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main

main

9 7.9
The open sea far from land
  • noun
  • /meɪn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : alto mar
  • Sailing for adventure on the bounding main

Examples

  • The sailors navigated carefully across the vast expanse of the main during their journey.

  • So I suppose you just climbed aboard that yacht... ...hoisted the blue peter and set sail on the bounding main?

  • "How about the Spanish Main?"

    Fiction book (1997)
  • More than one sea captain had retired inland after a career on the bounding main.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • And you will be positively the most fearsome pirates in the Spanish Main.

  • "And here were built the long, low luggers that plowed the Spanish main."

  • They often set out to fish in the main, where the waves were the strongest.

  • The storm caused the ships to sway dangerously on the open main as the winds howled.

Synonyms

ocean
vsmain
960 1.0

A very large area of salt water covering most of the Earth's surface

expresses the same concept in a general simple expression

Idioms

9 3.7

In most cases

Compounds

74 2.3

A town's main road where most shops, restaurants, and businesses are located

The most important person in a story like a book or movie

37 3.0

The most important event in a show or public gathering

35 1.1

A big road that carries most traffic and connects towns

28 1.3

The main dish served after a starter and before dessert

main man
  • Informal
28 6.9

A person who others trust most in a group or situation

23 1.4

The main road in a town where most shops and businesses are

water main
  • Specialized
15 2.6

A large underground pipe that carries water to buildings

12 1.5

A central building where managers run an organization

Main Street
  • Literature
11 4.4

The people and life of small towns, often seen as traditional and focused on money

8 3.0

The most important place at an event where the main shows happen

7 3.2

The most important railway route used by trains

main drag
  • Informal
7 5.1

A street in a town where most shops and restaurants are

The most important point someone makes in a discussion or essay

gas main
  • Specialized
4 3.2

A big pipe that carries gas to homes and buildings

main deck
  • Specialized
3 5.0

The top covered deck that runs the full length of a large ship

sewer main
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A large underground pipe that carries dirty water from buildings to a treatment plant

main course
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A large square sail set on a ship's main mast to catch the wind

1 3.4

The most important idea in a discussion or text

main rotor
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A large set of spinning blades on a helicopter that lifts it into the air

main file
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A central computer document that holds official records for a project

main clause
  • Specialized
1 3.2

A part of a sentence that can stand alone as a complete sentence

coup de main
  • Jargon
9.9

A sudden surprise attack on a place by soldiers

electric main
  • Specialized
4.3

A large cable or line that carries electricity from a power station to homes

A large city in central Germany that is an important banking and trade centre

main diagonal
  • Specialized
5.8

The line of numbers in a square table from the top left to the bottom right

6.0

The word shown at the top of a dictionary page to find information

A strong front light on a car used when no other cars come because it can blind drivers

8.5

Thinking you are the most important person in most situations

main yard
  • Specialized
9.9

A long pole across a ship with square sails that holds the main sail

main-topmast
  • Specialized
9.9

The upper part of a ship's main mast that holds sails

main-topsail
  • Specialized
9.9

A sail above the mainsail on the main mast of a ship

riser main
  • Specialized
7.2

A vertical pipe in a building that carries water or gas to different floors

How Big

main
  • Archaic
9 7.9
sea
1.0
lake
793 1.0
pond
266 1.0

Surface Forms

main singular
mains plural

Etymology

Main meaning the open sea comes from an old sense of main meaning 'great' or 'wide', so the main is the large, open ocean far from land.