meaning
nounverbadjectivecommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈmiː.nɪŋ//
- Canada//ˈmi.nɪŋ//
- Australia//ˈmiː.nɪŋ//
- Australia/[ˈmɪi.nɪŋ]/
- New Zealand//ˈmiː.nəŋ//
The denotation, referent, or idea connected with a word, expression, or symbol.
noun
- 1
The denotation, referent, or idea connected with a word, expression, or symbol.
Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ¶ "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."
- 2
The connotation associated with a word, expression, or symbol.
- 3
The purpose, value, or significance (of something) beyond the fact of that thing's existence.
Near-synonyms: meaningfulness, point, purpose, significance, use
the meaning of life
The number of persons attending the vigil had a lot of meaning to the families.
- 4
Intention.
It was their meaning to take what they needed by strong hand.
[…] there was nothing in the house, what there was, was broken, the last people must have lived like pigs, what could the meaning of the landlord be?
Etymology
From Middle English mening, menyng, equivalent to mean + -ing. Cognate with Scots mening (“intent, purpose, sense, meaning”), West Frisian miening (“opinion, mind”), Dutch mening (“view, opinion, judgement”), German Meinung (“opinion, view, mind, idea”), Danish and Swedish mening (“meaning, sense, sentence, opinion”), Icelandic meining (“meaning”).
verb
- 1
Also a form of meanpresent participle and gerund of mean
Chinghung, meaning “City of the Dawn” in the Tai language, the capital of the Hsishuangpanna Tai Autonomous Chou, lies in an agricultural area on the lower Lantsang.
Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.
Etymology
From mean + -ing.
adjective
- 1
Having a (specified) intention.
Well/ill meaning.
- 2
Expressing some intention or significance; meaningful.
I might, to-day, have been a better, and thus a happier man, had I less frequently rejected the counsels embodied in those meaning whispers which I then but too cordially hated and too bitterly despised.
There was a meaning pause, broken by old Stein again clapping his hands.
[T]he new friends […] knew nothing and did not particularly care to hear about the beautiful mother with her long, meaning looks and liquid dresses and distant smile.
Forms
- plural
- meanings
- comparative
- more meaning
- superlative
- most meaning
meaning · The denotation, referent, or idea connected with a word, expression, or symbol.
meaningful · Having meaning, significant.meaningless · Lacking meaning.means · An instrument or condition to achieve a result.