Main

MAIN, sb.1, adj. and adv. Var. dial. uses in Sc. Irel. Eng. and Amer. Also written maain Brks.1; mane Som.; and in forms magne Som.; mayn w.Cor.; meyne Lan.; mhyne Wxf.1 [mēn, meən.] 1. sb. The greater part, most. Also in pl. Sc. (A.W.) Lakel.2 What we've gitten t'main ont' in. Cum. Ah think 'at t'main o' what he hed gitten, hed gon till his feet an' finger ends, Farrall Betty Wilson (1886) 65. Yks. There were t'mains of a hundred. Mains were t'middlemost (C.C.R.). n.Yks.4 T'main on 'em sez 'at it is seea. ne.Yks.1 T'main on 'em gans tiv oor pump. m.Yks.1 w.Yks.1 Some Tom Painer i' power... hez counsell'd main on 'em to believe it, ii. 298. Lan. Aw've getten th' meyn o' my larnin' sin' then wi' readin', Standing Echoes (1885) 14. ne.Lan.1 The varra main. Brks.1 I thinks we hev a-killed the maain o' the rats up at Breach Verm. w.Cy. I've a-heard the main o' the news out in Australia, Cornh. Mag. (Dec. 1895) 602. n.Wil. A peaper bout ower girt vine church, Which main o'm knaw'd avore, Slow Girt Harcheology. n.Dor. (S.S.B.) 2. A large quantity. w.Som.1 We'd a-got a ter'ble maa·yn o' hail last night. 3. An equal quantity. n.Yks.2 I want t'main of owther soort. w.Yks. (J.W.) 4. Hard work; a spell or turn at labour. m.Yks.1 I've had hard mai'n to get my dinner down to-day. I generally have a bit of a mai'n at the newspaper when I go to York. 5. Patience, endurance. Sh.&Ork.1 6. The under-done, half-cooked part of meat; gen. in phr. in the main, underdone. e.An.1 Give me a slice in the main. Nrf. I like my meat home-done; but my husband like his in the main (W.R.E.); Lor bor, I carn't ate my maate so, I likes it in the main, Cozens-Hardy Broad Nrf. (1893) 41. Suf.1 The meat's in the main. e.Suf. This steak is in the main (F.H.). 7. adj. Chief, principal, most important, major; firm, staunch. Sc. (A.W.) Nhb.1 Applied to more important beds, as ‘main post,’ ‘high main seam,’ ‘low main seam.’ ‘The deep strata of this fossil, or what is styled in the language of the trade, "the main coal,"’ Brand Hist. Newc. (1789) II. 263, note. Lakel.2 T'main man at a spot is t'heed fellow. Cum. T'main fun duddent begin till t'edge o t'ibnin, Dickinson Lamplugh (1856) 4; Cum.4 Wm. T'main thick o' foke cums tul a doo o' this soort, Penny Readins at Burnesed, 24. Yks. (J.W.) Lan. That's one o' th' main jobs for thoose 'at's power, Waugh Owd Bodle 264; Merr an aloes, wi' aw th' main spoices, Staton Sng. Sol. (1859) iv. 14. nw.Der.1 Th' main chap. Hrf.2 Cider's the main thing for a mon. 8. Comb. (1) Main-band, the belt which communicates the motive power to the machinery; (2) Main chance, a livelihood; (3) Main-cut, a drain; (4) Main-engine, the surface pumping-engine at a pit; (5) Main-head, the chief in point of number; the multitude; (6) Main-pin, the turning pin upon which the fore axle of any carriage turns or locks; (7) Main-rake, the principal leading or lode of a vein; (8) Main-rope, the rope which hauls the full tubs out in the ‘Tail Rope’ system of haulage; (9) Main-shore or Main-shure, (10) Main-soof, the principal drain or sewer. (1) w.Yks. T'main band's brokken, Shevvild Ann. (1848) 3. (2) Oxf.1 The main chance is the fust thing t'look arter; wa's the good of a clane 'ouse, an' nuthin t'et, dust think? MS. add. (3) Lin. A main-cut or drain is now making by authority of Parliament, Marshall Review (1811) III 28. (4) Nhb.1 Nhb., Dur. Greenwell Coal Tr. Gl. (1849). (5) n.Yks.2 (6) Wil. Davis Agric. (1813). Dor.1, w.Som.1 (7) Der. Main-rake Meerstake gave this sage advice, Furness Medicus (1836) 33. (8) Nhb., Dur. Nicholson Coal Tr. Gl. (1888). (9) w.Yks. (J.W.), Lan.1, m.Lan.1 w.Som.1 Of recent importation. (10) Lan. At th' side o' th' main-soof 'at they're makin' up i'th road, Waugh Dead Man's Dinner, 345. 