was clear that she wanted to discuss some private matter. □ Until the matter is resolved, the athletes will be ineligible to compete. □ [+ for ] Don't you think this is now a matter for the police? □ Business matters drew him to Paris.


2 N‑PLURAL [no det] You use matters to refer to the situation you are talking about, especially when something is affecting the situation in some way. □ The new system should improve matters. □ If it would facilitate matters, I would be happy to come to New York. □ Matters took an unexpected turn.


3 N‑SING If you say that a situation is a matter of a particular thing, you mean that that is the most important thing to be done or considered when you are involved in the situation or explaining it. □ [+ of ] History is always a matter of interpretation. □ [+ of ] Jack had attended these meetings as a matter of routine for years.


4 N‑UNCOUNT Printed matter consists of books, newspapers, and other texts that are printed. Reading matter consists of things that are suitable for reading, such as books and newspapers. □ Better education created an ever-larger demand for printed matter. □ …a rich variety of reading matter.


5 N‑UNCOUNT Matter is the physical part of the universe consisting of solids, liquids, and gases. □ A proton is an elementary particle of matter.


6 N‑UNCOUNT You use matter to refer to a particular type of substance. □ …waste matter from industries.


7 N‑SING You use matter in expressions such as ' What's the matter? ' or ' Is anything the matter? ' when you think that someone has a problem and you want to know what it is. □ Carole, what's the matter? You don't seem happy. □ She told him there was nothing the matter. [Also + with ]


8 N‑SING You use matter in expressions such as ' a matter of weeks ' when you are emphasizing how small an amount is or how short a period of time is. [EMPHASIS ] □ Within a matter of days she was back at work.


9 VERB [no cont] If you say that something does not matter , you mean that it is not important to you because it does not have an effect on you or on a particular situation. □ [V ] A lot of the food goes on the floor but that doesn't matter. □ [V wh] As long as staff are smart, it does not matter how long their hair is. □ [V that] Does it matter that people don't know this? □ [V + to ] Money is the only thing that matters to them.


10 → see also grey matter , subject matter


11 PHRASE If you say that something is another matter or a different matter , you mean that it is very different from the situation that you have just discussed. □ You have to take control of your career. But relationships are a different matter.


12 PHRASE If you are going to do something as a matter of urgency or priority, you are going to do it as soon as possible, because it is important. □ You need to talk about it with your doctor as a matter of urgency.


13 PHRASE If something is no easy matter , it is difficult to do it. □ Choosing the colour for the drawing-room walls was no easy matter.


14 PHRASE If someone says that's the end of the matter or that's an end to the matter , they mean that a decision that has been taken must not be changed or discussed any more. □ 'He's moving in here,' Maria said. 'So that's the end of the matter.'


15 PHRASE You use the fact of the matter is or the truth of the matter is to introduce a fact which supports what you are saying or which is not widely known, for example because it is a secret. □ The fact of the matter is that most people consume far more protein than they actually need.


16 PHRASE You can use for that matter to emphasize that the remark you are making is true in the same way as your previous, similar remark. [EMPHASIS ] □ The irony was that Shawn had not seen her. Nor for that matter had anyone else.


17 CONVENTION You say ' it doesn't matter ' to tell someone who is apologizing to you that you are not angry or upset, and that they should not worry. □ 'Did I wake you?'—'Yes, but it doesn't matter.'


18 PHRASE If you say that something is no laughing matter , you mean that it is very serious and not something that you should laugh or joke about. □ Their behaviour is an offence. It's no laughing matter.


19 PHRASE If you say that something makes matters worse , you mean that it makes a difficult situation even more difficult. □ Don't let yourself despair; this will only make matters worse.


20 PHRASE You use no matter in expressions such as ' no matter how ' and ' no matter what ' to say that something is true or happens in all circumstances. □ No matter what your age, you can lose weight by following this program.


21 PHRASE If you say that you are going to do something no matter what , you are emphasizing that you are definitely going to do it, even if there are obstacles or difficulties. [EMPHASIS ] □ He had decided to publish the manuscript no matter what.


22 PHRASE If you say that a statement is a matter of opinion , you mean that it is not a fact, and that other people, including yourself, do not agree with it. □ 'We're not that contrived. We're not that theatrical.'—'That's a matter of opinion.'


23 PHRASE If you say that something is just a matter of time , you mean that it is certain to happen at some time in the future. □ It would be only a matter of time before he went through with it.


24 a matter of life and death → see death


25 as a matter of course → see course


26 as a matter of fact → see fact


27 mind over matter → see mind ➊ USAGE matter


You can say What’s the matter ? to ask about a problem or difficulty. Don’t use ‘the matter’ with this meaning in other types of sentence. Don’t say, for example, ‘ The matter is that we don’t know where she is ’. Say the problem or the trouble . □ What’s the matter ? You seem unhappy. □ The problem is that she can’t cook.

ma tter-of-fa ct ADJ If you describe a person as matter-of-fact , you mean that they show no emotions such as enthusiasm, anger, or surprise, especially in a situation where you would expect them to be emotional. □ John was doing his best to give Francis the news in a matter-of-fact way. ● matter-of-factly ADV [ADV after v] □ 'She thinks you're a spy,' Scott said matter-of-factly.

mat|ting /mæ t I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Matting is strong thick material, usually made from a material like rope, straw, or rushes, which is used as a floor covering.

mat|tress /mæ trəs/ (mattresses ) N‑COUNT A mattress is the large, flat object which is put on a bed to make it comfortable to sleep on.

matu|ra|tion /mæ tjʊre I ʃən/


1 N‑UNCOUNT The maturation of something such as wine or cheese is the process of leaving it for a time to become mature. [FORMAL ] □ The period of maturation is determined by the cellar master.


2 N‑UNCOUNT The maturation of a young person's body is the process of it becoming like an adult's. [FORMAL ]

ma|ture /mətjʊə r / (matures , maturing , matured , maturer , maturest )


1 VERB When a child or young animal matures , it becomes an adult. □ [V ] You will learn what to expect as your child matures physically.


2 VERB When something matures , it reaches a state of complete development. □ [V ] When the trees matured they were cut in certain areas.


3 VERB If someone matures , they become more fully developed in their personality and emotional behaviour. □ [V ] Hopefully after three years at university I will have matured.


4 ADJ If you describe someone as mature , you think that they are fully developed and balanced in their personality and emotional behaviour. [APPROVAL ] □ They are emotionally mature and should behave responsibly.


5 VERB If something such as wine or cheese matures or is matured , it is left for a time to allow its full flavour or strength to develop. □ [V ] Unlike wine, brandy matures only in wood, not glass. □ [be V -ed] …the cellars where the cheeses are matured.


6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Mature cheese or wine has been left for a time to allow its full flavour or strength to develop. □ Grate some mature cheddar cheese.


7 VERB When an investment such as a savings policy or pension plan matures , it reaches the stage when you stop paying money and the company pays you back the money you have saved, and the interest your money has earned. [BUSINESS ] □ [V ] These bonuses will be paid when your savings plan matures in ten years' time.


8 ADJ If you say that someone is mature or of mature years, you are saying politely that they are middle-aged or old. [POLITENESS ] □ …a man of mature years.

ma|tu re stu |dent (mature students ) N‑COUNT A mature student is a person who begins their studies at university or college a number of years after leaving school, so that they are older than most of the people they are studying with. [BRIT ] in AM, use adult student

ma|tur|ity /mətjʊə r I ti/ (maturities )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Maturity is the state of being fully developed or adult. □ Humans experience a delayed maturity; we arrive at all stages of life later than other mammals.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Someone's maturity is their quality of being fully developed in their personality and emotional behaviour. □ Her speech showed great maturity and humanity.


3 N‑VAR When an investment such as a savings policy or pension plan reaches maturity , it reaches the stage when you stop paying money and the company pays you back the money you have saved, and the interest your money has earned. [BUSINESS ] □ Customers are told what their policies will be worth on maturity.

maud|lin /mɔː dl I n/


1 ADJ If you describe someone as maudlin , you mean that they are being sad and sentimental in a foolish way, perhaps because of drinking alcohol. □ Jimmy turned maudlin after three drinks. □ …maudlin self-pity.


2 ADJ If you describe a song, book, or film as maudlin , you are criticizing it for being very sentimental. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the most maudlin song of all time. □ …a hugely entertaining (if over-long and maudlin) movie.

maul /mɔː l/ (mauls , mauling , mauled ) VERB If you are mauled by an animal, you are violently attacked by it and badly injured. □ [be V -ed + by ] He had been mauled by a bear. □ [V n] The dog went berserk and mauled one of the girls.

Maun|dy Thurs|day /mɔː ndi θɜː r zde I / N‑UNCOUNT Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter Sunday.

Mau|ri|tian /mər I ʃ ə n, [AM ] mɔːr-/ (Mauritians )


1 ADJ Mauritian means belonging or relating to Mauritius, or to its people or culture.


2 N‑COUNT A Mauritian is a Mauritian citizen, or a person of Mauritian origin.

mau|so|leum /mɔː zəliː əm/ (mausoleums ) N‑COUNT A mausoleum is a building which contains the grave of a famous person or the graves of a rich family.

mauve /moʊ v/ (mauves ) COLOUR Something that is mauve is of a pale purple colour. □ It bears clusters of mauve flowers in early summer.

mav|er|ick /mæ vər I k/ (mavericks ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a maverick , you mean that they are unconventional and independent, and do not think or behave in the same way as other people. □ He was too much of a maverick ever to hold high office. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Maverick is also an adjective. □ …a maverick group of scientists, who oppose the prevailing medical opinion on the disease.

maw /mɔː / (maws ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe something as a maw , you mean that it is like a big open mouth which swallows everything near it. [LITERARY ] □ …helping to chop wood to feed the red maw of the stove.

mawk|ish /mɔː k I ʃ/ ADJ You can describe something as mawkish when you think it is sentimental and silly. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ A sordid, sentimental plot unwinds, with an inevitable mawkish ending.

max. /mæ ks/ ADJ [ADJ n] Max. is an abbreviation for maximum , and is often used after numbers or amounts. □ I'll give him eight out of 10, max.

max|im /mæ ks I m/ (maxims ) N‑COUNT A maxim is a rule for good or sensible behaviour, especially one in the form of a saying. □ I believe in the maxim 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.

max|im|ize /mæ ks I ma I z/ (maximizes , maximizing , maximized ) in BRIT, also use maximise 1 VERB If you maximize something, you make it as great in amount or importance as you can. □ [V n] In order to maximize profit, the firm would seek to maximize output. ● maxi|mi|za|tion /mæ ks I ma I ze I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ …a pricing policy that was aimed at profit maximisation. [Also + of ]


2 VERB If you maximize a window on a computer screen, you make it as large as possible. □ [V n] Click on the square icon to maximize the window.

maxi|mum ◆◇◇ /mæ ks I məm/


1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use maximum to describe an amount which is the largest that is possible, allowed, or required. □ Under planning law the maximum height for a fence or hedge is 2 metres. □ China headed the table with maximum points. ● N‑SING Maximum is also a noun. □ [+ of ] The law provides for a maximum of two years in prison.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use maximum to indicate how great an amount is. □ …the maximum amount of information. □ It was achieved with minimum fuss and maximum efficiency. □ …a maximum security prison.


3 ADV If you say that something is a particular amount maximum , you mean that this is the greatest amount it should be or could possibly be, although a smaller amount is acceptable or very possible. □ We need an extra 6g a day maximum.


4 PHRASE If you say that someone does something to the maximum , you are emphasizing that they do it to the greatest degree possible. [EMPHASIS ] □ You have to develop your capabilities to the maximum.

may ◆◆◆ /me I / May is a modal verb. It is used with the base form of a verb. 1 MODAL You use may to indicate that something will possibly happen or be true in the future, but you cannot be certain. [VAGUENESS ] □ We may have some rain today. □ I may be back next year. □ I don't know if they'll publish it or not. They may. □ Scientists know that cancer may not show up for many years.


2 MODAL You use may to indicate that there is a possibility that something is true, but you cannot be certain. [VAGUENESS ] □ Civil rights officials say there may be hundreds of other cases of racial violence.


3 MODAL You use may to indicate that something is sometimes true or is true in some circumstances. □ A vegetarian diet may not provide enough calories for a child's normal growth. □ Up to five inches of snow may cover the mountains.


4 MODAL You use may have with a past participle when suggesting that it is possible that something happened or was true, or when giving a possible explanation for something. [VAGUENESS ] □ He may have been to some of those places. □ The chaos may have contributed to the deaths of up to 20 people.


5 MODAL You use may in statements where you are accepting the truth of a situation, but contrasting it with something that is more important. □ I may be almost 50, but there aren't a lot of things I've forgotten.


6 MODAL You use may when you are mentioning a quality or fact about something that people can make use of if they want to. □ The bag has narrow straps, so it may be worn over the shoulder or carried in the hand.


7 MODAL You use may to indicate that someone is allowed to do something, usually because of a rule or law. You use may not to indicate that someone is not allowed to do something. □ What is the nearest you may park to a junction? □ Adolescents under the age of 18 may not work in jobs that require them to drive.


8 MODAL You use may when you are giving permission to someone to do something, or when asking for permission. [FORMAL ] □ Mr Hobbs? May we come in? □ If you wish, you may now have a glass of milk.


9 MODAL You use may when you are making polite requests. [FORMAL , POLITENESS ] □ I'd like the use of your living room, if I may. □ May I come with you to Southampton?


10 MODAL You use may when you are mentioning the reaction or attitude that you think someone is likely to have to something you are about to say. □ You know, Brian, whatever you may think, I work hard for a living.


11 MODAL You use may in expressions such as I may add and I may say in order to emphasize a statement that you are making. [EMPHASIS ] □ They spent their afternoons playing golf–extremely badly, I may add–around Loch Lomond. □ Both of them, I may say, are thoroughly reliable men.


12 MODAL If you do something so that a particular thing may happen, you do it so that there is an opportunity for that thing to happen. □ …the need for more surgeons so that patients may be treated more quickly.


13 MODAL People sometimes use may to express hopes and wishes. [FORMAL ] □ Courage seems now to have deserted him. May it quickly reappear.


14 be that as it may → see be ➋


15 may as well → see well ➌

May /me I / (Mays ) N‑VAR May is the fifth month of the year in the Western calendar. □ University examinations are held in May. □ They got married on 18 May. □ The report was published last May.

may|be ◆◆◇ /me I bi/


1 ADV You use maybe to express uncertainty, for example when you do not know that something is definitely true, or when you are mentioning something that may possibly happen in the future in the way you describe. [VAGUENESS ] □ Maybe she is in love. □ I do think about having children, maybe when I'm 40.


2 ADV You use maybe when you are making suggestions or giving advice. Maybe is also used to introduce polite requests. [POLITENESS ] □ Maybe we can go to the movies or something. □ Wait a while, maybe a few days.


3 ADV You use maybe to indicate that, although a comment is partly true, there is also another point of view that should be considered. □ Maybe there is jealousy, but I think the envy is more powerful.


4 ADV You can say maybe as a response to a question or remark, when you do not want to agree or disagree. □ 'Is she coming back?'—'Maybe. No one hears from her.'


5 ADV You use maybe when you are making a rough guess at a number, quantity, or value, rather than stating it exactly. [VAGUENESS ] □ The men were maybe a hundred feet away and coming closer.


6 ADV People use maybe to mean 'sometimes', particularly in a series of general statements about what someone does, or about something that regularly happens. □ They'll come to the bar for a year, or maybe even two.

May|day /me I de I / (Maydays ) N‑COUNT If someone in a plane or ship sends out a Mayday or a Mayday message, they send out a radio message calling for help because they are in serious difficulty. □ He raced to pick up the lifejackets while his stepmother sent out a Mayday call.

Ma y Day N‑UNCOUNT May Day is the 1st of May, which in many countries is celebrated as a public holiday, especially as one in honour of working people.

may|fly /me I fla I / (mayflies ) N‑COUNT A mayfly is an insect which lives near water and only lives for a very short time as an adult.

may|hem /me I hem/ N‑UNCOUNT You use mayhem to refer to a situation that is not controlled or ordered, when people are behaving in a disorganized, confused, and often violent way. □ Their arrival caused mayhem as crowds of refugees rushed towards them.

mayn't /me I ənt/ Mayn't is a spoken form of 'may not'.

mayo /me I oʊ/ N‑UNCOUNT Mayo is the same as mayonnaise . [INFORMAL ]

may|on|naise /me I əne I z/ N‑UNCOUNT Mayonnaise is a thick pale sauce made from egg yolks and oil. It is put on salad.

mayor ◆◇◇ /meə r , me I ə r / (mayors ) N‑COUNT The mayor of a town or city is the person who has been elected to represent it for a fixed period of time or, in some places, to run its government.

mayor|ess /meə res, me I əres/ (mayoresses )


1 N‑COUNT A woman who holds the office of mayor is sometimes referred to as a mayoress . [BRIT ]


2 N‑COUNT A mayoress is the wife of a mayor. [BRIT ]

may've /me I əv/ May've is a spoken form of 'may have', especially when 'have' is an auxiliary verb.

maze /me I z/ (mazes )


1 N‑COUNT A maze is a complex system of passages or paths between walls or hedges and is designed to confuse people who try to find their way through it, often as a form of amusement. □ The palace has extensive gardens, a maze, and tennis courts.


2 N‑COUNT A maze of streets, rooms, or tunnels is a large number of them that are connected in a complicated way, so that it is difficult to find your way through them. □ [+ of ] The children lead me through the maze of alleys to the edge of the city.


3 N‑COUNT You can refer to a set of ideas, topics, or rules as a maze when a large number of them are related to each other in a complicated way that makes them difficult to understand. □ [+ of ] The book tries to steer you through the maze of alternative therapies.

MBA /e m biː e I / (MBAs ) in AM, also use M.B.A. N‑COUNT An MBA is a master's degree in business administration. You can also refer to a person who has this degree as an MBA . MBA is an abbreviation for 'Master of Business Administration'.

MBE /e m biː iː / (MBEs ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] An MBE is a British honour that is awarded to a person by the King or Queen for a particular achievement. MBE is an abbreviation for 'Member of the Order of the British Empire'. □ He had to go to Buckingham Palace to accept an MBE from the Queen.

MBO /e m biː oʊ / N‑COUNT An MBO is the buying of a company by its managers. MBO is an abbreviation for 'management buyout'. [BUSINESS ]

MC /e m siː / (MCs ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE An MC is the same as a master of ceremonies .

MD /e m diː / (MDs ) in AM, also use M.D. 1 MD is written after someone's name to indicate that they have been awarded a degree in medicine and are qualified to practise as a doctor.


2 N‑COUNT MD is an abbreviation for managing director . [mainly BRIT , BUSINESS ] □ He's going to be the MD of the Park Lane company.

me ◆◆◆ /mi, STRONG miː/ PRON A speaker or writer uses me to refer to himself or herself. Me is a first person singular pronoun. Me is used as the object of a verb or a preposition. □ He asked me to go to Cambridge with him. □ She looked up at me, smiling. USAGE me or myself?


Don’t use ‘me’ when the person who is speaking is both the subject and the object of the verb. Don’t say, for example, ‘ I got me a drink ’. Say ‘I got myself a drink’. □ I made myself some breakfast.

ME /e m iː / N‑UNCOUNT ME is a long-lasting illness that is thought to be caused by a virus. Its symptoms include feeling tired all the time and muscle pain. ME is an abbreviation for 'myalgic encephalomyelitis'.

mead /miː d/ N‑UNCOUNT In former times, mead was an alcoholic drink made of honey, spices, and water.

mead|ow /me doʊ/ (meadows ) N‑COUNT A meadow is a field which has grass and flowers growing in it.

mea|gre /miː gə r / in AM, use meager ADJ If you describe an amount or quantity of something as meagre , you are critical of it because it is very small or not enough. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The bank's staff were already angered by a meagre 3.1% pay rise.

meal ◆◇◇ /miː l/ (meals )


1 N‑COUNT A meal is an occasion when people sit down and eat, usually at a regular time. □ She sat next to him throughout the meal. □ It's rare that I have an evening meal with my children.


2 N‑COUNT A meal is the food you eat during a meal. □ The waiter offered him red wine or white wine with his meal.


3 → see also bone meal


4 PHRASE If you think someone is taking more time and energy to do something than is necessary, you can say that they are making a meal of it. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Lawyers always make such a meal of the simplest little thing.


5 PHRASE If you have a square meal , you have a large healthy meal.

mea ls on whee ls also Meals on Wheels N‑UNCOUNT In Britain, meals on wheels is a service provided by the local authority that delivers hot meals to people who are too old or too sick to cook for themselves.

mea l tick|et also meal-ticket N‑SING If you say that something or someone is a meal ticket , you mean that they provide a person with money or a lifestyle which they would not otherwise have. □ His chosen field was unlikely to be a meal ticket for life. □ I don't intend to be a meal-ticket for anyone.

meal|time /miː lta I m/ (mealtimes ) also meal time N‑VAR [usu pl] Mealtimes are occasions when you eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner. □ At mealtimes he would watch her eat.

mealy /miː li/ ADJ Food that is dry and powdery can be described as mealy . □ …the mealy stodge of pulse, grain and potato dishes.

mealy-mouthed /miː limaʊ ðd/ ADJ If you say that someone is being mealy-mouthed , you are critical of them for being unwilling to speak in a simple or open way because they want to avoid talking directly about something unpleasant. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He repeated that he did not intend to be mealy-mouthed with the country's leaders.


mean


➊ VERB USES


➋ ADJECTIVE USES


➌ NOUN USE


➊ mean ◆◆◆ /miː n/ (means , meaning , meant )


→ Please look at categories 20 and 21 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.


1 VERB [no cont] If you want to know what a word, code, signal, or gesture means , you want to know what it refers to or what its message is. □ [V n] In modern Welsh, 'glas' means 'blue'. □ [V that] The red signal means you can shoot.


2 VERB [no cont] If you ask someone what they mean , you are asking them to explain exactly what or who they are referring to or what they are intending to say. □ [V n] Do you mean me? □ [V that] I think he means that he does not want this marriage to turn out like his friend's.


3 VERB [no cont] If something means something to you, it is important to you in some way. □ The idea that she witnessed this shameful incident meant nothing to him. □ [V n to-inf] It would mean a lot to them to win. [Also V amount]


4 VERB [no cont] If one thing means another, it shows that the second thing exists or is true. □ [V n] An enlarged prostate does not necessarily mean cancer. □ [V that] Just because he has a beard doesn't necessarily mean he's a hippy.


5 VERB [no cont] If one thing means another, the first thing leads to the second thing happening. □ [V n] It would almost certainly mean the end of NATO. □ [V that] Failure to act now will mean that our society will change beyond recognition.


6 VERB If doing one thing means doing another, it involves doing the second thing. □ [V v-ing] Managing well means communicating well.


7 VERB [no cont] If you say that you mean what you are saying, you are telling someone that you are serious about it and are not joking, exaggerating, or just being polite. □ [V n] He says you're fired if you're not back at work on Friday. And I think he meant it.


8 VERB [no cont] If you say that someone meant to do something, you are saying that they did it deliberately. □ [V to-inf] I didn't mean to hurt you. □ [V n to-inf] I can see why you believed my letters were threatening but I never meant them to be.


9 VERB [no cont] If you say that someone did not mean any harm, offence, or disrespect, you are saying that they did not intend to upset or offend people or to cause problems, even though they may in fact have done so. □ [V n] I'm sure he didn't mean any harm.


10 VERB [no cont] If you mean to do something, you intend or plan to do it. □ [V to-inf] Summer is the perfect time to catch up on the new books you meant to read.


11 VERB [usu passive, no cont] If you say that something was meant to happen, you believe that it was made to happen by God or fate, and did not just happen by chance. □ [be V -ed to-inf] John was constantly reassuring me that we were meant to be together.


12 PHRASE You say ' I mean ' when making clearer something that you have just said. [SPOKEN ] □ It was his idea. Gordon's, I mean.


13 PHRASE You can use ' I mean ' to introduce a statement, especially one that justifies something that you have just said. [SPOKEN ] □ I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I mean, I was the one who asked him.


14 PHRASE You say I mean when correcting something that you have just said. [SPOKEN ] □ It was law or classics–I mean English or classics.


15 PHRASE If you know what it means to do something, you know everything that is involved in a particular activity or experience, especially the effect that it has on you. □ I know what it means to lose a child under such tragic circumstances.


16 PHRASE If a name, word, or phrase means something to you, you have heard it before and you know what it refers to. □ 'Oh, Gairdner,' he said, as if that meant something to him.


17 PHRASE If you say that someone means well , you mean they are trying to be kind and helpful, even though they might be causing someone problems or upsetting them. □ I know you mean well, but I can manage by myself.


18 PHRASE You use ' you mean ' in a question to check that you have understood what someone has said. □ What accident? You mean Christina's? □ 'What if I had said no?' 'About the apartment, you mean?'


