Adjacent Words

Member definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MEM'BER, n. [L. membrum.]
1. A limb of animal bodies, as a leg, an arm, an ear, a finger, that is, a subordinate part of the main body.
2. A part of a discourse, or of a period or sentence; a clause; a part of a verse. Harmony in poetry is produced by a proportion between the members of the same verse, or between the members of different verses.
3. In architecture, a subordinate part of a building, as a frieze or cornice; sometimes a molding.
4. An individual of a community or society. Every citizen is a member of the state or body politic. So the individuals of a club, a corporation or confederacy, are called its members. Students of an academy or college are its members. Professed christians are called members of the church.
5. The appetites and passions, considered as tempting to sin. Romans 7. Colossians 3.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization); "only members will be admitted"; "a member of the faculty"; "she was introduced to all the members of his family" [syn: member, fellow member] [ant: nonmember]
2: anything that belongs to a set or class; "snakes are members of the class Reptilia"; "members of the opposite sex"
3: an external body part that projects from the body; "it is important to keep the extremities warm" [syn: extremity, appendage, member]
4: an organization that is a member of another organization (especially a state that belongs to a group of nations); "the library was a member of the interlibrary loan association"; "Canada is a member of the United Nations"
5: the male organ of copulation (`member' is a euphemism) [syn: penis, phallus, member]

Merriam Webster's

noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English membre, from Anglo-French, from Latin membrum; akin to Gothic mimz flesh, Greek m?ros thigh Date: 14th century 1. a body part or organ: as a. limb b. penis c. a unit of structure in a plant body 2. one of the individuals composing a group 3. a person baptized or enrolled in a church 4. a part of a whole: as a. a syntactic or rhythmic unit of a sentence ; clause b. one of the propositions of a syllogism c. one of the elements of a set or class d. either of the equated elements in a mathematical equation Synonyms: see part

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a person belonging to a society, team, etc. 2 (Member) a person formally elected to take part in the proceedings of certain organizations (Member of Parliament; Member of Congress). 3 (also attrib.) a part or branch of a political body (member State; a member of the EEC). 4 a constituent portion of a complex structure. 5 a part of a sentence, equation, group of figures, mathematical set, etc. 6 a any part or organ of the body, esp. a limb. b = PENIS. 7 used in the title awarded to a person admitted to (usu. the lowest grade of) certain honours (Member of the British Empire). Derivatives: membered adj. (also in comb.). memberless adj. Etymology: ME f. OF membre f. L membrum limb

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Member Mem"ber, n. [OE. membre, F. membre, fr. L. membrum; cf. Goth. mimz flesh, Skr. mamsa.] 1. (Anat.) A part of an animal capable of performing a distinct office; an organ; a limb. We have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. --Rom. xii. 4. 2. Hence, a part of a whole; an independent constituent of a body; as: (a) A part of a discourse or of a period or sentence; a clause; a part of a verse. (b) (Math.) Either of the two parts of an algebraic equation, connected by the sign of equality. (c) (Engin.) Any essential part, as a post, tie rod, strut, etc., of a framed structure, as a bridge truss. (d) (Arch.) Any part of a building, whether constructional, as a pier, column, lintel, or the like, or decorative, as a molding, or group of moldings. (e) One of the persons composing a society, community, or the like; an individual forming part of an association; as, a member of the society of Friends. Compression member, Tension member (Engin.), a member, as a rod, brace, etc., which is subjected to compression or tension, respectively.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Member Mem"ber, v. t. [See Remember.] To remember; to cause to remember; to mention. [Obs.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(members) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A member of a group is one of the people, animals, or things belonging to that group. He refused to name the members of staff involved... Their lack of training could put members of the public at risk. N-COUNT: with supp, oft N of n 2. 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... Britain is a full member of NATO. N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft N of n 3. A member country or member state is one of the countries that has joined an international organization or group. ...the member countries of the European Free Trade Association. ADJ: ADJ n 4. A member or Member is a person who has been elected to a parliament or legislature. He was elected to Parliament as the Member for Leeds. N-COUNT: usu N for n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mem'-ber

(1) yatsur; melos;

(2) shaphekhah, "membrum virile" (De 23:1)):

The first Hebrew word is derived from a root meaning "to knead," "to mold in clay," "to create." It therefore denotes any feature or part of the body. "So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things" (Jas 3:5). "The members" is equivalent with "the body" (which see; compare Ps 139:16 the King James Version). The members are not self-governing, but execute the orders of the mind, obeying either the lower nature in the commission of sin or iniquity, unrighteousness and uncleanness (Ro 6:13,19), or following the higher nature, the Divine impulses in the fulfilling of the law of Christ (6:19).

By nature, the "law in my members" (Ro 7:23) is opposed to the better nature (Jas 4:1) until by "regeneration" (which see) this condition is changed, when the Spirit of Christ becomes the governing power, using our members, i.e. all our abilities, in the execution of His plans. This is not done while we remain passive, but only when we have actively presented or yielded our members to His service (Ro 6:19). Therefore our bodies must not be desecrated by baser uses (1Co 6:15,19,20). The Lord Jesus illustrates the severe discipline which is needed to subdue the members of even the regenerate to perfect submission under the higher law of the Spirit by the simile of the right eye, which is to be plucked out, and the right hand, which is to be cut off (Mt 5:29,30), and Paul speaks of putting to death (the King James Version "mortifying") the "members which are upon the earth" (Col 3:5).

It is the difference in character and gifts of individual Christians which leads Paul to speak of the variety of members, which, though of manifold functions, are equally important to the completeness of the body. It is thus in the manifold variety of the body of Christ (1Co 12:12-27; Eph 4:16), and Christians being members of Christ, who is the head (Eph 1:22; 4:15; 5:23), are members one of another (Ro 12:5; Eph 4:25).

In De 23:1 the Israelite Law against emasculation is referred to, and a religious disability is stated for the eunuch. Heathen Semites and other neighbors of Israel often castrated for religious purposes in the temple service of various divinities and for functions in princely palaces and harems. Heathen monarchs almost invariably had large numbers of these unfortunates, who frequently attained to positions of high power and responsibility. Herodotus states their frequent occurrence among the Persians (Hist. vi.32), and in the light of 2Ki 20:18 and Da 1:3 it appears as not impossible that Daniel and his friends belonged to this class. In later years their existence is certain in Israel (1Sa 8:15 the Revised Version margin; Jer 38:7; Mt 19:12).

See also CONCISION; EUNUCH.

H. L. E. Luering

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Limb. 2. Part, portion, constituent, component, subordinate part. 3. Head, clause, branch.

Moby Thesaurus

Greek, affiliate, appendage, arm, associate, belonger, bough, branch, brother, card-carrier, card-carrying member, cardholder, charter member, clubber, clubman, clubwoman, colleague, committeeman, comrade, conventioneer, conventioner, conventionist, cut, division, dues-paying member, enlistee, enrollee, fellow, fraternity man, guildsman, hand, honorary member, imp, initiate, insider, joiner, joint, leg, life member, limb, link, lobe, lobule, moiety, offshoot, one of us, organ, parcel, piece, pinion, pledge, portion, ramification, runner, scion, section, segment, sister, socius, sorority girl, sorority woman, spray, sprig, spur, switch, tail, tendril, twig, wing