main

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmeɪn/ UK /meɪn/ See IPA manual

Homophones

mane /meɪn/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like men /ɛ/ vs /eɪ/

Freq #1384

Meanings

1

adj
Most important; chief or principal.

The main reason I came was to thank you in person.
2

adj
Largest or strongest in size or extent.

Heavy traffic was reported on the main road into the city.
3

noun
A large pipe or cable that carries water, gas, or electricity to buildings.

A burst water main flooded the entire street overnight.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · most important; chief or... principal chief

2 adj · largest or strongest in... largest

Word family

Forms mains

Derived forms amainmain-sequencemain-truckmainboardmainboommainbracemainchainmaincropmaindeckmainermainfallmainframe

Appears in

Phrases (7)

See all

main street
the principal commercial street of a town

Adjective + noun
main cause
the primary or most important reason for something

Adjective + noun
main point
the central argument or most important idea

Adjective + noun
main road
a principal road that carries heavy traffic

Adjective + noun
main station
the principal station in a town or city

Adjective + noun
main worry
the primary or most significant concern

Adjective + noun

Etymology

* As a Scottish surname, reduced from the North Germanic name Magnus. Also from the adjective main. * As a Scottish, English, French and Norman surname, from personal names derived from Proto-West Germanic *magan (“to be able”), similar to Mein. * As a Scottish, English and Norman surname, from the French province of Maine. Compare Mansell. * As a Scottish, English, and Norman surname, from the Anglo-Norman adjective maine (“great, large”), from Old French magne. * As a Scottish, English, Norman and French surname, from the noun main (“hand”).

*magan Proto-West Germanic magne Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# main

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmeɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /meɪn/
**Frequency rank:** 1384

## Meanings
1. Most important; chief or principal.
2. Largest or strongest in size or extent.
3. A large pipe or cable that carries water, gas, or electricity to buildings.

## Examples
- The main reason I came was to thank you in person.
- Heavy traffic was reported on the main road into the city.
- A burst water main flooded the entire street overnight.

## Derived Forms
- amain
- main-sequence
- main-truck
- mainboard
- mainboom
- mainbrace
- mainchain
- maincrop
- maindeck
- mainer
- mainfall
- mainframe

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *magan
- Root: magne

## Etymology
* As a Scottish surname, reduced from the North Germanic name Magnus. Also from the adjective main. * As a Scottish, English, French and Norman surname, from personal names derived from Proto-West Germanic *magan (“to be able”), similar to Mein. * As a Scottish, English and Norman surname, from the French province of Maine. Compare Mansell. * As a Scottish, English, and Norman surname, from the Anglo-Norman adjective maine (“great, large”), from Old French magne. * As a Scottish, English, Norman and French surname, from the noun main (“hand”).

## AI Etymology
Main has several etymological strands: as a Scottish surname, reduced from the North Germanic name Magnus. Also from the adjective main. As a Scottish, English, French and Norman surname, from personal names derived from Proto-West Germanic *magan (“to be able”), similar to Mein. In present-day English its meanings include most important; chief or principal, largest or strongest in size or extent, and a large pipe or cable that carries water, gas, or electricity to buildings. The historical chain runs through *magan (Proto-West Germanic) and magne (Old French). Related and derived forms include amain, main-sequence, and main-truck.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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