mealles

pl. [MEALY.] A name given in South Africa to maize, or Indian corn. The word came into prominence in English speaking countries from being used in newspapers in connection with the Zulu war of 1879. meal-I-ne , s. [Eng. mealy ; -ne .] 1. The quality or state of being mealy, or like meal. 2. The quality or state of being mealy-mouthed. mēal-ỹ, *mēal-iě, a. [Eng. meal (2), s.; -y.] I. Ordinary Language: 1. Having the qualities of meal; resembling meal; soft, friable, and dry to the touch or taste. "The mealy parts of plants di olved in water make too viscid an aliment." - Arbuthnot: On Aliments. 2. Covered or besprinkled with any substance resembling meal. "The finest Sunday that the autumn saw, With all its mealy clusters of ripe nuts." Words worth: The Brothers. IMG:content-1017.png:[blocks in formation] II. Technically : 1. Math .: Having a value intermediate between two extremes, or between the several succe ive values of a variable quantity during one cycle of variation. *2. Music: The name formerly given to the tenor part as being the mean in pitch between the ba and treble. The middle strings of instruments were also called mean. B. As substantive: I. Ordinary Language: 1. That which is intermediate or has a value intermediate between two extremes; the middle rate, degree, or point of place; absence of extremes or exce ; mediocrity, moderation. "The mean is the vertue, and not to go too far in this, as in all other things besides, it is the best."-North: Plutarch , p. 116. 2. Intervening time; the mean time; the mean season. "In the meane vouchsafe her honorable toom be." Spenser: F. Q., II. i. 58. *3. A mediator, a medium, a go-between. 4. That which is used to effect an object; the medium through which anything is done or carried out; a measure or measures employed for the carrying out of an object; agency, medium, instrumentality. (Generally used in the plural.) "God intends repentance to be the means to purify the heart from that corruption." -South : Sermons, vol. ix., ser. 7. 5. (Pl.): Revenue, resources, income, substance, estate. "Fortune made sad havoc of my means." Shakesp.: Much Ado about Nothing , iv. 1. *6. A plan, a method. "Tell me some good mean how I may undertake a journey."-Shakesp.: Two Gentlemen of Verona, ii. 7. *7. An opportunity; power, liberty. "Let me have open means to come to them." Shakesp.: Richard III ., iv. 2. II. Technically : 1. Math .: The mean of two quantities is a quantity lying between them and connected with them by some mathematical law. (1) [ARITHMETICAL-MEAN.] (2) The geometrical mean of two quantities is the square root of their product: thus, the geometrical mean of 2 and 8 is v 16=4. The greater of the given quantities is as many times greater than the mean, as the mean is greater than the le quantity.