MEAN, a. [L. communis, vulgus, minor and minuo.] 1. Wanting dignity; low in rank or birth; as a man of mean parentage,mean birth or origin.2. Wanting dignity of mind; low minded; base; destitute of honor; spiritless. Can you imagine I so mean could prove, To save my life by changing of my love?3. Contemptible; despicable. The Roman legions and great Caesar found Our fathers no mean foes.4. Of little value; low in worth or estimation; worthy of little or no regard. We fast, not to please men, nor to promote any mean worldly interest.5. Of little value; humble; poor; as a mean abode; a mean dress.MEAN, a. [L. medium, medius.] 1. Middle; at an equal distance from the extremes; as the means distance; the mean proportion between quantities; the mean ratio. According to the fittest style of lofty, mean, or lowly.2. Intervening; intermediate; coming between; as in the mean time or while.MEAN, n. The middle point or place; the middle rate or degree; mediocrity; medium. Observe the golden mean. There is a mean in all things. But no authority of gods or men Allow of any mean in poesy.1. Intervening time; interval of time; interim; meantime. And in the mean, vouchsafe her honorable tomb.Here is an omission of time or while.2. Measure; regulation. [Not in use.]3. Instrument; that which is used to effect an object; the medium through which something is done. The virtuous conversation of christians was a mean to work the conversion of the heathen to Christ.In this sense, means, in the plural,is generally used, and often with a definitive and verb in the singular. By this means he had them more at vantage. A good character,when established, should not be rested on as an end, but employed as a means of doing good.4. Means, in the plural, income, revenue, resources, substance or estate, considered as the instrument of effecting any purpose. He would have built a house, but he wanted means. Your means are slender.5. Instrument of action or performance.By all means, without fail. Go, by all means. By no means, not at all; certainly not; not in any degree. The wine on this side of the lake is by no means so good as that on the other.By no manner of means, by no means; not the least. By any means, possibly; at all. If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. Phil.3.Meantime Meanwhile, in the intervening time. [In this use of these words there is an omission of in or in the; in the meantime.] MEAN, v.t. pret. and pp. meant; pronounced ment. [L. mens; Eng.mind; L. intendo, propono.] 1. To have in the mind, view or contemplation; to intend. What mean you by this service? Ex.12.2. To intend; to purpose; to design, with reference to a future act. Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it for good. Gen.1.3. To signify; to indicate. What mean these seven ewe lambs? Gen.21. What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? 1 Sam.4. Go ye, and learn what that meaneth-- Matt.9.MEAN, v.i. To have thought or ideas; or to have meaning.
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