| maikong | <zoology> A South American wild dog (Canis cancrivorus); the crab-eating dog. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| 1. A bag; a wallet. 2. The bag or bags with the letters, papers, papers, or other matter contained therein, conveyed under public authority from one post office to another; the whole system of appliances used by government in the conveyance and delivery of mail matter. "There is a mail come in to-day, with letters dated Hague." (Tatler) 3. That which comes in the mail; letters, etc, received through the post office. 4. A trunk, box, or bag, in which clothing, etc, may be carried. Mail bag, a bag in which mailed matter is conveyed under public authority. Mail boat, a boat that carries the mail. Mail catcher, an iron rod, or other contrivance, attached to a railroad car for catching a mail bag while the train is in motion. Mail guard, an officer whose duty it is to guard the public mails. Mail train, a railroad train carrying the mail. Origin: OE. Male bag, OF. Male, F. Malle bag, trunk, mail, OHG. Malaha, malha, wallet; akin to D. Maal, male; cf. Gael. & Ir. Mala, Gr. Hide, skin. 1. A flexible fabric made of metal rings interlinked. It was used especially for defensive armor. Chain mail, Coat of mail. See Chain, and Coat. 2. Hence generally, armor, or any defensive covering. 3. A contrivance of interlinked rings, for rubbing off the loose hemp on lines and white cordage. 4. <zoology> Any hard protective covering of an animal, as the scales and plates of reptiles, shell of a lobster, etc. "We . . . Strip the lobster of his scarlet mail." (Gay) Origin: OE. Maile, maille, F. Maille a ring of mail, mesh, network, a coat of mail, fr. L. Macula spot, a mesh of a net. Cf. Macle, Macula, Mascle. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| mail-shell | <zoology> A chiton. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| mailed | <zoology> Protected by an external coat, or covering, of scales or plates. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| maillard reaction | One of a group of nonenzymatic reactions in which aldehydes, ketones, or reducing sugars react with amino acids, peptides, or proteins. Food browning reactions, such as those that occur with cooking of meats, and also food deterioration reactions, resulting in decreased nutritional value and colour changes, are attributed to this reaction type. The maillard reaction is studied by scientists in the agriculture, food, nutrition, and carbohydrate chemistry fields. (12 Dec 1998) |
| maim | To disable or cripple by an injury. (05 Mar 2000) |
| maimonides' prayer | A prayer written by the 12th-century physician-philosopher maimondes, like the famous oath of hippocrates, is often recited by new medical graduates. (12 Dec 1998) |
| main | 1. Very or extremely strong. "That current with main fury ran." (Daniel) 2. Vast; huge. "The main abyss." 3. Unqualified; absolute; entire; sheer. "It's a man untruth." . 4. Principal; chief; first in size, rank, importance, etc. "Our main interest is to be happy as we can." (Tillotson) 5. Important; necessary. "That which thou aright Believest so main to our success, I bring." (Milton) By main force, by mere force or sheer force; by violent effort; as, to subdue insurrection by main force. "That Maine which by main force Warwick did win." (Shak) By main strength, by sheer strength; as, to lift a heavy weight by main strength. Main beam, the principal or true keel of a vessel, as distinguished from the false keel. Synonym: Principal, chief, leading, cardinal, capital. Origin: From Main strength, possibly influenced by OF. Maine, magne, great, L. Magnus. Cf. Magnate. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| main d'accoucheur | Position of the hand in tetany or in muscular dystrophy; the fingers are flexed at the metacarpophalangeal joints and extended at the phalangeal joints, with the thumb flexed and adducted into the palm; in resemblance to the position of the physician's hand in making a vaginal examination. Synonym: main d'accoucheur, obstetrical hand. (05 Mar 2000) |
| main en crochet | A permanent flexure of the fourth and fifth fingers, resembling the hand of a woman crocheting with three fingers bent to guide the thread. (05 Mar 2000) |
| main en griffe | Atrophy of the interosseous muscles of the hand with hyperextension of the metacarpophalangeal joints and flexion of the interphalangeal joints. Synonym: main en griffe. (05 Mar 2000) |
| main en lorgnette | A deformity of the hand seen in chronic absorptive arthritis, the fingers and wrists being shortened and the covering skin wrinkled into transverse folds; the phalanges appear to be retracted into one another like an opera glass or miniature telescope. Synonym: main en lorgnette. (05 Mar 2000) |
| main fourchee | A congenital deformity in which the division between the fingers, especially between the third and fourth, extends into the metacarpal region. See: lobster-claw deformity. Synonym: main fourchee, split hand. (05 Mar 2000) |
| main succulente | Oedema of the hand with coldness and lividity of the skin, observed in syringomyelia. Synonym: main succulente. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mainframe | A large digital computer, such as would be used in a hospital for information management. Compare: mini. (05 Mar 2000) |