19 → see also meaning , means , meant


20 to mean business → see business


21 if you know what I mean → see know

➋ mean /miː n/ (meaner , meanest )


1 ADJ If you describe someone as mean , you are being critical of them because they are unwilling to spend much money or to use very much of a particular thing. [mainly BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Don't be mean with fabric, otherwise curtains will end up looking skimpy. in AM, use cheap , stingy ● mean|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ This very careful attitude to money can sometimes border on meanness.


2 ADJ If you describe an amount as mean , you are saying that it is very small. [BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the meanest grant possible from the local council.


3 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is being mean , they are being unkind to another person, for example by not allowing them to do something. □ [+ to ] The little girls had locked themselves in upstairs because Mack had been mean to them. □ I'd feel mean saying no. ● mean|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ He had been behaving very meanly to his girlfriend.


4 ADJ If you describe a person or animal as mean , you are saying that they are very bad-tempered and cruel. [mainly AM ] □ …the meanest fighter in the world.


5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a place as mean , you think that it looks poor and dirty. □ He was raised on the mean streets of the central market district of Panama City.


6 PHRASE You can use no mean in expressions such as ' no mean writer ' and ' no mean golfer ' to indicate that someone does something well. [INFORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ She was no mean performer on a variety of other instruments.


7 PHRASE You can use no mean in expressions such as ' no mean achievement ' and ' no mean task ' to indicate that someone has done something they deserve to be proud of. □ To destroy 121 enemy aircraft is no mean record.

➌ mean /miː n/


1 N‑SING [oft N n] The mean is a number that is the average of a set of numbers. □ Take a hundred and twenty values and calculate the mean. □ …the mean score for 26-year-olds.


2 → see also means USAGE mean


Don’t use ‘mean’ when you are talking about people’s opinions or beliefs. Use think or believe . Don’t say, for example, ‘ Most of the directors mean he should resign ’. Say ‘Most of the directors think he should resign’. □ Scientists believe that life began four billion years ago.

me|ander /miæ ndə r / (meanders , meandering , meandered )


1 VERB If a river or road meanders , it has a lot of bends, rather than going in a straight line from one place to another. □ [V prep/adv] …roads that meandered round the edges of the fields. □ [V -ing] We crossed a small iron bridge over a meandering stream. [Also V ]


2 N‑COUNT A meander is a large bend in a river.


3 VERB If you meander somewhere, you move slowly and not in a straight line. □ [V prep/adv] We meandered through a landscape of mountains, rivers, and vineyards. [Also V ]


4 VERB If a speech, account, or piece of writing meanders , it seems to move from one topic to another without any order or purpose. □ [V ] His talk appears to meander but by the end focuses attention on the true state of affairs. □ [V -ing] …a rich and meandering novel.

mean|ing ◆◇◇ /miː n I ŋ/ (meanings )


1 N‑VAR The meaning of a word, expression, or gesture is the thing or idea that it refers to or represents and which can be explained using other words. □ [+ of ] I hadn't a clue to the meaning of 'activism'. □ I became more aware of the symbols and their meanings.


2 N‑VAR The meaning of what someone says or of something such as a book or film is the thoughts or ideas that are intended to be expressed by it. □ [+ of ] Unsure of the meaning of this remark, Ryle chose to remain silent.


3 N‑UNCOUNT If an activity or action has meaning , it has a purpose and is worthwhile. □ Art has real meaning when it helps people to understand themselves. □ …a challenge that gives meaning to life.


4 PHRASE If you mention something and say that someone doesn't know the meaning of the word , you are emphasizing that they have never experienced the thing mentioned or do not have the quality mentioned. [EMPHASIS ] □ Don't mention failure when Kevin is around. He doesn't know the meaning of the word.

mean|ing|ful /miː n I ŋfʊl/


1 ADJ If you describe something as meaningful , you mean that it is serious, important, or useful in some way. □ She believes these talks will be the start of a constructive and meaningful dialogue. □ He asked people to tell him about a meaningful event or period in their lives.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] A meaningful look or gesture is one that is intended to express something, usually to a particular person, without anything being said. □ Upon the utterance of this word, Dan and Harry exchanged a quick, meaningful look. ● mean|ing|ful|ly ADV [usu ADV after v, oft ADV -ed] □ He glanced meaningfully at the other police officer, then he went up the stairs.


3 → see also meaningfully

mean|ing|ful|ly /miː n I ŋfʊli/


1 ADV [ADV after v] You use meaningfully to indicate that someone has deliberately chosen their words in order to express something in a way which is not obvious but which is understood by the person they are talking to. □ 'I have a knack for making friends, you know,' she added meaningfully.


2 → see also meaningful

mean|ing|less /miː n I ŋləs/


1 ADJ If something that someone says or writes is meaningless , it has no meaning, or appears to have no meaning. □ She is fascinated by algebra while he considers it meaningless nonsense.


2 ADJ Something that is meaningless in a particular situation is not important or relevant. □ Fines are meaningless to guys earning millions.


3 ADJ If something that you do is meaningless , it has no purpose and is not at all worthwhile. □ They seek strong sensations to dull their sense of a meaningless existence.

means ◆◆◇ /miː nz/


1 N‑COUNT [oft N to-inf] A means of doing something is a method, instrument, or process which can be used to do it. Means is both the singular and the plural form for this use. □ The move is a means to fight crime. □ [+ of ] The army had perfected the use of terror as a means of controlling the population. □ Business managers are focused on increasing their personal wealth by any available means.


2 N‑PLURAL [oft N to-inf] You can refer to the money that someone has as their means . [FORMAL ] □ …a person of means. □ He did not have the means to compensate her.


3 PHRASE If someone is living beyond their means , they are spending more money than they can afford. If someone is living within their means , they are not spending more money than they can afford. □ The more gifts she received, the more she craved, until he was living beyond his means.


4 PHRASE If you do something by means of a particular method, instrument, or process, you do it using that method, instrument, or process. □ This is a two year course taught by means of lectures and seminars.


5 CONVENTION You can say ' by all means ' to tell someone that you are very willing to allow them to do something. [FORMULAE ] □ 'Can I come and have a look at your house?'—'Yes by all means'.


6 PHRASE You use expressions such as ' by no means ', ' not by any means ', and ' by no manner of means ' to emphasize that something is not true. [EMPHASIS ] □ This is by no means out of the ordinary. □ They were not finished, however, not by any means.


7 PHRASE If you say that something is a means to an end , you mean that it helps you to achieve what you want, although it may not be enjoyable or important itself. □ We seem to have lost sight of the fact that marketing is only a means to an end. SYNONYMS means NOUN 1


method: …new teaching methods.


mechanism: There's no mechanism for punishing arms exporters who break the rules.


way: Freezing isn't a bad way of preserving food.


process: The best way to proceed is by a process of elimination.

mea ns test (means tests ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A means test is a test in which your income is calculated in order to decide whether you qualify for a grant or benefit from the state.

mea ns-tested ADJ A grant or benefit that is means-tested varies in amount depending on a means test. □ …means-tested benefits.

meant /me nt/


1 Meant is the past tense and past participle of mean .


2 ADJ You use meant to to say that something or someone was intended to be or do a particular thing, especially when they have failed to be or do it. □ I can't say any more, it's meant to be a big secret. □ I'm meant to be on holiday.


3 ADJ If something is meant for particular people or for a particular situation, it is intended for those people or for that situation. □ [+ for ] Fairy tales weren't just meant for children. □ [+ for ] The seeds were not meant for human consumption.


4 PHRASE If you say that something is meant to happen, you mean that it is expected to happen or that it ought to happen. □ Parties are meant to be fun.


5 PHRASE If you say that something is meant to have a particular quality or characteristic, you mean that it has a reputation for being like that. □ Beaujolais is meant to be a really good wine.

mean|time /miː nta I m/


1 PHRASE In the meantime or meantime means in the period of time between two events. □ Eventually your child will become an independent adult, but in the meantime she relies on your support. □ It now hopes to hold elections in February. Meantime, the state will continue to be run from Delhi.


2 PHRASE For the meantime means for a period of time from now until something else happens. □ The Prime Minister has, for the meantime, seen off the challenge of the opposition.

mean|while ◆◆◇ /miː n h wa I l/


1 ADV Meanwhile means while a particular thing is happening. □ Bake the aubergines till soft. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy pan. □ Kate turned to beckon Peter across from the car, but Bill waved him back, meanwhile pushing Kate inside.


2 ADV Meanwhile means in the period of time between two events. □ You needn't worry; I'll be ready to greet them. Meanwhile I'm off to discuss the Fowler's party with Felix.


3 ADV You use meanwhile to introduce a different aspect of a particular situation, especially one that is completely opposite to the one previously mentioned. □ Almost four million households are in debt to their energy company. Meanwhile, suppliers profits have doubled.

mea|sles /miː z ə lz/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] Measles is an infectious illness that gives you a high temperature and red spots on your skin.

mea|sly /miː zli/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe an amount, quantity, or size as measly , you are critical of it because it is very small or inadequate. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ All they get by way of thanks is a measly bottle of wine. □ …a measly twelve-year-old like me.

meas|ur|able /me ʒərəb ə l/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as measurable , you mean that it is large enough to be noticed or to be significant. [FORMAL ] □ Both leaders seemed to expect measurable progress. ● meas|ur|ably ADV [ADV adj/adv, ADV with v] □ The old man's voice was measurably weaker than the last time they'd talked.


2 ADJ Something that is measurable can be measured. □ Economists emphasize measurable quantities–the number of jobs, the per capita income.

meas|ure ◆◆◇ /me ʒə r / (measures , measuring , measured )


1 VERB If you measure the quality, value, or effect of something, you discover or judge how great it is. □ [V n prep] I continued to measure his progress against the charts in the doctor's office. □ [V n] It was difficult to measure the precise impact of the labor action.


2 VERB If you measure a quantity that can be expressed in numbers, such as the length of something, you discover it using a particular instrument or device, for example a ruler. □ [V n] Measure the length and width of the gap.


3 VERB [no cont] If something measures a particular length, width, or amount, that is its size or intensity, expressed in numbers. □ [V amount] The house is more than twenty metres long and measures six metres in width.


4 N‑SING A measure of a particular quality, feeling, or activity is a fairly large amount of it. [FORMAL ] □ The colonies were claiming a larger measure of self-government.


5 N‑SING If you say that one aspect of a situation is a measure of that situation, you mean that it shows that the situation is very serious or has developed to a very great extent. □ [+ of ] That is a measure of how bad things have become at the bank.


6 N‑COUNT [oft N to-inf] When someone, usually a government or other authority, takes measures to do something, they carry out particular actions in order to achieve a particular result. [FORMAL ] □ The government warned that police would take tougher measures to contain the trouble. [Also + against ]


7 N‑COUNT A measure of a strong alcoholic drink such as brandy or whisky is an amount of it in a glass. In pubs and bars, a measure is an official standard amount. □ [+ of ] He poured himself another generous measure of malt.


8 N‑COUNT In music, a measure is one of the several short parts of the same length into which a piece of music is divided. [AM ] in BRIT, use bar 9 → see also measured , measuring , counter-measure , half measure , tape measure


10 PHRASE If you say that something has changed or that it has affected you beyond measure , you are emphasizing that it has done this to a great extent. [EMPHASIS ] □ Mankind's knowledge of the universe has increased beyond measure.


11 PHRASE If you say that something is done for good measure , you mean that it is done in addition to a number of other things. □ I repeated my question for good measure.


12 PHRASE If you get or take the measure of someone or something, you discover what they are like, so that you are able to control them or deal with them. If you have the measure of someone or something, you have succeeded in doing this. □ The governments of the industrialized world had failed to get the measure of the crisis. □ Lili was the only person I knew who had the measure of her brother.


13 PHRASE If something is true in some measure or in large measure , it is partly or mostly true. [FORMAL ] □ Power is in some measure an act of will.


▸ measure out PHRASAL VERB If you measure out a certain amount of something, you measure that amount and take it or mark it because it is the amount that you want or need. □ [V P n] I'd already measured out the ingredients. [Also V n P ]


▸ measure up PHRASAL VERB If you do not measure up to a standard or to someone's expectations, you are not good enough to achieve the standard or fulfil the person's expectations. □ [V P + to ] It was fatiguing sometimes to try to measure up to her standard of perfection. □ [V P ] She's always comparing me to other people, and somehow I never measure up. SYNONYMS measure VERB 1


monitor: You need feedback to monitor progress.


follow: She was following Laura's progress closely.


keep track of: They had become so numerous I hadn't been able to keep track of them.

meas|ured /me ʒə r d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use measured to describe something that is careful and deliberate. □ The men spoke in soft, measured tones. □ Her more measured response will appeal to voters.

meas|ure|ment /me ʒə r mənt/ (measurements )


1 N‑COUNT A measurement is a result, usually expressed in numbers, that you obtain by measuring something. □ We took lots of measurements.