9. Great in size or degree, big; thorough; firm, staunch; of crops: fine, plentiful. Sc. It's a main untruth, Scott Guy M. (1815) v. Abd. John Kennedy of Kermuck, a main covenanter, Spalding Hist. Sc. (1792) II. 178. Lan.1, nw.Der.1 Gmg. Of growing crops, Collins Gower Dial. in Trans. Phil. Soc. (1848-1850) IV. 222. Brks. ‘A main sight’ of anything (M.J.B.). Hmp. A main pond (J.R.W.). w.Cy. My vowles eat a main deal of barley, N. & Q. (1868) 4th S. ii. 287. Wil. Yow be a main fool, Penruddocke Content (1860) 31; A main bit o' bother about this yer margidge, Jefferies Hodge (1880) II. 8; Wil.1 A main sight o' vawk. Dor. Tidden a main deal o' trouble, zimmen zo, Hare Vill. Street (1895) 90. Som. He axed a main lot o' questions, Raymond Love and Quiet Life (1894) 34; There's a main crop of apples this year (W.F.R.); W. & J. Gl. (1873). Dev. Er cloase costs a main sight ov money, Hewett Peas. Sp. (1892) 138. nw.Dev.1 A main zight o' things. w.Cor. They'll get a mayn dousting whenever they coam, Bottrell Trad. 3rd S. 174. Hence a main few, phr. a good many. Wil. There war a maan few postés (W.H.E.). Hmp. W.H.E. 10. Comp. (1) Main-brew, a festivity, jollification; (2) Main-hamper, a kind of basket used for carrying fruit; (3) Main-sweat, the violent perspiration which often immediately precedes death. (1) Lan. Wern havin' a main-brew at eawer heawse, Brierley Day Out (1859) 48; We'd bin to a main-brew, BRIERLEY Layrock (1864) V. (a) Som. (Hall.) (3) Sc. (Jam.) 11. adv. Very, much, greatly; quite. Elg. The song to be sure was main long, Couper Tourifications (1803) I. 52. Abd. It must be main lonely for him in the guard house the nicht, Bram Stoker Watter's Mou' (1895) 160. Wxf.1 Chas mhyne weery [I was very weary]. n.Cy. Ah'm main sorry for thee, Longman's Mag. (Apr. 1889) 619; N.Cy.1 Wm. He was a main sharp lad (B.K.). n.Yks. Ah's main glad to see theh (T.S.). n.Yks.4 Ah's ommaist main sartin he's in t'reet on it. ne.Yks.1 Ah's main glad ti see tha. e.Yks.1 Dickon, Dickon, Ah's main blythe thoo's boon to be king. w.Yks. He're a main bad 'un, Snowden Tales Wolds (1893) x. Lan. We're main sorry fur thee, Sammy, Burnett Lowrie's (1877) xvi; I'm main sorry to lose her, Hocking Dick's Fairy (1883) i. Der. We're main proud of our spire, Verney Stone Edge (1868) ii. Not. Religious folks are generally main good at objections, Prior Renie (1895) 80. Lin. Streatfeild Lin. and Danes (1884) 344. n.Lin.1 I should maain like to goä to Lunnun if it was nobbut to seä th' Queen. Rut.1 I be main sorry. s.Wal. I be main glad to have yo' back, Longman's Mag. (Dec. 1899) 147. Pem. I'm main glad to see you (W.H.Y.); I'm main poorly this mornin' (E.D.). s.Pem. Laws Little Eng. (1888) 420. Glo. Thee know'st as thee wer maïn ager to year arl about et, Buckman Darke's Sojourn (1890) ii; Glo.1 Glo.2 Brks. Be main glad to zee 'ee, Hughes Scour. White Horse (1859) vii; Brks.1 I be maain tired ater that ther job. e.An.1 This is a main cold place. Nrf. Cozens-Hardy Broad Nrf. (1893) 70. Sur. I be main glad to hear it, Bickley Sur. Hills (1890) II. xv. Hmp. 'Tis main bad, zur, Ellis Pronunc. (1889) V. 104; Hmp.1 Wil. I sh'd be main glad to drink yer health, sir, Swinstead Par. on Wheels (1897) 202; He were main forwardish then, Ellis Pronunc. (1889) V. 47; Wil.1 Dor. Jenny her'll be main glad vor to zee I, Hare Vill. Street (1895) 105; Dor.1 A main girt tree. Som. Let's hook it out o' this mane zharp, Frank Nine Days (1879) 34. w.Som.1 Her's better, thank'ee, sir, but her bin main bad, I 'sure ee. Her's main a-tookt up way un. Dev. I be mainzorry vur Jinny, poor ol' sawl! Hewett Peas. Sp. (1892); Dev.3 Tha rawds'll be main zoggy arter this yer snaw's a-milted. nw.Dev.1 Cor. I be main glad o' that, Baring-Gould Curgenven (1893) xxxvii; Cor.3 'Tes main cruel the way they trems [trims] the dogs. [Nfld. I am main sorry (W.H.P.). Amer. It's main strange, Carruth Kansas Univ. Quar. (Oct. 1892) I; Hit's the main biggest rabbit ever I see, Dial. Notes (1896) I. 372.] Hence (1) main and, phr. very, much, greatly; (2) Mains, adv. (a) see (1); (b) for the most part, on the whole. (1) Yks. T'shop is doing main an' well, Gaskell Sylvia (1863) 242, ed. 1874. s.Oxf. He's main an' bad, and I believe as 'ee's took for death, Rosemary Chilterns (1895) 163. w.Som.1 I zim maister looked maa·yn un ugly t'anybody s'mornin'. The roads be maa·yn un slipper, sure 'nough. nw.Dev.1 (2, a) Yks. (K.) n.Yks. Thou casts a leet a lantom, Pegg, thou's mains fine, Meriton Praise Ale (1684) 1. 487; n.Yks.2 Mains fair, mains fond. Lin.1 He assisted me mains. (b) n.Yks.2 ‘Mains fine,’ attractive in the main. ‘Mains proud,’ haughty rather than otherwise. m.Yks.1 The place was mains full.

