Word: mean Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English menen (“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”), from Old English mǣnan (“to mean, complain”), Proto-West Germanic *mainijan, from Proto-Germanic *mainijaną (“to mean, think; complain”), from Proto-Indo-European *meyn- (“to think”), or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *meyno-, extended form of Proto-Indo-European *mey-. Germanic cognates include West Frisian miene (“to deem, think”) (Old Frisian mēna (“to signify”)), Dutch menen (“to believe, think, mean”) (Middle Dutch menen (“to think, intend”)), German meinen (“to think, mean, believe”), Old Saxon mēnian. Indo-European cognates include Old Irish mían (“wish, desire”) and Polish mienić (“to signify, believe”). Non-Indo-European cognates include Finnish mainita (“to mention”), Finnish meinata (“to mean, to plan, to intend”) Estonian mainima (“to mention”), Northern Sami máinnastit (“to tell”). Related to moan. Pronunciation: /miːn/, /mijən/, /min/ 1. To intend. Labels: transitive Example: I didn't mean to knock your tooth out. Example: I mean to go to Arévalo in Spain this summer; I’ve been meaning to tell you for weeks, but I’ve just found the time. 2. To intend. Labels: intransitive Example: Don't be angry; she meant well. 3. To intend. Labels: passive, regional, transitive Example: Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor. Example: Man was not meant to question such things. 4. To intend. Labels: transitive Example: Your reasoning seems needlessly abstruse, complex, and verbose for me. I mean, could you dumb it down for my sake? 5. To convey (a meaning). Labels: transitive Example: The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm? Example: An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine. 6. To convey (a meaning). Labels: transitive Example: What does this hieroglyph mean? Example: A term should be included if it’s likely that someone would run across it and want to know what it means. 7. To convey (a meaning). Labels: transitive Example: I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean. Example: He’s a little different, if you know what I mean. 8. To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says). Labels: transitive Example: Does she really mean what she said to him last night? Example: Say what you mean and mean what you say. 9. To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result). Labels: transitive Example: One faltering step means certain death. Example: This breakthrough will mean that we spend less on electricity bills. 10. To be of some level of importance. Labels: usually Example: That little dog meant everything to me. Example: Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle. 11. To lament. Labels: Ireland, UK, regional Example: All the tyme of his sickness he never said, “Alace!” or meaned any pain, whilk was marvellous. Never man died in greater peace of mind or body. Example: “ If you should die for me, sir knight, “ There’s few for you will mane, “ For many a better has died for me, “ Whose graves are growing green.