2 N‑VAR Measurement of something is the process of measuring it in order to obtain a result expressed in numbers. □ [+ of ] Measurement of blood pressure can be undertaken by practice nurses.


3 N‑VAR The measurement of the quality, value, or effect of something is the activity of deciding how great it is. □ [+ of ] …the measurement of output in the non-market sector.


4 N‑PLURAL [with poss] Your measurements are the size of your waist, chest, hips, and other parts of your body, which you need to know when you are buying clothes.

meas|ur|ing /me ʒər I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] A measuring jug, cup, or spoon is specially designed for measuring quantities, especially in cooking.

meat ◆◇◇ /miː t/ (meats )


1 N‑VAR Meat is flesh taken from a dead animal that people cook and eat. □ Meat and fish are relatively expensive. □ …imported meat products. □ …a buffet of cold meats and salads.


2 → see also luncheon meat , red meat , white meat

meat|ball /miː tbɔːl/ (meatballs ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Meatballs are small balls of chopped meat. They are usually eaten with a sauce.

mea t gri nd|er (meat grinders ) N‑COUNT A meat grinder is a machine which cuts meat into very small pieces by forcing it through very small holes. [AM ] in BRIT, use mincer

mea t loaf (meat loaves ) also meatloaf N‑VAR Meat loaf is chopped meat made into the shape of a loaf of bread.

meaty /miː ti/ (meatier , meatiest )


1 ADJ Food that is meaty contains a lot of meat. □ …a pleasant lasagne with a meaty sauce.


2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe something such as a piece of writing or a part in a film as meaty if it contains a lot of interesting or important material. □ The short, meaty reports are those he likes best.


3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe a part of someone's body as meaty if it is big and strong. □ He looked up and down the corridor, meaty hands resting on his thighs.

mec|ca /me kə/ (meccas )


1 N‑PROPER Mecca is a city in Saudi Arabia, which is the holiest city in Islam because the Prophet Mohammed was born there. All Muslims face towards Mecca when they pray.


2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe a place as a mecca or Mecca for a particular thing or activity, you mean that many people who are interested in it go there. □ Thailand has become the tourist mecca of Asia.

me|chan|ic /m I kæ n I k/ (mechanics )


1 N‑COUNT A mechanic is someone whose job is to repair and maintain machines and engines, especially car engines. □ If you smell gas fumes or burning, take the car to your mechanic.


2 N‑PLURAL The mechanics of a process, system, or activity are the way in which it works or the way in which it is done. □ [+ of ] What are the mechanics of this new process?


3 N‑UNCOUNT Mechanics is the part of physics that deals with the natural forces that act on moving or stationary objects. □ He has not studied mechanics or engineering.

me|chani|cal /m I kæ n I k ə l/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A mechanical device has parts that move when it is working, often using power from an engine or from electricity. □ …a small mechanical device that taps out the numbers. □ …the oldest working mechanical clock in the world. ● me|chani|cal|ly /m I kæ n I kli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ The air was circulated mechanically.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] Mechanical means relating to machines and engines and the way they work. □ …mechanical engineering. □ The train had stopped due to a mechanical problem. ● me|chani|cal|ly ADV [ADV adj/-ed] □ The car was mechanically sound, he decided.


3 ADJ If you describe a person as mechanical , you mean they are naturally good at understanding how machines work. □ He was a very mechanical person, who knew a lot about sound. ● me|chani|cal|ly ADV [ADV -ed] □ I'm not mechanically minded.


4 ADJ If you describe someone's action as mechanical , you mean that they do it automatically, without thinking about it. □ It is real prayer, and not mechanical repetition. ● me|chani|cal|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He nodded mechanically, his eyes fixed on the girl.

mecha|nise /me kəna I z/ → see mechanize

mecha|nism ◆◇◇ /me kən I zəm/ (mechanisms )


1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] In a machine or piece of equipment, a mechanism is a part, often consisting of a set of smaller parts, which performs a particular function. □ …the locking mechanism. □ A bomb has been detonated by a special mechanism.


2 N‑COUNT A mechanism is a special way of getting something done within a particular system. □ [+ for ] There's no mechanism for punishing arms exporters who break the rules.


3 N‑COUNT A mechanism is a part of your behaviour that is automatic and that helps you to survive or to cope with a difficult situation. □ …a survival mechanism, a means of coping with intolerable stress.


4 → see also defence mechanism SYNONYMS mechanism NOUN 1


workings: These computer systems mimic the workings of the brain.


motor: She got in and started the motor.


machinery: Farmers import most of their machinery and materials.

mecha|nis|tic /me kən I st I k/ ADJ If you describe a view or explanation of something as mechanistic , you are criticizing it because it describes a natural or social process as if it were a machine. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a mechanistic view of things that ignores the emotional realities in people's lives. □ Most of my colleagues in biology are still very mechanistic in their thinking.

mecha|nize /me kəna I z/ (mechanizes , mechanizing , mechanized ) in BRIT, also use mechanise VERB If someone mechanizes a process, they cause it to be done by a machine or machines, when it was previously done by people. □ [V n] Only gradually are technologies being developed to mechanize the task. ● mecha|nized ADJ □ …highly mechanised production methods. ● mecha|ni|za|tion /me kəna I ze I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Mechanization happened years ago on the farms of Islay.

med|al ◆◇◇ /me d ə l/ (medals ) N‑COUNT A medal is a small metal disc which is given as an award for bravery or as a prize in a sporting event.

me|dal|lion /m I dæ liən/ (medallions ) N‑COUNT A medallion is a round metal disc which some people wear as an ornament, especially on a chain round their neck.

med|al|list /me dəl I st/ (medallists ) N‑COUNT A medallist is a person who has won a medal in sport. [JOURNALISM ] □ …the gold medallists.

med|dle /me d ə l/ (meddles , meddling , meddled ) VERB If you say that someone meddles in something, you are criticizing the fact that they try to influence or change it without being asked. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + in/with ] Already some people are asking whether scientists have any right to meddle in such matters. □ [V ] If only you hadn't felt compelled to meddle. □ [V -ing] …the inept and meddling bureaucrats. ● med|dler (meddlers ) N‑COUNT □ They view activists as little more than meddlers.

med|dle|some /me d ə lsəm/ ADJ If you describe a person as meddlesome , you are criticizing them because they try to influence or change things that do not concern them. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a meddlesome member of the public.

me|dia ◆◆◇ /miː diə/


1 N‑SING [with sing or pl verb] You can refer to television, radio, newspapers, and magazines as the media . □ It is hard work and not a glamorous job as portrayed by the media. □ …bias in the news media. □ Media coverage of cycling in July was pretty impressive.


2 → see also mass media , multimedia


3 Media is a plural of medium .

me |dia ci r|cus (media circuses ) N‑COUNT If an event is described as a media circus , a large group of people from the media is there to report on it and take photographs. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The couple married in the Caribbean to avoid a media circus.

me|di|aeval /me diiː v ə l, [AM ] miː d-/ → see medieval

me|dian /miː diən/ (medians )


1 ADJ [ADJ n] The median value of a set of values is the middle one when they are arranged in order. For example, if a group of five students take a test and their marks are 5, 7, 7, 8, and 10, the median mark is 7. [TECHNICAL ]


2 N‑COUNT A median is the same as a median strip . [AM ]

me |dian strip (median strips ) N‑COUNT The median strip is the strip of ground, often covered with grass, that separates the two sides of a major road. [AM ] in BRIT, use central reservation

me|di|ate /miː die I t/ (mediates , mediating , mediated )


1 VERB If someone mediates between two groups of people, or mediates an agreement between them, they try to settle an argument between them by talking to both groups and trying to find things that they can both agree to. □ [V + between ] My mom was the one who mediated between Zelda and her mom. □ [V n + between ] United Nations officials have mediated a series of peace meetings between the two sides. □ [V ] The Vatican successfully mediated in a territorial dispute between Argentina and Chile in 1984. □ [V n] U.N. peacekeepers mediated a new cease-fire. ● me|dia|tion /miː die I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ between ] The agreement provides for United Nations mediation between the two sides. ● me|dia|tor (mediators ) N‑COUNT □ [+ between ] An archbishop has been acting as mediator between the rebels and the authorities.


2 VERB If something mediates a particular process or event, it allows that process or event to happen and influences the way in which it happens. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] …the thymus, the organ which mediates the response of the white blood cells. ● me|dia|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ This works through the mediation of the central nervous system.

med|ic /me d I k/ (medics )


1 N‑COUNT A medic is a doctor or medical student. [INFORMAL ]


2 N‑COUNT A medic is a doctor who works with the armed forces, as part of a medical corps. [AM ] □ A Navy medic was wounded by sniper fire.

medi|cal ◆◆◇ /me d I k ə l/ (medicals )


1 ADJ [ADJ n] Medical means relating to illness and injuries and to their treatment or prevention. □ Several police officers received medical treatment for cuts and bruises. □ …the medical profession. ● medi|cal|ly /me d I kli/ ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ Therapists cannot prescribe drugs as they are not necessarily medically qualified.


2 N‑COUNT A medical is a thorough examination of your body by a doctor, for example before you start a new job.

me di|cal ex|a m|in|er (medical examiners )


1 N‑COUNT A medical examiner is a medical expert who is responsible for investigating the deaths of people who have died in a sudden, violent, or unusual way. [AM ]


2 N‑COUNT A medical examiner is a doctor whose job is to examine people, for example when they apply for a job or for health insurance. [AM ]

medi|cat|ed /me d I ke I t I d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A medicated soap or shampoo contains substances which are intended to kill bacteria and therefore make your skin or hair healthier.

medi|ca|tion /me d I ke I ʃ ə n/ (medications ) N‑VAR Medication is medicine that is used to treat and cure illness. □ Are you on any medication?

me|dici|nal /med I sən ə l/ ADJ Medicinal substances or substances with medicinal effects can be used to treat and cure illnesses. □ …medicinal plants. ● me|dici|nal|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ Root ginger has been used medicinally for centuries.

medi|cine ◆◇◇ /me ds ə n, [AM ] me d I s I n/ (medicines )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Medicine is the treatment of illness and injuries by doctors and nurses. □ He pursued a career in medicine. □ I was interested in alternative medicine and becoming an aromatherapist. □ Psychiatry is an accepted branch of medicine.


2 N‑VAR Medicine is a substance that you drink or swallow in order to cure an illness. □ People in hospitals are dying because of shortage of medicine. □ …herbal medicines. SYNONYMS medicine NOUN 2


remedy: …natural remedies to help overcome winter infections.


drug: The drug will be useful to hundreds of thousands of infected people.


medication: She stopped taking the prescribed medications.

me|di|eval /me diiː v ə l, [AM ] miː d-/ in BRIT, also use mediaeval ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is medieval relates to or was made in the period of European history between the end of the Roman Empire in 476 AD and about 1500 AD. □ …a medieval castle. □ …the medieval chroniclers.

me|dio|cre /miː dioʊ kə r / ADJ If you describe something as mediocre , you mean that it is of average quality but you think it should be better. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ His school record was mediocre. □ …mediocre music.

me|di|oc|rity /miː diɒ kr I ti, me d-/ N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to the mediocrity of something, you mean that it is of average quality but you think it should be better. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the mediocrity of most contemporary literature.

medi|tate /me d I te I t/ (meditates , meditating , meditated )


1 VERB If you meditate on something, you think about it very carefully and deeply for a long time. □ [V + on ] On the day her son began school, she meditated on the uncertainties of his future.


2 VERB If you meditate you remain in a silent and calm state for a period of time, as part of a religious training or so that you are more able to deal with the problems and difficulties of everyday life. □ [V ] I was meditating, and reached a higher state of consciousness.

medi|ta|tion /me d I te I ʃ ə n/ (meditations )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Meditation is the act of remaining in a silent and calm state for a period of time, as part of a religious training, or so that you are more able to deal with the problems of everyday life. □ Many busy executives have begun to practice yoga and meditation.


2 → see also transcendental meditation


3 N‑UNCOUNT Meditation is the act of thinking about something very carefully and deeply for a long time. □ …the man, lost in meditation, walking with slow steps along the shore. □ In his lonely meditations, Antony had been forced to the conclusion that there had been rumours.

medi|ta|tive /me d I tət I v, [AM ] -te I t-/ ADJ [ADJ n] Meditative describes things that are related to the act of meditating or the act of thinking very deeply about something. □ Music can induce a meditative state in the listener. □ …moments of meditative silence. ● medi|ta|tive|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ Martin rubbed his chin meditatively.

