Chief in size or importance: a main road the main problem is one of resources
More example sentences
- With the forthcoming London mayoral elections in June, the three main candidates have thrown their hats into the ring.
- The only way out is the one and only main gate.
- I wandered about, and sat for a while in the main choir listening to the organ.
principal, chief, head, leading, foremost, most important, major, ruling, dominant, central, focal, key, prime, master, premier, primary, first, first-line, fundamental, supreme, predominant, (most) prominent, preeminent, paramount, overriding, cardinal, crucial, critical, pivotal, salient, elemental, essential, staple
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1A principal pipe carrying water or gas to buildings, or taking sewage from them: a faulty gas main
More example sentences
- It was also delivering water to the camp, where many mains and sewage pipes are broken.
- Numerous leaks have developed from broken water pipes and mains.
- There were reports of broken water and gas mains around northern Kyushu, and bullet trains and other railways and subways suspended operations, but later resumed running.
by main force
- Through sheer strength.Example sentences
- The point of the author is that the accursed sons are trying to claim the blessing given to Shem by main force, as though power and strength are our salvation.
- The initial reflex of the regime was to do what it has always done, i.e. crushing the slightest show of opposition by main force.
- And then we shall henceforth decide by main force what truth and goodness shall be.
in the main
Words that rhyme with mainabstain, appertain, arcane, arraign, ascertain, attain, Bahrain, bane, blain, brain, Braine, Cain, Caine, campaign, cane, cinquain, chain, champagne, champaign, Champlain, Charmaine, chicane, chow mein, cocaine, Coleraine, Coltrane, complain, constrain, contain, crane, Dane, deign, demesne, demi-mondaine, detain, disdain, domain, domaine, drain, Duane, Dwane, Elaine, entertain, entrain, explain, fain, fane, feign, gain, Germaine, germane, grain, humane, Hussein, inane, Jain, Jane, Jermaine, Kane, La Fontaine, lain, lane, legerdemain, Lorraine, Maine, maintain, mane, mise en scène, Montaigne, moraine, mundane, obtain, ordain, Paine, pane, pertain, plain, plane, Port-of-Spain, profane, rain, Raine, refrain, reign, rein, retain, romaine, sane, Seine, Shane, Sinn Fein, skein, slain, Spain, Spillane, sprain, stain, strain, sustain, swain, terrain, thane, train, twain, Ujjain, Ukraine, underlain, urbane, vain, vane, vein, Verlaine, vicereine, wain, wane, Wayne
1 historical A match between fighting cocks.
- At a big cockfight main with Massa Lea early during the 1824 season, Uncle Mingo heard from an old trainer he had known for years that a hackfight was due to be held that coming Saturday afternoon behind the large barn of a local plantation.
Late 16th century: probably from the phrase main chance.
Words that rhyme with Mainalign, assign, benign, brine, chine, cline, combine, condign, confine, consign, dine, divine, dyne, enshrine, entwine, fine, frontline, hardline, interline, intertwine, kine, Klein, line, malign, mine, moline, nine, on-line, opine, outshine, pine, Rhein, Rhine, shine, shrine, sign, sine, spine, spline, stein, Strine, swine, syne, thine, tine, trine, twine, Tyne, underline, undermine, vine, whine, wine
Definition of main in:
- British & World English dictionary
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