⭐ Most important 💪 Full force 🚰 A large pipe 🌊 The open sea 🍽️ A big dish 🕹️ Favorite character

main

3 2.5

The largest or most important dish in a meal

noun
/meɪn/

: plato principal

So I just ordered two sides and a main course from my as well.

Examples

So then I think he brought out the main courses and I think yours was wrong.
Here's your appetizer, main course and your dessert, right?
But we had to stop ourselves because the main courses are here.
We started with coffee and dessert, and then we moved to the main meal.
And then for a main, I would make a salt, a sea bass, but I'd salt bake it.
And I would like people to be, you know, conscious of making sure that they're getting, you know, a good amount of protein in each of their main meals throughout the day.
The vegetarians are out of luck this year; there are no dishes we saw specifically called out as vegetarian mains.

Blog text (6)
Today, they're in Los Angeles to make Beyond Beyond Noodles, the main dish of Bang Bang noodles.
So the the main meal of the Seder happens now, and one of the most famous foods that that Jews eat on Passover is called gefilte fish.
We enjoyed a delicious meal that included a fresh salad, followed by the main course of grilled salmon.

Synonyms

plate

vsmain

57 1.0

A main meal served on one dish

focuses on food size and importance rather than serving presentation

entree

vsmain

34 4.0

The main dish of a meal served in a restaurant

is broader and used for the principal dish in any setting

main course

vsmain

28 1.3

The main dish served after a starter and before dessert

has identical meaning but is the shorter common term

Idioms

in the main

9 3.7

In most cases

Compounds

Main Street

74 2.3

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

main character

68 2.4

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

main event

37 3.0

The most important event in a show or public gathering

main road

35 1.1

A big road that carries most traffic and connects towns

main course

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

main street

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

main office

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

main stage

8 3.0

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

main line

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

main argument

5 2.9

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

main concept

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

Frankfurt on the Main

4.3

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

main entry word

Jargon

6.0

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

main beam headlamp

5.0

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

main character syndrome

Offensive

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 Filling

to banquet

Formal

1 4.5

hearty meal

2 1.6

main

3 2.5

side dish

19 1.0

starter

9 1.9

Surface Forms

main singular

mains plural

Etymology

Main for the main course simply means the 'chief' or most important dish, so the main is the largest part of the meal.