Medi|ter|ra|nean /me d I təre I niən/


1 N‑PROPER The Mediterranean is the sea between southern Europe and North Africa.


2 N‑PROPER The Mediterranean refers to the southern part of Europe, which is next to the Mediterranean Sea. □ …one of the most dynamic and prosperous cities in the Mediterranean.


3 ADJ Something that is Mediterranean is characteristic of or belongs to the people or region around the Mediterranean Sea. □ …the classic Mediterranean diet.

me|dium ◆◇◇ /miː diəm/ (mediums , media ) The plural of the noun can be either mediums or media for meanings 4 and 5 . The form mediums is the plural for meaning 6 . 1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If something is of medium size, it is neither large nor small, but approximately half way between the two. □ A medium dose produces severe nausea within hours. □ He was of medium height with blond hair and light blue eyes.


2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use medium to describe something which is average in degree or amount, or approximately half way along a scale between two extremes. □ Foods that contain only medium levels of sodium are bread, cakes, milk, butter and margarine. □ …a sweetish, medium-strength beer. ● ADV [ADV adj] Medium is also an adverb. □ Cook under a medium-hot grill.


3 ADJ If something is of a medium colour, it is neither light nor dark, but approximately half way between the two. □ Andrea has medium brown hair, grey eyes and very pale skin.


4 N‑COUNT A medium is a way or means of expressing your ideas or of communicating with people. □ [+ of ] In Sierra Leone, English is used as the medium of instruction for all primary education. □ But Artaud was increasingly dissatisfied with film as a medium.


5 N‑COUNT A medium is a substance or material which is used for a particular purpose or in order to produce a particular effect. □ Blood is the medium in which oxygen is carried to all parts of the body. □ Hyatt has found a way of creating these qualities using the more permanent medium of oil paint.


6 N‑COUNT A medium is a person who claims to be able to contact and speak to people who are dead, and to pass messages between them and people who are still alive.


7 → see also media


8 PHRASE If you strike or find a happy medium between two extreme and opposite courses of action, you find a sensible way of behaving that is somewhere between the two extremes. □ I aim to strike a happy medium between playing entertaining football and getting results. SYNONYMS medium ADJ 1


average: …a woman of average height.


mean: …the mean score for 26-year-olds.


middling: …a man of middling height.

me dium-dry also medium dry ADJ Medium-dry wine or sherry is not very sweet.

me dium-sized also medium size ADJ [usu ADJ n] Medium-sized means neither large nor small, but approximately half way between the two. □ …a medium-sized saucepan. □ …medium-sized accountancy firms.

me dium-te rm N‑SING [usu N n] The medium-term is the period of time which lasts a few months or years beyond the present time, in contrast with the short term or the long term. □ The medium-term economic prospects remained poor. □ She risks losing her salary in the medium-term and damaging her long-term career prospects.

me |dium wave N‑UNCOUNT [usu on N ] Medium wave is a range of radio waves which are used for broadcasting. [mainly BRIT ] □ …a station broadcasting pop music on medium wave.

med|ley /me dli/ (medleys )


1 N‑COUNT In music, a medley is a collection of different tunes or songs that are played one after the other as a single piece of music. □ [+ of ] …a medley of traditional songs.


2 N‑COUNT In sport, a medley is a swimming race in which the four main strokes are used one after the other. □ He won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.

meek /miː k/ (meeker , meekest ) ADJ If you describe a person as meek , you think that they are gentle and quiet, and likely to do what other people say. □ He was a meek, mild-mannered fellow. ● meek|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Most have meekly accepted such advice.

meet ◆◆◆ /miː t/ (meets , meeting , met )


1 VERB If you meet someone, you happen to be in the same place as them and start talking to them. You may know the other person, but be surprised to see them, or you may not know them at all. □ [V n] I have just met the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. □ [V n] He's the kindest and sincerest person I've ever met. □ [V ] We met by chance. ● PHRASAL VERB Meet up means the same as meet . □ [V P + with ] When he was in the supermarket, he met up with a buddy he had at Oxford. □ [V P ] They met up in 1956, when they were both young schoolboys.


2 VERB If two or more people meet , they go to the same place, which they have earlier arranged to do, so that they can talk or do something together. □ [V ] We could meet for a drink after work. □ [V n] Meet me down at the beach tomorrow, at 6am sharp. ● PHRASAL VERB Meet up means the same as meet . □ [V P ] We tend to meet up for lunch once a week. □ [V P + with ] My intention was to have a holiday and meet up with old friends.


3 VERB If you meet someone, you are introduced to them and begin talking to them and getting to know them. □ [V n] Hey, Terry, come and meet my Dad.


4 VERB You use meet in expressions such as ' Pleased to meet you ' and ' Nice to have met you ' when you want to politely say hello or goodbye to someone you have just met for the first time. [FORMULAE ] □ [V n] 'Jennifer,' Miss Mallory said, 'this is Leigh Van-Voreen.'—'Pleased to meet you,' Jennifer said. □ [V n] I have to leave. Nice to have met you.


5 VERB If you meet someone off their train, plane, or bus, you go to the station, airport, or bus stop in order to be there when they arrive. □ [V n prep/adv] Mama met me at the station. □ [V n + off ] Lili and my father met me off the boat. □ [V n] Kurt's parents weren't able to meet our plane so we took a taxi.


6 VERB When a group of people such as a committee meet , they gather together for a particular purpose. □ [V ] Officials from the two countries will meet again soon to resume negotiations. □ [V ] The commission met 14 times between 1988 and 1991.


7 VERB If you meet with someone, you have a meeting with them. [mainly AM ] □ [V + with ] Most of the lawmakers who met with the president yesterday said they backed the mission.


8 VERB If something such as a suggestion, proposal, or new book meets with or is met with a particular reaction, it gets that reaction from people. □ [V + with ] The idea met with a cool response from various quarters. □ [V n + with ] Reagan's speech was met with incredulity in the U.S.


9 VERB If something meets a need, requirement, or condition, it is good enough to do what is required. □ [V n] It is up to parents to decide what form of health care best meets their needs. □ [V n] Out of the original 23,000 applications, 16,000 candidates meet the entry requirements.


10 VERB If you meet something such as a problem or challenge, you deal with it satisfactorily or do what is required. □ [V n] They had worked heroically to meet the deadline.


11 VERB If you meet the cost of something, you provide the money that is needed for it. □ [V n] The government said it will help meet some of the cost of the damage. □ [V n] You need to find the money to meet your monthly repayments.


12 VERB If you meet a situation, attitude, or problem, you experience it or become aware of it. □ [V n] I honestly don't know how I will react the next time I meet a potentially dangerous situation.


13 VERB You can say that someone meets with success or failure when they are successful or unsuccessful. □ [V + with ] Attempts to find civilian volunteers have met with embarrassing failure.


14 VERB When a moving object meets another object, it hits or touches it. □ [V n] You sense the stresses in the hull each time the keel meets the ground. □ [V ] Nick's head bent slowly over hers until their mouths met.


15 VERB If your eyes meet someone else's, you both look at each other at the same time. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n] Nina's eyes met her sisters' across the table. □ [V ] I found myself smiling back instinctively when our eyes met.


16 VERB If two areas meet , especially two areas of land or sea, they are next to one another. □ [V n] It is one of the rare places in the world where the desert meets the sea. □ [V ] …the southernmost point of South America where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet.


17 VERB The place where two lines meet is the place where they join together. □ [V ] Parallel lines will never meet no matter how far extended. □ [V n] The track widened as it met the road.


18 VERB If two sportsmen, teams, or armies meet , they compete or fight against one another. □ [V ] The two women will meet tomorrow in the final. □ [V n] …when England last met the Aussies in a cricket Test match.


19 N‑COUNT A meet is an event in which athletes come to a particular place in order to take part in a race or races. □ I was competing at a meet in the National Stadium, Kingston.


20 PHRASE If you do not meet someone's eyes or meet someone's gaze , you do not look at them although they are looking at you, for example because you are ashamed. □ He hesitated, then shook his head, refusing to meet her eyes.


21 PHRASE If someone meets their death or meets their end , they die, especially in a violent or suspicious way. [WRITTEN ] □ Jacob Sinclair met his death at the hands of a soldier.


22 to make ends meet → see end


23 there's more to this than meets the eye → see eye


24 to meet someone's eyes → see eye


25 to meet someone halfway → see halfway


26 to meet your match → see match


▸ meet up → see meet 1 , meet 2 SYNONYMS meet VERB


1


encounter: Did you encounter anyone in the building?


come across: I came across a group of children playing.


run into: He ran into Krettner in the corridor a few minutes later.


2


gather: In the evenings, we gathered around the fireplace.


assemble: There wasn't even a convenient place for students to assemble between classes.


get together: This is the only forum where East and West can get together.


congregate: Visitors congregated on Sunday afternoons to view public exhibitions.

meet|ing ◆◆◆ /miː t I ŋ/ (meetings )


1 N‑COUNT A meeting is an event in which a group of people come together to discuss things or make decisions. □ Can we have a meeting to discuss that? □ …business meetings. ● N‑SING You can also refer to the people at a meeting as the meeting . □ The meeting decided that further efforts were needed.


2 N‑COUNT [oft with poss] When you meet someone, either by chance or by arrangement, you can refer to this event as a meeting . □ In January, 37 years after our first meeting, I was back in the studio with Denis.

mee t|ing house (meeting houses ) N‑COUNT A meeting house is a building in which certain groups of Christians, for example Quakers, meet in order to worship together.

mee t|ing place (meeting places ) N‑COUNT A meeting place is a place where people meet.

mega /me gə/


1 ADV [usu ADV adj/adv] Young people sometimes use mega in front of adjectives or adverbs in order to emphasize them. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ He has become mega rich.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] Young people sometimes use mega in front of nouns in order to emphasize that the thing they are talking about is very good, very large, or very impressive. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ …the mega superstar Madonna.

PREFIX mega-


forms words that refer to units which are a million times bigger. For example, a megabyte is a million bytes.

mega|byte /me gəba I t/ (megabytes ) N‑COUNT In computing, a megabyte is one million bytes of data.

mega|hertz /me gəhɜː r ts/ (megahertz ) N‑COUNT [num N ] A megahertz is a unit of frequency, used especially for radio frequencies. One megahertz equals one million cycles per second. □ …UHF frequencies of around 900 megahertz.

mega|lo|ma|nia /me gələme I niə/ N‑UNCOUNT Megalomania is the belief that you are more powerful and important than you really are. Megalomania is sometimes a mental illness.

mega|lo|ma|ni|ac /me gələme I niæk/ (megalomaniacs ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] If you describe someone as a megalomaniac , you are criticizing them because they enjoy being powerful, or because they believe that they are more powerful or important than they really are. [DISAPPROVAL ]

mega|mall /me gəmɔːl, -mæl/ (megamalls ) also mega-mall N‑COUNT A megamall is a very large shopping area containing very many shops, cinemas, and restaurants.

mega|phone /me gəfoʊn/ (megaphones ) N‑COUNT A megaphone is a cone-shaped device for making your voice sound louder in the open air.

mega|pixel /me gəp I ks ə l/ N‑COUNT A megapixel is one million pixels: used as a measure of the quality of the picture created by a digital camera, scanner, or other device.

mega|ton /me gətʌn/ (megatons ) N‑COUNT [num N ] You can use megaton to refer to the power of a nuclear weapon. A one megaton bomb has the same power as one million tons of TNT.

mega|watt /me gəwɒt/ (megawatts ) N‑COUNT [num N ] A megawatt is a unit of power. One megawatt is a million watts. □ [+ of ] The project is designed to generate around 30 megawatts of power for the national grid.

meh /me / EXCLAM You can say meh to show that you do not care about something. [INFORMAL ] □ If I'm wrong about any of this, meh.

-meister /-ma I stə r / (-meisters ) COMB -meister combines with nouns to form nouns which refer to someone who is extremely good at a particular activity. □ The film–tautly directed by horror-meister Sam Raimi–is almost assured an Oscar nomination.

mel|an|cho|lia /me lənkoʊ liə/ N‑UNCOUNT Melancholia is a feeling of great sadness, especially one that lasts a long time. [LITERARY ] □ He sank into deep melancholia.

mel|an|chol|ic /me lənkɒ l I k/ (melancholics ) ADJ If you describe someone or something as melancholic , you mean that they are very sad. [LITERARY ] □ …his gentle, melancholic songs.

mel|an|choly /me lənkɒli/


1 ADJ You describe something that you see or hear as melancholy when it gives you an intense feeling of sadness. □ The only sounds were the distant, melancholy cries of the sheep.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Melancholy is an intense feeling of sadness which lasts for a long time and which strongly affects your behaviour and attitudes. [LITERARY ] □ I was deeply aware of his melancholy as he stood among the mourners.