MAIN, sb.2 Sc. Nhb. Lakel. Yks. Lan. Chs. Also Dev. [mēn, meən.] 1. A match in cock-fighting. Sc. The schoolboys in those days were all expected to bring a game-cock to the annual ‘main,’ Wright Sc. Life (1897) 42. s.Sc. Dumbarton, where the best cock mains in a' Scotland are fought, Wilson Tales (1836) IV. 340. Nhb. A well-known rendezvous, where mains were often fought on Sunday afternoons, Longman's Mag. (Feb. 1897) 331. Lakel.2 Auld chaps tell us hoo a cock main was thowt on bi them. Cum. He gat a match meadd for a main o cocks ageaun Easter, Dickinson Lamplugh (1856) 5. Lan. An' bedrid as he is, has his feyghtin' cocks for a main on t'floore o' his chamber, Kay-Shuttleworth Scarsdale (1860) II. 33. Chs.1 Obs. Dev. And zo our cock hath had a nick; Iss, iss, we've lost the main, Peter Pindar Wks. (1816) IV. 206. 2. A group of game-cocks. Wm. As grand a main as ivver ye clapt een on (B.K.). 3. A pit or enclosed place for cocks to fight in. Wm. Oor middensteed was yance a main fer cockfeiten (B.K.). 4. In bowls: a match played by a number of couples; see below. Chs.1 A main at bowls is a match played by a number of couples, the winners again playing in couples against each other till one man is left the victor. 5. In games: a pool or sweepstake. Nhb.1 A quoit main.

MAIN, v. ? Obs. Yks. To lame, maim. w.Yks. Thoresby Lett. (1703); w.Yks.4 [I mayne one, I take the use of one of his lymmes from hym, je mahaigne Palsgr. Norm. Fr. mahaingner, ‘blesser’ (La Curne).]

MAIN, see Mean, v.1, Moan.

MAIN, sb.3 n.Yks. A dispute; a noise; an uproar. (I.W.)