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May

May

∞ 1.0
The fifth month of the year after April and before June
  • noun
  • /meɪ/
: mayo
  • I'm in Boston in May, DC in July.

And then my dad died in May and she became mean.

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Examples

  • And that was in May, I think mid to late May.

  • And then my dad died in May and she became mean.

  • Hunting Park: Food Stamp Cut May Affect Poor People

    Blog text (17)
  • (NOTE: May have been composed in a sleepless haze; adjust expectations accordingly.)

    Blog text (18)
  • The cherry blossoms bloom in May, attracting many visitors to the park.

  • May is my favorite month because the weather starts to get warm and sunny.

  • In May, many schools hold graduation ceremonies to celebrate their students' achievements.

Idioms

31 7.6

Even if that is true, it does not change what happens next

come what may
  • Literature
8 6.3

No matter what happens

To accept what happens and not try to change the result

7 6.6

A wish that a dead man finds peace after death

3 6.7

A wish of good luck people say to encourage someone, often playfully

1 7.9

Whatever is true, it does not change what happens next

To wish someone good luck when the result depends on chance

1 7.2

By chance something happens, often in a good or bad way

Hard times can lead to better things later

A phrase that says hurt to the body is worse than insults and words do not hurt

Compounds

27 1.0

The first day of May that many countries celebrate as a spring festival or a workers' holiday

19 3.3

A festival on May 1 that celebrates the start of summer and workers' rights

devil-may-care
  • Informal
6 8.1

Not caring about danger or the bad results of actions

6 1.0

The middle of May

4 8.8

A girl chosen to lead a May Day festival and represent spring

3 3.8

A holiday on 1 May that celebrates spring festivals and workers

May bug
  • UK
1 7.5

A large brown beetle that appears in late spring and whose young eat plant roots

1 9.6

A girl chosen to lead May Day celebrations wearing a crown of flowers

1 7.2

A large beetle that appears in late spring whose larvae eat plant roots and can damage lawns

1 7.9

A sweet spring punch made from white wine, sugar, and a sweet herb

1 9.8

A small yellow fruit that is edible but has a mild taste

1 9.9

A low plant with two long leaves, small sweet-smelling bell flowers and red berries

May apple
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A North American plant with large umbrella leaves, a poisonous root, and an edible yellow fruit

May 35th
  • Informal
1 9.9

A fake date people use to mean something will never happen

Cape May warbler
  • Specialized
1 9.4

A small North American bird with yellow and olive-green feathers and black streaks

A Palestinian armed group active in the late 1970s and early 1980s

9.9

A plant with bright yellow flowers like buttercups that grows in wet places

May 24
  • Archaic
8.1

A day when people celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday on 24 May

9.9

A fish with black bars found in shallow bays and marshes along the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts

Surface Forms

May singular
Mays plural

Etymology

The word May comes from the name of the Roman goddess Maia, who was connected to 'growth' and 'spring'. That's why May is the month of flowers and new life.