3 ADJ If someone feels or looks melancholy , they feel or look very sad. [LITERARY ] □ It was in these hours of the late afternoon that Tom Mulligan felt most melancholy. □ He fixed me with those luminous, empty eyes and his melancholy smile.

me|lange /me I lɒ ndʒ/ (melanges ) also mélange N‑COUNT A melange of things is a mixture of them, especially when this is attractive or exciting. [WRITTEN ] □ [+ of ] …a successful melange of music styles, from soul and rhythm and blues to rap. □ [+ of ] …a wonderful melange of flavours.

mela|nin /me lən I n/ N‑UNCOUNT Melanin is a dark substance in the skin, eyes, and hair of people and animals, which gives them colour and can protect them against strong sunlight.

mela|no|ma /me lənoʊ mə/ (melanomas ) N‑VAR A melanoma is an area of cancer cells in the skin which is caused by very strong sunlight.

me|lee /me le I , [AM ] me I -/ (melees ) also mêlée


1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A melee is a noisy confusing fight between the people in a crowd. [WRITTEN ] □ A policeman was killed and scores of people were injured in the melee.


2 N‑SING A melee of things is a large, confusing, disorganized group of them. [WRITTEN ] □ [+ of ] …the melee of streets around the waterfront.

mel|lif|lu|ous /m I l I fluəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A mellifluous voice or piece of music is smooth and gentle and very pleasant to listen to. [FORMAL ] □ I grew up around people who had wonderful, mellifluous voices.

mel|low /me loʊ/ (mellower , mellowest , mellows , mellowing , mellowed )


1 ADJ Mellow is used to describe things that have a pleasant, soft, rich colour, usually red, orange, yellow, or brown. □ …the softer, mellower light of evening.


2 ADJ A mellow sound or flavour is pleasant, smooth, and rich. □ His voice was deep and mellow. □ …a delightfully mellow, soft and balanced wine.


3 VERB If someone mellows or if something mellows them, they become kinder or less extreme in their behaviour, especially as a result of growing older. □ [V ] When the children married and had children of their own, he mellowed a little. □ [V n] Marriage had not mellowed him. ● ADJ Mellow is also an adjective. □ Is she more mellow and tolerant?


4 ADJ If someone is mellow , they feel very relaxed and cheerful, especially as the result of alcohol or good food. [INFORMAL ] □ He'd had a few glasses of champagne himself and was fairly mellow.

me|lod|ic /m I lɒ d I k/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Melodic means relating to melody. □ …Schubert's effortless gift for melodic invention. ● me|lodi|cal|ly /m I lɒ d I kli/ ADV □ …the third of Tchaikovsky's ten operas, and melodically one of his richest scores.


2 ADJ Music that is melodic has beautiful tunes in it. □ Wonderfully melodic and tuneful, his songs have made me weep. ● me|lodi|cal|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ The leader has also learned to play more melodically.

me|lo|dious /m I loʊ diəs/ ADJ A melodious sound is pleasant to listen to. [LITERARY ] □ She spoke in a quietly melodious voice.

melo|dra|ma /me lədrɑːmə/ (melodramas ) N‑VAR A melodrama is a story or play in which there are a lot of exciting or sad events and in which people's emotions are very exaggerated.

melo|dra|mat|ic /me lədrəmæ t I k/ ADJ Melodramatic behaviour is behaviour in which someone treats a situation as much more serious than it really is. □ 'Don't you think you're being rather melodramatic?' Jane asked. ● melo|dra|mati|cal|ly /me lədrəmæ t I kli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ 'For God's sake,' Michael said melodramatically, 'Whatever you do, don't look down.'

melo|dy /me lədi/ (melodies ) N‑COUNT A melody is a tune. [FORMAL ]

mel|on /me lən/ (melons ) N‑VAR A melon is a large fruit which is sweet and juicy inside and has a hard green or yellow skin.

melt /me lt/ (melts , melting , melted )


1 VERB When a solid substance melts or when you melt it, it changes to a liquid, usually because it has been heated. □ [V ] The snow had melted, but the lake was still frozen solid. □ [V n] Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a bowl suspended over simmering water. □ [V -ed] Add the melted butter, molasses, salt, and flour.


2 VERB If something such as your feelings melt , they suddenly disappear and you no longer feel them. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] His anxiety about the outcome melted, to return later but not yet. ● PHRASAL VERB Melt away means the same as melt . □ [V P ] When he heard these words, Shinran felt his inner doubts melt away.


3 VERB If a person or thing melts into something such as darkness or a crowd of people, they become difficult to see, for example because they are moving away from you or are the same colour as the background. [LITERARY ] □ [V + into ] The youths dispersed and melted into the darkness.


4 VERB If someone or something melts your heart, or if your heart melts , you start to feel love or sympathy towards them. □ [V n] When his lips break into a smile, it is enough to melt any woman's heart. □ [V ] When a bride walks down the aisle to a stirring tune, even the iciest of hearts melt.


▸ melt away


1 PHRASAL VERB If a crowd of people melts away , members of the crowd gradually leave until there is no-one left. □ [V P ] The crowd around the bench began to melt away.


2 → see also melt 2


▸ melt down PHRASAL VERB If an object is melted down , it is heated until it melts, so that the material can be used to make something else. □ [be V -ed P ] Some of the guns were melted down and used to help build a statue. □ [V n P ] When Jefferson didn't like a pair of goblets given to him as a gift, he asked a local smith to melt them down. □ [V P n] Some thieves do not even bother to melt down stolen silver for its scrap value.

melt|down /me ltdaʊn/ (meltdowns )


1 N‑VAR If there is meltdown in a nuclear reactor, the fuel rods start melting because of a failure in the system, and radiation starts to escape. □ Emergency cooling systems could fail and a reactor meltdown could occur.


2 N‑UNCOUNT The meltdown of a company, organization, or system is its sudden and complete failure. [JOURNALISM ] □ Urgent action is needed to prevent the market going into financial meltdown.

me lt|ing point (melting points ) N‑COUNT [oft with poss] The melting point of a substance is the temperature at which it melts when you heat it.

me lt|ing pot (melting pots )


1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A melting pot is a place or situation in which people or ideas of different kinds gradually get mixed together. □ The republic is a melting pot of different nationalities.


2 PHRASE If something is in the melting pot , you do not know what is going to happen to it. [mainly BRIT ] □ Their fate is still in the melting-pot.

mem|ber ◆◆◆ /me mbə r / (members )


1 N‑COUNT A member of a group is one of the people, animals, or things belonging to that group. □ [+ of ] He refused to name the members of staff involved. □ [+ of ] Their lack of training could put members of the public at risk.


2 N‑COUNT A member of an organization such as a club or a political party is a person who has officially joined the organization. □ The support of our members is of great importance to the Association. □ [+ of ] Britain is a full member of NATO.


3 ADJ [ADJ n] A member country or member state is one of the countries that has joined an international organization or group. □ …the 13 member countries of Opec.


4 N‑COUNT A member or Member is a person who has been elected to a parliament or legislature. □ [+ for ] He was elected to Parliament as the Member for Leeds.

Me m|ber of Co n|gress (Members of Congress ) N‑COUNT A Member of Congress is a person who has been elected to the United States Congress.

Me m|ber of Pa r|lia|ment (Members of Parliament ) N‑COUNT A Member of Parliament is a person who has been elected by the people in a particular area to represent them in a country's parliament. The abbreviation MP is often used.

mem|ber|ship ◆◇◇ /me mbə r ʃ I p/ (memberships )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Membership of an organization is the state of being a member of it. □ [+ of ] The country has also been granted membership of the World Trade Organisation. □ He sent me a membership form.


2 N‑VAR [with sing or pl verb] The membership of an organization is the people who belong to it, or the number of people who belong to it. □ [+ of ] The European Builders Confederation has a membership of over 350,000 building companies. □ …the recent fall in party membership.

mem|brane /me mbre I n/ (membranes ) N‑COUNT A membrane is a thin piece of skin which connects or covers parts of a person's or animal's body.

meme /miː m/ (memes ) N‑COUNT A meme is something such as a video, picture, or phrase that a lot of people send to each other on the internet. □ The image quickly became a meme.

me|men|to /m I me ntoʊ/ (mementos or mementoes ) N‑COUNT A memento is an object which you keep because it reminds you of a person or a special occasion. □ [+ of ] More anglers are taking cameras when they go fishing to provide a memento of catches.

memo /me moʊ/ (memos ) N‑COUNT A memo is a short official note that is sent by one person to another within the same company or organization.

mem|oirs /me mwɑː r z/ N‑PLURAL [usu with poss] A person's memoirs are a written account of the people who they have known and events that they remember. □ In his memoirs, De Gaulle wrote that he had come to London determined to save the French nation.

memo|ra|bilia /me mərəb I liə/ N‑PLURAL Memorabilia are things that you collect because they are connected with a person or organization in which you are interested.

memo|rable /me mərəb ə l/ ADJ Something that is memorable is worth remembering or likely to be remembered, because it is special or very enjoyable. □ …the perfect setting for a nostalgic memorable day. □ Annette's performance as Eliza Doolittle in 'Pygmalion' was truly memorable. ● memo|rably ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ The National Theatre's production is memorably staged.

memo|ran|dum /me məræ ndəm/ (memoranda or memorandums )


1 N‑COUNT A memorandum is a written report that is prepared for a person or committee in order to provide them with information about a particular matter. □ The delegation submitted a memorandum to the Commons on the blatant violations of basic human rights.


2 N‑COUNT A memorandum is a short official note that is sent by one person to another within the same company or organization. [FORMAL ]

me|mo|rial /m I mɔː riəl/ (memorials )


1 N‑COUNT A memorial is a structure built in order to remind people of a famous person or event. □ Every village had its war memorial.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] A memorial event, object, or prize is in honour of someone who has died, so that they will be remembered. □ A memorial service is being held for her at St Paul's Church.


3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you say that something will be a memorial to someone who has died, you mean that it will continue to exist and remind people of them. □ [+ to ] The museum will serve as a memorial to the millions who passed through Ellis Island.

Me|mo |rial Day N‑UNCOUNT In the United States, Memorial Day is a public holiday when people honour the memory of Americans who have died in wars. Memorial Day is celebrated in most states on the last Monday in May.

me|mo|ri|al|ize /m I mɔː riəla I z/ (memorializes , memorializing , memorialized ) in BRIT, also use memorialise VERB If a person or event is memorialized , something is produced that will continue to exist and remind people of them. □ [be V -ed] He was praised in print and memorialized in stone throughout the South. □ [V n] When she died in 1946, her friends wanted to memorialize her in some significant way.

memo|rize /me məra I z/ (memorizes , memorizing , memorized ) in BRIT, also use memorise VERB If you memorize something, you learn it so that you can remember it exactly. □ [V n] He studied his map, trying to memorize the way to Rose's street.

memo|ry ◆◆◇ /me məri/ (memories )


1 N‑VAR [oft poss N ] Your memory is your ability to remember things. □ All the details of the meeting are fresh in my memory. □ [+ for ] He'd a good memory for faces, and he was sure he hadn't seen her before. □ But locals with long memories thought this was fair revenge for the injustice of 1961.


2 N‑COUNT A memory is something that you remember from the past. □ She cannot bear to watch the film because of the bad memories it brings back. □ [+ of ] He had happy memories of his father. □ Her earliest memory is of singing at the age of four to wounded soldiers.


3 N‑COUNT A computer's memory is the part of the computer where information is stored, especially for a short time before it is transferred to disks or magnetic tapes. [COMPUTING ] □ The data are stored in the computer's memory.


4 N‑SING [usu with poss, oft in N of n] If you talk about the memory of someone who has died, especially someone who was loved or respected, you are referring to the thoughts, actions, and ceremonies by which they are remembered. □ She remained devoted to his memory. □ The congress opened with a minute's silence in memory of those who died in the struggle.


5 PHRASE If you do something from memory , for example speak the words of a poem or play a piece of music, you do it without looking at it, because you know it very well. □ Many members of the church sang from memory.


6 PHRASE If you say that something is, for example, the best, worst, or first thing of its kind in living memory , you are emphasizing that it is the only thing of that kind that people can remember. [EMPHASIS ] □ The floods are the worst in living memory.


