mana

noun

1. 1

   Power, prestige; specifically, a form of supernatural energy in Polynesian religion that inheres in things or people.

   They further required that a certain number of the old Chiefs should be liberally pensioned by the Government, and placed upon a footing of equality with European gentlemen of independent means, in consideration of their resigning their "mana" as Chiefs in favor of the new system […]

   The human tribe partakes of the mana or life-force of the animal, and is strengthened […]

   But in popular estimation their essential virtue derived from the personal mana of the sovereign.

   It can be seen, therefore, that mana is a nonvisible changing measure; it can remain static, increase, or decrease, depending on the actions or inaction of the recipient, and it can be enhanced or diminished.

2. 2

   Magical energy.

   Mana is the name we give to the power behind magic.

   However, all such magik requires the mages [sic] own "MANA" or "internal power" to make it work. Without the mana, a spoken spell is just so much gibberish.

   Lands generate mana, which is required to cast spells.

   […] Teleporting from an open room where there were a dozen black orcs firing bows […] landed me, low on mana and hitpoints, in a room full of gnome mages who instantly summoned four umber hulks and a xorn!

noun

1. 1

   Variant of minaAlternative form of mina (“ancient unit of weight or currency”).

noun

1. 1

   Variant of mannaAlternative spelling of manna.

Forms

plural

manas