Adjacent Words

May definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MAY, n. [L. Maius.]
1. The fifth month of the year, beginning with January, but the third, beginning with March, as was the ancient practice of the Romans.
2. A young woman.
3. The early part of life.
His May of youth and bloom of lustihood.
MAY, v.i. To gather flowers in May-morning.
MAY, verb aux; pret.might.
1. To be possible. We say, a thing may be, or may not be; an event may happen; a thing may be done, if means are not wanting.
2. To have physical power; to be able.
Make the most of life you may.
3. To have moral power; to have liberty, leave, license or permission; to be permitted; to be allowed. A man may do what the laws permit. He may do what is not against decency, propriety or good manners. We may not violate the laws, or the rules of good breeding. I told the servant he might be absent.
Thou mayest be no longer steward. Luke 16.
4. It is used in prayer and petitions to express desire. O may we never experience the evils we dread. So also in expressions of good will. May you live happily, and be a blessing to your country. It was formerly used for can, and its radical sense is the same.
May be, it may be, are expressions equivalent to perhaps, by chance, peradventure, that is, it is possible to be.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the month following April and preceding June
2: thorny Eurasian shrub of small tree having dense clusters of white to scarlet flowers followed by deep red berries; established as an escape in eastern North America [syn: whitethorn, English hawthorn, may, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus oxycantha]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French mai, from Latin Maius, from Maia, Roman goddess Date: 12th century 1. the fifth month of the Gregorian calendar 2. often not capitalized the early vigorous blooming part of human life ; prime 3. the festivities of May Day 4. not capitalized a. green or flowering branches used for May Day decorations b. a plant that yields may: as (1) hawthorn (2) a spring-flowering spirea II. biographical name Sir Thomas Erskine 1815-1886 1st Baron Farnborough English jurist

Merriam Webster's

I. verbal auxiliary (past might; present singular & plural may) Etymology: Middle English (1st & 3d singular present indicative), from Old English mæg; akin to Old High German mag (1st & 3d singular present indicative) have power, am able (infinitive magan), and perhaps to Greek m?chos means, expedient Date: before 12th century 1. a. archaic have the ability to b. have permission to <you may go now> ; be free to <a rug on which children may sprawl — C. E. Silberman> — used nearly interchangeably with can c. — used to indicate possibility or probability <you may be right> <things you may need> — sometimes used interchangeably with can <one of those slipups that may happen from time to time — Jessica Mitford> — sometimes used where might would be expected <you may think from a little distance that the country was solid woods — Robert Frost> 2. — used in auxiliary function to express a wish or desire especially in prayer, imprecation, or benediction <long may he reign> <may the best man win> 3. — used in auxiliary function expressing purpose or expectation <I laugh that I may not weep> or contingency <she'll do her duty come what may> or concession <he may be slow but he is thorough> or choice <the angler may catch them with a dip net, or he may cast a large, bare treble hook — Nelson Bryant> 4. shall, must — used in law where the sense, purpose, or policy requires this interpretation Usage: see can II. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English m?g kinsman, kinswoman, maiden Date: before 12th century archaic maiden

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the fifth month of the year. 2 (may) the hawthorn or its blossom. 3 poet. bloom, prime. Phrases and idioms: may-apple an American herbaceous plant, Podophyllum peltatum, bearing a yellow egg-shaped fruit in May. May-bug a cockchafer. May Day 1 May esp. as a festival with dancing, or as an international holiday in honour of workers. May queen a girl chosen to preside over celebrations on May Day. Queen of the May = May queen. Etymology: ME f. OF mai f. L Maius (mensis) (month) of the goddess Maia

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.aux. (3rd sing. present may; past might) 1 (often foll. by well for emphasis) expressing possibility (it may be true; I may have been wrong; you may well lose your way). 2 expressing permission (you may not go; may I come in?). Usage: Both can and may are used to express permission; in more formal contexts may is usual since can also denotes capability (can I move? = am I physically able to move?; may I move = am I allowed to move?). 3 expressing a wish (may he live to regret it). 4 expressing uncertainty or irony in questions (who may you be?; who are you, may I ask?). 5 in purpose clauses and after wish, fear, etc. (take such measures as may avert disaster; hope he may succeed). Phrases and idioms: be that as it may (or that is as may be) that may or may not be so (implying that there are other factors) (be that as it may, I still want to go). Etymology: OE mæg f. Gmc, rel. to MAIN(1), MIGHT(2)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