7 PHRASE If you lose your memory , you forget things that you used to know. □ His illness caused him to lose his memory.


8 to commit something to memory → see commit

me mo|ry card (memory cards ) N‑COUNT A memory card is a type of card containing computer memory that is used in digital cameras and other devices. [COMPUTING ]

me mo|ry chip (memory chips ) N‑COUNT In a computer, the memory chip is the microchip in which information is stored.

me mo|ry stick (memory sticks ) N‑COUNT A memory stick is a small device that connects to a computer and allows you to store and copy information. □ I'll bring my presentation on a memory stick.

mem|sa|hib /me msɑːb/ (memsahibs ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE Memsahib was used to refer to or address white women in India, especially during the period of British rule, or sometimes to refer to or address upper-class Indian women. [OLD-FASHIONED ]

men /me n/ Men is the plural of man .

men|ace /me n I s/ (menaces , menacing , menaced )


1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you say that someone or something is a menace to other people or things, you mean that person or thing is likely to cause serious harm. □ [+ to ] In my view you are a menace to the public. □ [+ of ] …the menace of fascism.


2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can refer to someone or something as a menace when you want to say that they cause you trouble or annoyance. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ to ] You're a menace to my privacy, Kenworthy.


3 N‑UNCOUNT Menace is a quality or atmosphere that gives you the feeling that you are in danger or that someone wants to harm you. □ …a voice full of menace.


4 VERB If you say that one thing menaces another, you mean that the first thing is likely to cause the second thing serious harm. □ [V n] The European states retained a latent capability to menace Britain's own security.


5 VERB If you are menaced by someone, they threaten to harm you. □ [be V -ed] She's being menaced by her sister's latest boyfriend. [Also V n]

men|ac|ing /me n I s I ŋ/ ADJ If someone or something looks menacing , they give you a feeling that they are likely to cause you harm or put you in danger. □ The strong dark eyebrows give his face an oddly menacing look. ● men|ac|ing|ly ADV [usu ADV after v] □ A group of men suddenly emerged from a doorway and moved menacingly forward to block her way.

me|nage /me I nɑː ʒ/ also ménage N‑SING A menage is a group of people living together in one house. [FORMAL ]

me|nage a trois /me I nɑː ʒ ɑː twɑː / (menages a trois ) also ménage à trois N‑COUNT [usu sing] A menage a trois is a situation where three people live together, especially when one of them is having a sexual relationship with both of the others.

me|nag|erie /mənæ dʒəri/ (menageries ) N‑COUNT A menagerie is a collection of wild animals.

mend /me nd/ (mends , mending , mended )


1 VERB If you mend something that is broken or not working, you repair it, so that it works properly or can be used. □ [V n] They took a long time to mend the roof. □ [have n V -ed] I should have had the catch mended, but never got round to it.


2 VERB If a person or a part of their body mends or is mended , they get better after they have been ill or have had an injury. □ [V ] I'm feeling a good bit better. The cut aches, but it's mending. □ [V n] He must have a major operation on his knee to mend severed ligaments.


3 VERB If you try to mend divisions between people, you try to end the disagreements or quarrels between them. □ [V n] He sent Evans as his personal envoy to discuss ways to mend relations between the two countries.


4 PHRASE If a relationship or situation is on the mend after a difficult or unsuccessful period, it is improving. [INFORMAL ] □ More evidence that the economy was on the mend was needed.


5 PHRASE If you are on the mend after an illness or injury, you are recovering from it. [INFORMAL ] □ The baby had been poorly but seemed on the mend.


6 PHRASE If someone who has been behaving badly mends their ways , they begin to behave well. □ He has promised drastic disciplinary action if they do not mend their ways.


7 to mend fences → see fence

men|da|cious /mende I ʃəs/ ADJ A mendacious person is someone who tells lies. A mendacious statement is one that is a lie. [FORMAL ]

men|dac|ity /mendæ s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Mendacity is lying, rather than telling the truth. [FORMAL ] □ …an astonishing display of cowardice and mendacity.

mend|ing /me nd I ŋ/


1 N‑UNCOUNT Mending is the sewing and repairing of clothes that have got holes in them. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ Who will then do the cooking, the washing, the mending?


2 → see also mend

men|folk /me nfoʊk/ N‑PLURAL [usu poss N ] When women refer to their menfolk , they mean the men in their family or society.

me|nial /miː niəl/ ADJ Menial work is very boring, and the people who do it have a low status and are usually badly paid. □ …low paid menial jobs, such as cleaning and domestic work.

men|in|gi|tis /me n I ndʒa I t I s/ N‑UNCOUNT Meningitis is a serious infectious illness which affects your brain and spinal cord.

meno|pause /me nəpɔːz/ N‑SING The menopause is the time during which a woman gradually stops menstruating, usually when she is about fifty years old. ● meno|pau|sal ADJ □ …a menopausal woman.

me n's room (men's rooms ) N‑COUNT The men's room is a toilet for men in a public building. [mainly AM ]

men|strual /me nstruəl/ ADJ [ADJ n] Menstrual means relating to menstruation. □ …the menstrual cycle.

men|stru|ate /me nstrue I t/ (menstruates , menstruating , menstruated ) VERB When a woman menstruates , a flow of blood comes from her womb. Women menstruate once a month unless they are pregnant or have reached the menopause. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] Lean hard-training women athletes may menstruate less frequently or not at all. ● men|strua|tion /me nstrue I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Menstruation may cease when a woman is anywhere between forty-five and fifty years of age.

mens|wear /me nzweə r / N‑UNCOUNT Menswear is clothing for men. □ …the menswear industry.

SUFFIX -ment


forms nouns that refer to the process of making or doing something, or to the result of this process. For example, replacement is the process of replacing something or the thing that replaces it.

men|tal ◆◇◇ /me nt ə l/


1 ADJ [ADJ n] Mental means relating to the process of thinking. □ …the mental development of children. □ …intensive mental effort. ● men|tal|ly ADV [ADV adj/adv, ADV with v] □ I think you are mentally tired. □ Physically I might not have been overseas but mentally and spiritually I was with them.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] Mental means relating to the state or the health of a person's mind. □ The mental state that had created her psychosis was no longer present. □ …mental health problems. ● men|tal|ly ADV [usu ADV with cl/group, oft ADV after v] □ …an inmate who is mentally disturbed. □ …the needs of the mentally ill.


3 ADJ [ADJ n] A mental act is one that involves only thinking and not physical action. □ Practise mental arithmetic when you go out shopping. ● men|tal|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ This technique will help people mentally organize information.


4 ADJ If you say that someone is mental , you mean that you think they are mad. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ I just said to him 'you must be mental'.


5 PHRASE If you make a mental note of something, you make an effort to store it in your memory so that you will not forget it. □ She made a mental note to have his prescription refilled.

me n|tal a ge (mental ages ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A person's mental age is the age which they are considered to have reached in their ability to think or reason.

me n|tal hos|pi|tal (mental hospitals ) N‑COUNT A mental hospital is a hospital for people who are suffering from mental illness.

men|tal|ity /mentæ l I ti/ (mentalities ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] Your mentality is your attitudes and your way of thinking. □ …a criminal mentality. □ Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.

men|thol /me nθɒl, [AM ] -θɔːl/ N‑UNCOUNT Menthol is a substance that smells a bit like peppermint and is used to flavour things such as cigarettes and toothpaste. It is also used in some medicines, especially for curing colds.

men|tion ◆◆◇ /me nʃ ə n/ (mentions , mentioning , mentioned )


1 VERB If you mention something, you say something about it, usually briefly. □ [V n/v-ing] She did not mention her mother's absence. □ [V n + to ] I may not have mentioned it to her. □ [V that] I had mentioned that I didn't really like contemporary music. □ [V wh] She shouldn't have mentioned how heavy the dress was. □ [V n + as ] I felt as though I should mention it as an option.


2 N‑VAR A mention is a reference to something or someone. □ [+ of ] The statement made no mention of government casualties.


3 VERB [usu passive] If someone is mentioned in writing, a reference is made to them by name, often to criticize or praise something that they have done. □ [be V -ed] I was absolutely outraged that I could be even mentioned in an article of this kind. □ [be V -ed + as ] …Brigadier Ferguson was mentioned in the report as being directly responsible.


4 VERB [usu passive] If someone is mentioned as a candidate for something such as a job, it is suggested that they might become a candidate. □ [be V -ed + as ] Her name has been mentioned as a favoured leadership candidate.


5 N‑VAR A special or honourable mention is formal praise that is given for an achievement that is very good, although not usually the best of its kind. □ Many people have helped me but I would like to pick out a few for special mention.


6 CONVENTION People sometimes say ' don't mention it ' as a polite reply to someone who has just thanked them for doing something. [FORMULAE ] □ 'Thank you very much.'—'Don't mention it.'


7 PHRASE You use not to mention when you want to add extra information which emphasizes the point that you are making. [EMPHASIS ] □ The audience, not to mention the bewildered cast, were not amused.

men|tor /me ntɔː r / (mentors , mentoring , mentored )


1 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] A person's mentor is someone who gives them help and advice over a period of time, especially help and advice related to their job.


2 VERB To mentor someone means to give them help and advice over a period of time, especially help and advice related to their job. □ [V n] He had mentored scores of younger doctors. ● men|tor|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ …the company's mentoring programme.

menu /me njuː/ (menus )


1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] In a restaurant or café, or at a formal meal, the menu is a list of the food and drinks that are available. □ A waiter offered him the menu. □ Even the most elaborate dishes on the menu were quite low on calories.


2 N‑COUNT A menu is the food that you serve at a meal. □ Try out the menu on a few friends.


3 N‑COUNT On a computer screen, a menu is a list of choices. Each choice represents something that you can do using the computer.

meow /miaʊ / → see miaow

MEP /e m iː piː / (MEPs ) N‑COUNT An MEP is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. MEP is an abbreviation for 'Member of the European Parliament'.

mer|can|tile /mɜː r kənta I l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Mercantile means relating to or involved in trade. [FORMAL ] □ …the emergence of a new mercantile class.

mer|ce|nary /mɜː r sənri, [AM ] -neri/ (mercenaries )


1 N‑COUNT A mercenary is a soldier who is paid to fight by a country or group that they do not belong to.


2 ADJ If you describe someone as mercenary , you are criticizing them because you think that they are only interested in the money that they can get from a particular person or situation. [DISAPPROVAL ]

mer|chan|dise /mɜː r tʃənda I z, -da I s/ N‑UNCOUNT Merchandise is goods that are bought, sold, or traded. [FORMAL ]

mer|chan|dis|er /mɜː r tʃənda I zə r / (merchandisers ) N‑COUNT A merchandiser is a person or company that sells goods to the public. [AM , BUSINESS ] □ The company thrived as a discount merchandiser. in BRIT, use retailer

mer|chan|dis|ing /mɜː r tʃənda I z I ŋ/


1 N‑UNCOUNT Merchandising consists of goods such as toys and clothes that are linked with something such as a film, sports team, or pop group. □ We are selling the full range of World Cup merchandising. □ The club says it will make increasing amounts from merchandising.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Merchandising is used to refer to the way shops and businesses organize the sale of their products, for example the way they are displayed and the prices that are chosen. [mainly AM , BUSINESS ] □ Company executives say revamped merchandising should help Macy's earnings to grow.

mer|chant ◆◇◇ /mɜː r tʃənt/ (merchants )


1 N‑COUNT A merchant is a person who buys or sells goods in large quantities, especially one who imports and exports them. □ Any knowledgeable wine merchant would be able to advise you.


2 N‑COUNT A merchant is a person who owns or runs a shop, store, or other business. [AM ] □ The family was forced to live on credit from local merchants. in BRIT, usually use retailer , shopkeeper 3 ADJ [ADJ n] Merchant seamen or ships are involved in carrying goods for trade. □ There's been a big reduction in the size of the British merchant fleet in recent years. SYNONYMS merchant NOUN 1


tradesman: The tradesmen gathered for a meeting.


trader: …a fur trader.


dealer: …an antique dealer.


broker: We sell through a broker.


supplier: …Hillsdown Holdings, one of the U.K.'s biggest food suppliers.

me r|chant ba nk (merchant banks ) N‑COUNT A merchant bank is a bank that deals mainly with firms, investment, and foreign trade, rather than with the public. [BUSINESS ]

me r|chant ba nk|er (merchant bankers ) N‑COUNT A merchant banker is someone who works for a merchant bank. [BUSINESS ]

mer|ci|ful /mɜː r s I fʊl/


1 ADJ If you describe God or a person in a position of authority as merciful , you mean that they show kindness and forgiveness to people. □ We can only hope the court is merciful.


