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- Dictionarymean/miːn/
verb
- 1. intend to convey or refer to (a particular thing); signify: "I don't know what you mean" Similar signifyconveydenotedesignateindicateconnoteshowexpressspell outstand forrepresentsymbolizeimplypurportsuggestallude tointimatehint atinsinuatedrive atrefer toinformal:get atliterary:betoken
- ▪ (of a word) have (something) as its signification in the same language or its equivalent in another language: "its name means ‘painted rock’ in Cherokee"
- ▪ genuinely intend to express (something): "when she said that she meant it"
- ▪ be of a specified degree of importance to (someone): "animals have always meant more to him than people"
- 2. intend (something) to occur or be the case: "they mean no harm" Similar intendaimplandesignhave in mindhave in viewcontemplatethink ofpurposeproposehave plansset outaspiredesirewantwishexpect
- ▪ be supposed to do something: "we were meant to go over yesterday"
- ▪ design or destine for a particular purpose: "the jacket was meant for a much larger person" Similar destinepredestinefatepreordainordainintenddesign
- ▪ have something as a motive or explanation in saying or doing: "what do you mean by leaving me out here in the cold?" Similar matterhave importancehave significancebe importantbe significanthave an input on
- ▪ be generally considered to be: "this one's meant to be priceless"
- 3. have as a consequence or result: "the proposals are likely to mean another hundred closures" Similar entailinvolvenecessitatelead toresult ingive rise tobring aboutcauseengenderproduceeffect
- ▪ necessarily or usually entail or involve: "coal stoves mean a lot of smoke"
Word Origin Old Englishmænan, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch meenen and German meinen, from an Indo-European root shared by mind.
Scrabble Points: 6
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3E
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