main

Everyday

1. Main means the most important or the biggest one, like the main road or the main idea. tree →
2. A main is a large pipe or cable that carries water, gas or electricity to buildings. tree →
3. The mains is the electricity supply from the wall sockets. tree →
4. In British English, a main or main course is the biggest part of a meal. tree →
5. Long ago, main could mean very or greatly, as in "I would main like to go." tree →

In the lessons

In reading and writing lessons, the main idea is what a text is mostly about, and the main character is the most important person in a story. In maths, the main question in a word problem is what you must find. In safety, mains electricity is strong enough to kill, so never poke things into sockets; a burst water main floods streets. Phrases: main idea, main character, main road, main course, mainly, the main thing, in the main.

Examples

• What is the main idea of this paragraph? tree →
• Harry is the main character in the book. tree →
• Turn left onto the main road. tree →
• The main thing is that nobody got hurt. tree →
• For my main course I'll have fish. tree →
• A water main burst and flooded the street. tree →
• Never touch mains electricity. tree →
• The main entrance is at the front of the school. tree →
• Yet its main incidents occur with frequency in Continental folk-tales. tree →

Note

As an adjective, main always goes before the noun: «the main door», never «the door is main». Adverb: mainly (mostly). Do not confuse with «mane», the long hair on a horse or lion (same sound). The Main is also a river in Germany.

In Jewish tradition

In reading and writing lessons, the main idea is what a text is mostly about, and the main character is the most important person in a story. In maths, the main question in a word problem is what you must find. In safety, mains electricity is strong enough to kill, so never poke things into sockets; a burst water main floods streets. Phrases: main idea, main character, main road, main course, mainly, the main thing, in the main.

Examples

• Moreover, if the y was originally a vowel only and had no sound of g, as main- tained by Jerome, it can have only one vowel sound. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

As an adjective, main always goes before the noun: «the main door», never «the door is main». Adverb: mainly (mostly). Do not confuse with «mane», the long hair on a horse or lion (same sound). The Main is also a river in Germany.