- macrobiotics n. The theory or practice of promoting well-being and longevity,
principally by means of a diet consisting chiefly of whole grains and beans.
macrobiotic adj.
- macrocytosis n. The presence of macrocytes in the blood.
- macron n. 1. A diacritical mark placed above a vowel to indicate a long sound
or phonetic value in pronunciation.
- maculate tr.v. To spot, blemish, or pollute. adj.
- MAD abbr. mutual assured destruction
- MADD abbr. mothers against drunk driving
- madder n. 1a. A southwest Asian perennial plant having small yellow flowers,
whorled leaves, and a red root. b. The root of this plant, formerly an
important source of the dye alizarin. c. A red dye obtained from the roots of
this plant. 2. A medium to strong red or reddish orange.
- Madeira1 A river of northwest Brazil rising on the Bolivian border and flowing
about 2060 mi generally northeast to the Amazon River near Manaus. It is the
most important tributary of the Amazon.
- Madeira2 n. A fortified dessert wine, especially from the island of Madeira.
[My friend L's going to run a race in April on the island of Madeira, where
his grandparents lived.]
- made-to-order adj. 1. Made in accordance with particular instructions or
requirements; custom-made. 2. Very suitable: a made-to-order job.
- madras n. 1. A cotton cloth of fine texture, usually with a plaid, striped, or
checked pattern.
- maelstrom n. 1. A violent or turbulent situation: caught in the maelstrom of
war. 2. A whirlpool of extraordinary size of violence.
- Magna Carta n. 1. The charter of English political and civil liberties granted
by King John at Runnymede in June 1215. 2. A document or piece of legislation
that serves as a guarantee of basic rights.
- magnetic levitation n. A high-speed rail technology by which a train can
travel free of friction at speeds of 480km per hour or more. The train is
suspended on a magnetic cushion about half an inch above an elevated magnetic
track, whose moving magnetic field alternately attracts and repels magnets
mounted on the train, which is pushed and pulled along by this process.
- magus n. pl. magi 1. A member of the Zoroastrian priestly caste of the Medes
and Persians. 2. Magus In the New Testament, one of the wise men from the
East, traditionally held to be three, who traveled to Bethlehem to pay homage
to the infant Jesus. 3. A sorcerer; a magician.
- Mahabharata n. A Sanskrit epic principally concerning the dynastic struggle
and civil war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas in the kingdom of
Kurukshetra about the 9th century B.C., and containing the text of the
Bhagavad-Gita, numerous subplots, and interpolations on theology, morals, and
statecraft.
- Mahayana n. One of the major schools of Buddhism, teaching social concern and
universal salvation and active in Japan, Korea, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia,
Vietnam, and China.
- mahout n. The keeper and driver of an elephant.
- Maia n. 1. Greek Mythology A goddess, the eldest of the Pleiades.
- mailed fist n. The threat of military force.
- mainline v. Slang --tr. To inject (a drug, such as heroin) directly into a
major vein. --intr. To inject a drug intravenously. adj. Being in a principal
or well-established position: the mainline churches.
- main squeeze n. Slang One's primary romantic partner or sweetheart.
- mainsheet n. The rope that controls the angle at which a mainsail is trimmed
and set.
- main street n. 2. Main Street a. The inhabitants of small towns considered as
a group. b. A place that represents narrowness of view and smug complacency.