2 ADJ If you describe an event or situation as merciful , you mean that it is a good thing, especially because it stops someone's suffering or discomfort. □ Eventually the session came to a merciful end.

mer|ci|ful|ly /mɜː r s I fʊli/ ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] You can use mercifully to show that you are glad that something good has happened, or that something bad has not happened or has stopped. [FEELINGS ] □ Mercifully, a friend came to the rescue.

mer|ci|less /mɜː r s I ləs/ ADJ If you describe someone as merciless , you mean that they are very cruel or determined and do not show any concern for the effect their actions have on other people. □ …the merciless efficiency of a modern police state. ● mer|ci|less|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ We teased him mercilessly. □ The sun beat down mercilessly.

mer|cu|rial /mɜː r kjʊə riəl/ ADJ If you describe someone as mercurial , you mean that they frequently change their mind or mood without warning. [LITERARY ] □ …his mercurial temperament.

mer|cu|ry /mɜː r kjʊri/ N‑UNCOUNT Mercury is a silver-coloured liquid metal that is used especially in thermometers and barometers.

mer|cy /mɜː r si/ (mercies )


1 N‑UNCOUNT If someone in authority shows mercy , they choose not to harm someone they have power over, or they forgive someone they have the right to punish. □ Neither side took prisoners or showed any mercy. □ They cried for mercy but their pleas were met with abuse and laughter.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] Mercy is used to describe a special journey to help someone in great need, such as people who are sick or made homeless by war. [JOURNALISM ] □ She vanished nine months ago while on a mercy mission to West Africa.


3 N‑COUNT If you refer to an event or situation as a mercy , you mean that it makes you feel happy or relieved, usually because it stops something unpleasant happening. □ It really was a mercy that he'd died so rapidly at the end.


4 PHRASE [with poss] If one person or thing is at the mercy of another, the first person or thing is in a situation where they cannot prevent themselves being harmed or affected by the second. □ Buildings are left to decay at the mercy of vandals and the weather.


5 PHRASE If you tell someone who is in an unpleasant situation that they should be grateful or thankful for small mercies , you mean that although their situation is bad, it could be even worse, and so they should be happy. □ The team and fans would have been grateful for small mercies.

me r|cy kill|ing (mercy killings ) N‑VAR A mercy killing is an act of killing someone who is very ill, in order to stop them suffering any more pain.

mere ◆◇◇ /m I ə r / (merest ) Mere does not have a comparative form. The superlative form merest is used to emphasize how small something is, rather than in comparisons. 1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use mere to emphasize how unimportant or inadequate something is, in comparison to the general situation you are describing. [EMPHASIS ] □ …successful exhibitions which go beyond mere success. □ There is more to good health than the mere absence of disease. □ She'd never received the merest hint of any communication from him.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use mere to indicate that a quality or action that is usually unimportant has a very important or strong effect. □ The mere mention of food had triggered off hunger pangs. □ The team manager has been quick to clamp down on the merest hint of complacency.


3 ADJ You use mere to emphasize how small a particular amount or number is. [EMPHASIS ] □ Sixty per cent of teachers are women, but a mere 5 percent of women are heads and deputies.

mere|ly ◆◇◇ /m I ə r li/


1 ADV [ADV before v] You use merely to emphasize that something is only what you say and not better, more important, or more exciting. [EMPHASIS ] □ Michael is now merely a good friend. □ They are offering merely technical assistance.


2 ADV You use merely to emphasize that a particular amount or quantity is very small. [EMPHASIS ] □ The brain accounts for merely three per cent of body weight.


3 PHRASE You use not merely before the less important of two contrasting statements, as a way of emphasizing the more important statement. [EMPHASIS ] □ The team needs players who want to play cricket for England, not merely any country that will have them.

mer|etri|cious /me r I tr I ʃəs/ ADJ If you describe something as meretricious , you disapprove of it because although it looks attractive it is actually of little value. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …vulgar, meretricious and shabby souvenirs.

merge /mɜː r dʒ/ (merges , merging , merged )


1 VERB If one thing merges with another, or is merged with another, they combine or come together to make one whole thing. You can also say that two things merge , or are merged . □ [V + with ] The company had merged with its rival the previous December. □ [V ] The rivers merge just north of a vital irrigation system. □ [V + into ] The two countries merged into one. □ [V n] He sees sense in merging the two agencies while both are new. □ [V n + with ] Then he showed me how to merge the graphic with text on the same screen. [Also V n + into ]


2 VERB If one sound, colour, or object merges into another, the first changes so gradually into the second that you do not notice the change. □ [V + into ] Like a chameleon, he could merge unobtrusively into the background. □ [V + with ] His features merged with the darkness. □ [V ] Night and day begin to merge.

mer|ger ◆◇◇ /mɜː r dʒə r / (mergers ) N‑COUNT A merger is the joining together of two separate companies or organizations so that they become one. [BUSINESS ] □ …a merger between two of Britain's biggest trades unions. SYNONYMS merger NOUN


union: The majority in this province voted for union with Romania.


fusion: His final reform was the fusion of regular and reserve forces.

me|rid|ian /mər I diən/ (meridians ) N‑COUNT A meridian is an imaginary line from the North Pole to the South Pole. Meridians are drawn on maps to help you describe the position of a place.

me|ringue /məræ ŋ/ (meringues ) N‑VAR Meringue is a mixture of beaten egg whites and sugar which is baked in the oven.

mer|it /me r I t/ (merits , meriting , merited )


1 N‑UNCOUNT If something has merit , it has good or worthwhile qualities. □ The argument seemed to have considerable merit. □ Box-office success mattered more than artistic merit.


2 N‑PLURAL [usu with poss] The merits of something are its advantages or other good points. □ [+ of ] …the technical merits of a film.


3 VERB If someone or something merits a particular action or treatment, they deserve it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] He said he had done nothing wrong to merit a criminal investigation.


4 PHRASE If you judge something or someone on merit or on their merits , your judgment is based on what you notice when you consider them, rather than on things that you know about them from other sources. □ Everybody is selected on merit. □ Each case is judged on its merits.

meri|toc|ra|cy /me r I tɒ krəsi/ (meritocracies ) N‑VAR A meritocracy is a society or social system in which people get status or rewards because of what they achieve, rather than because of their wealth or social status.

meri|to|crat|ic /me r I təkræ t I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A meritocratic society or social system gives people status or rewards because of what they achieve, rather than because of their wealth or social position.

meri|to|ri|ous /me r I tɔː riəs/ ADJ If you describe something as meritorious , you approve of it for its good or worthwhile qualities. [FORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ I had been promoted for what was called gallant and meritorious service.

mer|maid /mɜː r me I d/ (mermaids ) N‑COUNT In fairy stories and legends, a mermaid is a woman with a fish's tail instead of legs, who lives in the sea.

mer|ri|ly /me r I li/


1 ADV [ADV with v] If you say that someone merrily does something, you are critical of the fact that they do it without realizing that there are a lot of problems which they have not thought about. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He merrily rewrote history according to his own prejudices.


2 ADV [ADV with v] If you say that something is happening merrily , you mean that it is happening fairly quickly, and in a pleasant or satisfactory way. □ The ferry cut merrily through the water.


3 → see also merry

mer|ri|ment /me r I mənt/ N‑UNCOUNT Merriment means laughter. [OLD-FASHIONED ]

mer|ry /me ri/ (merrier , merriest )


1 ADJ If you describe someone's character or behaviour as merry , you mean that they are happy and cheerful. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ From the house come the bursts of merry laughter. ● mer|ri|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ Chris threw back his head and laughed merrily.


2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you get merry , you get slightly drunk. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ They went off to Glengarriff to get merry.


3 ADJ [ADJ n] Some people use merry to emphasize something that they are saying, often when they want to express disapproval or humour. [EMPHASIS ] □ It hasn't stopped the British Navy proceeding on its merry way.


4 → see also merrily


5 CONVENTION Just before Christmas and on Christmas Day, people say ' Merry Christmas ' to other people to express the hope that they will have a happy time. [FORMULAE ] □ Merry Christmas, everyone. □ I just wanted to wish you a merry Christmas.


6 to play merry hell → see hell

me rry-go-round (merry-go-rounds )


1 N‑COUNT A merry-go-round is a large circular platform at a fairground on which there are model animals or vehicles for people to sit on or in as it turns round.


2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can refer to a continuous series of activities as a merry-go-round . □ [+ of ] …a merry-go-round of teas, fetes, musical events and the like.

me rry-making N‑UNCOUNT Merry-making is the activities of people who are enjoying themselves together in a lively way, for example by eating, drinking, or dancing. □ …a time of merry-making, feasting and visiting friends.

me|sa /me I sə/ (mesas ) N‑COUNT A mesa is a large hill with a flat top and steep sides; used mainly of hills in the south-western United States. [AM ]

mesh /me ʃ/ (meshes , meshing , meshed )


1 N‑VAR Mesh is material like a net made from wire, thread, or plastic. □ The ground-floor windows are obscured by wire mesh.


2 VERB If two things or ideas mesh or are meshed , they go together well or fit together closely. □ [V ] Their senses of humor meshed perfectly. □ [V + with ] This of course meshes with the economic philosophy of those on the right. □ [V n-pl] Meshing the research and marketing operations will be Mr. Furlaud's job. [Also V n + with ]

mes|mer|ize /me zməra I z/ (mesmerizes , mesmerizing , mesmerized ) in BRIT, also use mesmerise VERB If you are mesmerized by something, you are so interested in it or so attracted to it that you cannot think about anything else. □ [be V -ed] He was absolutely mesmerised by Pavarotti on television. □ [V n] There was something about Pearl that mesmerised her. ● mes|mer|ized ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ I sat mesmerized long after the fairground closed. ● mes|mer|iz|ing ADJ [ADJ n] □ She has a mesmerising smile.

mess ◆◇◇ /me s/ (messes , messing , messed )


1 N‑SING If you say that something is a mess or in a mess , you think that it is in an untidy state. □ The house is a mess. □ Linda can't stand mess.


2 N‑VAR If you say that a situation is a mess , you mean that it is full of trouble or problems. You can also say that something is in a mess . □ I've made such a mess of my life. □ …the many reasons why the economy is in such a mess.


3 N‑VAR A mess is something liquid or sticky that has been accidentally dropped on something. □ I'll clear up the mess later.


4 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The mess at a military base or military barracks is the building in which members of the armed forces can eat or relax. □ …a party at the officers' mess.


▸ mess around in BRIT, also use mess about 1 PHRASAL VERB If you mess around or mess about , you spend time doing things without any particular purpose or without achieving anything. □ [V P ] We were just messing around, playing with paint. □ [V P + with ] Boys and girls will enjoy messing about with any kind of machine.


2 PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone is messing around with or messing about with something, you mean that they are interfering with it in a harmful way. □ [V P + with ] I'd like to know who's been messing about with the pram.


3 PHRASAL VERB If someone is messing around or messing about , they are behaving in a joking or silly way. □ [V P ] I thought she was messing about.


4 PHRASAL VERB If you mess someone around or mess them about , you treat them badly, for example by not being honest with them, or by continually changing plans which affect them. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V n P ] I think they've been messed around far too much.


▸ mess up


1 PHRASAL VERB If you mess something up or if you mess up , you cause something to fail or be spoiled. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n P ] When politicians mess things up, it is the people who pay the price. □ [V P n] He had messed up one career. □ [V P ] If I messed up, I would probably be fired.


2 PHRASAL VERB If you mess up a place or a thing, you make it untidy or dirty. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] They probably didn't want to mess up their hair. [Also V n P ]


3 PHRASAL VERB If something messes someone up , it causes them to be very confused or worried, or to have psychological problems. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n P ] That really messed them up, especially the boys. [Also V P n]


▸ mess with PHRASAL VERB If you tell someone not to mess with a person or thing, you are warning them not to get involved with that person or thing. □ [V P n] You are messing with people's religion and they don't like that. □ [V P n] Do you know who you're messing with–do you know who I am? SYNONYMS mess NOUN 1


untidiness: The untidiness in her room no longer bothered her.


disorder: Inside all was disorder: drawers fallen out, shoes and boots scattered.


clutter: Caroline prefers her worktops to be clear of clutter.


disarray: He found the room in disarray, with food dumped on the floor and drawers pulled open.

mes|sage ◆◆◇ /me s I dʒ/ (messages , messaging , messaged )


1 N‑COUNT A message is a piece of information or a request that you send to someone or leave for them when you cannot speak to them directly. □ I got a message you were trying to reach me. □ Would you like to leave a message?


2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The message that someone is trying to communicate, for example in a book or play, is the idea or point that they are trying to communicate. □ The report's message was unequivocal. □ I think they got the message that this is wrong.


3 VERB If you message someone, you send them a message electronically using a computer or another device such as a mobile phone. □ [V ] People who message a lot feel unpopular if they don't get many back. □ [V n] She messaged him saying she wished they were together. SYNONYMS message NOUN


1


note: I'll have to leave a note for Karen.


communication: The ambassador has brought a communication from the President.


memo: Did you get the memo about opening hours?


2


point: The following tale will clearly illustrate this point.


meaning: Unsure of the meaning of this remark, Ryle chose to remain silent.

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