May May, v. [imp. Might] [AS. pres. m[ae]g I am able, pret. meahte, mihte; akin to D. mogen, G. m["o]gen, OHG. mugan, magan, Icel. mega, Goth. magan, Russ. moche. ?. Cf. Dismay, Main strength, Might. The old imp. mought is obsolete, except as a provincial word.] An auxiliary verb qualifyng the meaning of another verb, by expressing: (a) Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener expressed by can. How may a man, said he, with idle speech, Be won to spoil the castle of his health ! --Spenser. For what he [the king] may do is of two kinds; what he may do as just, and what he may do as possible. --Bacon. For of all sad words of tongue or pen The saddest are these: ``It might have been.'' --Whittier. (b) Liberty; permission; allowance. Thou mayst be no longer steward. --Luke xvi. 2. (c) Contingency or liability; possibility or probability. Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxims, or be right by chance. --Pope. (d) Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to soften a question or remark. How old may Phillis be, you ask. --Prior. (e) Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation, benediction, and the like. ``May you live happily.'' --Dryden. May be, & It may be, are used as equivalent to possibly, perhaps, by chance, peradventure. See 1st Maybe.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

May May, n. [Cf. Icel. m[ae]r, Goth. mawi; akin to E. maiden. ?.] A maiden. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

May May, n. [F. Mai, L. Maius; so named in honor of the goddess Maia (Gr. ?), daughter of Atlas and mother of Mercury by Jupiter.] 1. The fifth month of the year, containing thirty-one days. --Chaucer. 2. The early part or springtime of life. His May of youth, and bloom of lustihood. --Shak. 3. (Bot.) The flowers of the hawthorn; -- so called from their time of blossoming; also, the hawthorn. The palm and may make country houses gay. --Nash. Plumes that micked the may. --Tennyson. 4. The merrymaking of May Day. --Tennyson. Italian may (Bot.), a shrubby species of Spir[ae]a (S. hypericifolia) with many clusters of small white flowers along the slender branches. May apple (Bot.), the fruit of an American plant (Podophyllum peltatum). Also, the plant itself (popularly called mandrake), which has two lobed leaves, and bears a single egg-shaped fruit at the forking. The root and leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic. May beetle, May bug (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of large lamellicorn beetles that appear in the winged state in May. They belong to Melolontha, and allied genera. Called also June beetle. May Day, the first day of May; -- celebrated in the rustic parts of England by the crowning of a May queen with a garland, and by dancing about a May pole. May dew, the morning dew of the first day of May, to which magical properties were attributed. May flower (Bot.), a plant that flowers in May; also, its blossom. See Mayflower, in the vocabulary. May fly (Zo["o]l.), any species of Ephemera, and allied genera; -- so called because the mature flies of many species appear in May. See Ephemeral fly, under Ephemeral. May game, any May-day sport. May lady, the queen or lady of May, in old May games. May lily (Bot.), the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis). May pole. See Maypole in the Vocabulary. May queen, a girl or young woman crowned queen in the sports of May Day. May thorn, the hawthorn.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: 'May' is a modal verb. It is used with the base form of a verb. 1. You use may to indicate that something will possibly happen or be true in the future, but you cannot be certain. 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. = might MODAL [vagueness] 2. You use may to indicate that there is a possibility that something is true, but you cannot be certain. Civil rights officials say there may be hundreds of other cases of racial violence... = might MODAL [vagueness] 3. 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. = might MODAL 4. 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. He may have been to some of those places... The chaos may have contributed to the deaths of up to 20 people... MODAL [vagueness] 5. 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's not a lot of things I've forgotten... MODAL 6. 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... = can MODAL 7. 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. Any two persons may marry in Scotland provided that both persons are at least 16 years of age on the day of their marriage... Adolescents under the age of 18 may not work in jobs that require them to drive. MODAL 8. 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... = can MODAL 9. You use may when you are making polite requests. (FORMAL) I'd like the use of your living room, if I may... May I come with you to Southampton?... = can MODAL [politeness] 10. 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... MODAL 11. You use may in expressions such as I may add and I may say in order to emphasize a statement that you are making. They spent their afternoons playing golf–extremely badly, I may add–around Loch Lomond... Both of them, I may say, are thoroughly reliable men. MODAL [emphasis] 12. 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 an increase in the numbers of surgeons so that patients may be treated as soon as possible... = can MODAL 13. People sometimes use may to express hopes and wishes. (FORMAL) Courage seems now to have deserted him. May it quickly reappear. MODAL: MODAL n v 14. be that as it may: see be may as well: see well

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(Mays) May is the fifth month of the year in the Western calendar. N-VAR