| MAI | <abbreviation> Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare. See: Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| maia | <zoology> A genus of spider crabs, including the common European species (Maia squinado). A beautiful American bombycid moth (Eucronia maia). Origin: From L. Maia, a goddess. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maian | <zoology> Any spider crab of the genus Maia, or family Maiadae. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maid | 1. An unmarried woman; usually, a young unmarried woman; especially, a girl; a virgin; a maiden. "Would I had died a maid, And never seen thee, never borne thee son." (Shak) "Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me." (Jer. Ii. 32) 2. A man who has not had sexual intercourse. "Christ was a maid and shapen as a man." (Chaucer) 3. A female servant. "Spinning amongst her maids." (Shak) Maid is used either adjectively or in composition, signifying female, as in maid child, maidservant. 4. <zoology> The female of a ray or skate, especially. Of the gray skate (Raia batis), and of the thornback (R. Clavata). Fair maid. <zoology> See Fair, Maid of honor, a female attendant of a queen or royal princess; usually of noble family, and having to perform only nominal or honorary duties. Old maid. See Old. Origin: Shortened from maiden. See Maiden. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maid's hair | <botany> The yellow bedstraw (Galium verum). Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maiden | 1. An unmarried woman; a girl or woman who has not experienced sexual intercourse; a virgin; a maid. "She employed the residue of her life to repairing of highways, building of bridges, and endowing of maidens." (Carew) "A maiden of our century, yet most meek." (Tennyson) 2. A female servant. 3. An instrument resembling the guillotine, formerly used in Scotland for beheading criminals. 4. A machine for washing linen. Origin: OE. Maiden, meiden, AS. Maegden, dim. Of AS. Maeg, fr. Mago son, servant; akin to G. Magd, madchen, maid, OHG. Magad, Icel. Mogr son, Goth. Magus boy, child, magaps virgin, and perh. To Zend. Magu youth. Cf. Maid a virgin. 1. Of or pertaining to a maiden, or to maidens; suitable to, or characteristic of, a virgin; as, maiden innocence. "Amid the maiden throng." "Have you no modesty, no maiden shame ?" (Shak) 2. Never having been married; not having had sexual intercourse; virgin; said usually of the woman, but sometimes of the man; as, a maiden aunt. "A surprising old maiden lady." 3. Fresh; innocent; unpolluted; pure; hitherto unused. "Maiden flowers.' "Full bravely hast thou fleshed Thy maiden sword." (Shak) 4. Used of a fortress, signifying that it has never been captured, or violated. Maiden assize, a West Indian tree (Comocladia integrifolia) with purplish drupes. The sap of the tree is glutinous, and gives a persistent black stain. Maiden speech, the first speech made by a person, especially. By a new member in a public body. Maiden tower, the tower most capable of resisting an enemy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maidenhair | <botany> A fern of the genus Adiantum (A. Pedatum), having very slender graceful stalks. It is common in the United States, and is sometimes used in medicine. The name is also applied to other species of the same genus, as to the Venus-hair. Maiden grass, the smaller quaking grass. Maiden tree. See Ginkgo. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maidenhead | An obsolete term for the intact hymen of a virgin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| maidism | Synonym: pellagra. Origin: Zea mays, maise (05 Mar 2000) |
| maidmarian | 1. The lady of the May games; one of the characters in a morris dance; a May queen. Afterward, a grotesque character personated in sports and buffoonery by a man in woman's clothes. 2. A kind of dance. Origin: Maid + Marian, relating to Mary, or the Virgin Mary. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maidservant | A female servant. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Maier | Rudolf, German physician, 1824-1888. See: Maier's sinus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| maiger | <zoology> The meagre. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maigre | Belonging to a fast day or fast; as, a maigre day. Maigre food, food allowed to be eaten on fast days. Origin: F. See Meager. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maikel | <zoology> A South American carnivore of the genus Conepatus, allied to the skunk, but larger, and having a longer snout. The tail is not bushy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |