maw at

[Origin obscure.] An old game at cards, played with a piquet pack of thirty-six cards by any number of persons from two to six. Hall i well. Methought Lucretia and I were at maw ; a game, uncle, that you can well skill of. Chapman , May-Day, v. 2. Maw , My lord, you were best to try a set at. Ford, Love's Sacrifice, iii. 2. and orig. applied to gin of the best kind, Treat Boxers to max at the One Tun in Jermyn Street. Barham , In golds by Legends. maxilla (mak-sil'ä), n.; pl. maxillæ (-ē). [L., the jaw-bone, jaw, dim. of * macsula (> māla, jaw), ten fused therewith in the higher vertebrates. (c) In entom., as in insects and arachnidans, one of the second pair of gnathites; either one, right and left, of the second or lower pair of horizontal jaws, next behind or below the mandibles. In the maxillæ, thus forming the under jaw of insects, may be distinguished several parts, as the basal joint or car do, the footstalk or stipes, the palp-bearer or palpiger, and the blade or lacinia. Seecuts under Hymenoptera, Insect a, and IMG:content-0348.png:[blocks in formation] Unbranded animals are called mavericks, and when found on the round-up are either branded by the owner of the range on which they are, or else are sold for the benefit of the a ociation. T. Roosevelt , The Century, XXXV. 507. Hence-2. Anything dishonestly obtained, as a saddle, mine, or piece of land. [Western U. S.] maverick (mav'er-ik), v. t . [ maverick , n.] To seize or brand (an animal) as a maverick; hence, to take po e ion of without any legal claim; appropriate dishonestly or illegally: as, to maverick a piece of land. [Western U. S.] mavis (ma'vis), n. [Also formerly or dial. ma rish ; mavis , mavys , mavice , malvis , F. mauris , also mauviette , dial, manviard = Sp. malviz , malvis = It. malriccio , malvizzo , dial, marvizzo (ML. malvitius ) , a mavis; prob. of Celtic origin: ef. Bret, milfid , milvid, milchouid. pated. mawk i (mâk), n. [ A slattern. [Prov. Eng.] either of the two pairs of gnathites which come next after the mandibles, between these and the maxillipeds. The maxillæ of a crustacean thus correspond to those of an insect, but there is an additional pair of them. - Composite maxillæ, dentate maxillæ, etc. See the adjectives. maxillar (mak'si-lär), a. Same as maxillary. Maxillar i a (mak-si-lā'ri-ä), n. [NL. (Ruiz and Pavon, 1794), so called in allusion to the resemblance between the lip and column and the jaws of an animal, mawkin (ma'kin), n. See malkin . mawkish (ma'kish), a . [ mawky , 1.] Hence-2t. Loathsome; apt to cause loathing or nausea; sickening. Like a faint traveller whose dusty mouth Grows dry with heat, and spits a mawkish froth. pagne; mawkish sentimentality. This state of man... IMG:content-0349.png:[ocr errors] Is not a situation of betweenity, As some word-coiners are disposed to call 't- Meaning a mawkish as-it-were-ish state, Containing neither love nor hate. 3. Insipid; sickening; sickly: as, mawkish cham size often beautiful and fragrant a. There are about 120 species, natives of tropical America. Maxillarieæ (maks i-lā-ri'ē-ē), n. pl. [NL. (Bentham and Hooker, 1883), IMG:content-0350.png:[blocks in formation] maxillopharyngeal (mak-sil"ō-fa-rin'jē-al), a. [ maxilla + pharynx ( pharyng- ) + -e - al .] Per- taining to the lower jaw-bone or inframax- illary and to the pharynx. - Maxillopharyngeal space, in surgical an at ., a triangular area between the side of the pharynx and the ramus of the lower jaw-bone, containing important ve els and nerves, as the carotid artery, the internal jugular vein, and the glo o- pharyngeal, pneumogastric, spinal acce ory, and hypo- glo al nerves. maxillopremaxillary (mak-sil'ō-pre-mak'si- la-ri), a . and n. [ maxilla + premaxilla + -ary.] I. a. Common to the maxilla and to the pre- maxilla: as, "the maxillopremaxillary part of the skull," Huxley . II. n. The supramaxillary and premaxillary bones taken together, when, as in many of the higher vertebrates, they fuse into a single bone. maxilloturbinal (mak-sil-ō-ter'bi-nal), a . and n . [ maxilla + turbine + -al.] I. a. Whorled IMG:content-0351.png:[blocks in formation] maximize (mak'si-miz), v . t .; pret. and pp. maximized , ppr. maximizing . [ maximus , greatest (see maximum ), + -ize .] To make as great as po ible; raise or increase to the high- est degree. Also spelled maximise . To maximize pleasure is the problem of Economics. Jevons, Pol. Econ., p. 40. One Inferior Maxillary or Lower Jaw- bone of Man. II. n. The inferior turbinated bone. In man it is a light spongy bone curved upon itself, articulating with the supramaxillary, palatal, lacrymal, and ethmoid bones, and projecting into the nasal fo æ, serving to sep- arate the middle from the lower of these fo e. The name is correlated with ethmoturbinal and sphenoturbinal . See cuts under nasal and craniofacial . maxim (mak's im), n. [ maxime = Sp. max- ima = Pg . maxima = It. ma ima , maxi- ma , a maxim, abbr. of LL. maxima propositio , premise, the greatest or chief premise (applied by Boëthius to the rules of the commonplaces which are more than ordinary major premises); fem. of L. maximus , greatest, superl. of mag- nus , great: see maximum.] 1. A proposition serving as a rule or guide; a summary state- ment of an established or accepted principle; a pithy expre ion of a general rule of conduct or action, whether true or false: as, the maxims of religion or of law; the maxims of worldly wisdom or of avarice; ethical maxims . All which points were obserued by the Greekes and Latines, and allowed for maximes in versifying. Putten ham , Arte of Eng. Poesie, p. 101. In human laws there be many grounds and maxims positive upon authority. A maxim is the short and formal statement of an estab- lished principle of law. More than two you sand of these maxims now exist, many of which are of great antiquity, and most of which are of the highest authority and value. Robinson, Elem. of Law, 4. 2. In logic , the rule of a commonplace; an ul- timate major premise.-3. An axiom. [Rare.] Maxims , certain propositions which [are] self evident, or to be received as true. Locke, Human Understanding, IV. vii. 11. 4. Same as maximal .=Syn. 1. Precept , Axiom , etc. See aphorism . maximal (mak'si-ma), n . [L., fem. of maxi- mus , greatest: see maxim , maximum .] In me- dieval musical notation , same as large , 2, when the latter was used in its precise sense as the next denomination above long . maxima2, n . Plural of maximum . maximal (mak'si-mal), a. [ maximum + -al . ] Of the highest or maximum value, etc.; being a maximum. The maximal and minimal values are reached with full loaded and empty girder. A maximal muscular clench was recorded on a dyna. mometer. Amer . Jour. Psychol., I. 191. maximally (mak'si-mal-i), adv . In the high- est degree; to the utmost; extremely. mally excited retain a kind of sorene which is a condition Those portions of the brain that have just been maxi- of our present consciousne . W. James, Mind, IX. 12. maximed (mak's imd), a. [ Maxim gun. See machine -gun. Maximilian (mak-si-mil'i-an), n. [So called from Maximilian , the name of various rulers of Bavaria.] A Bavarian gold coin worth about 13s. 6d. English. Simmonds. - Maximilian armor, an armor decorated and rendered more rigid by flutings, with which all the large surfaces are occupied. This armor, introduced toward the close of the fifteenth century, is generally thought to have originated among the skilful armorers of Milan, and is also called Milan (Martius, 1831), named after Maximilian Alex- ander Philipp, Prince of Neuwied.] A genus of palms of the tribe Cocoineæ and subtribe Encocoinee , distinguished by the minute petals and six slightly exserted stamens of the male who deals much in maxims; a sententious per- son. Imp . Dict . maximum (mak'si-mum), n.and a. [=F. max- ime = Sp. máximo = Pg. maximo = It. ma imo , a.; maximum , neut. of maximus , greatest, superl. of magnus , great: see main2 , magnitude , etc.] I. n.; pl. maxima (-mä). 1. The greatest amount, quantity, or degree; the utmost extent or limit: opposed to minimum , the smallest. Maxwell color-disks. See disk . mayl (mā), v.; pret. might ; no pp., ppr., or inf. in use. [A defective auxiliary verb cla ed with can , shall , etc., as a preterit-present. ( a ) Ind. pres. 1st and 3d pers. sing. may, mæg = OS. mag = OFries. mei , mi = MD. D. MLG. LG. mag = OHG. MHG. G. mag = Icel. ma = Sw. må = Dan. maa = Goth. mag ; (b) ind. pres. 2d pers. sing. now mayest , mayst , by conform a- tion with reg. verbs in -est , -st , but historically might, miht = OS. maht = OHG. MHG. maht, G. magst = Icel. matt = Goth. magt ; (c) ind. pres. 1st, 2d, and 3d pers. pl. now may (by conformation), but historically mow , or, with retention of the orig. pl. suffix, mown , moun, dial. maun , must, mag on , etc.) = OS. mugun = OFries. mugun = OHG. magum, magut, magun, MHG. magen, maget, magen, G. mögen = Icel. megum = Dan. maa = Sw. må = Goth. magum ; ( d ) pret. 1st pers. sing. might , dial. mought , mighte , michte, mihte, myhte, migte, mizte, mught, muhte, moght, mought , etc., meahte , mehte , mihte = OS. mahta , mohta = OFries. machte = MD. moght , D. mogt , mocht = MLG. machte, mochte = OHG. mahta , mohta , MHG. mahte, mohte , G. mochte Icel. matt a = Sw. måtte = Dan. maatte = Goth. mahta ; pl. in similar forms; (e) inf. * may , or rather mow , not in mod. use, muzen , mug an or * mag an (neither form in use, but the second indicated by the occasional ppr. magende , me- gende) = OS. mag an , mug an = OFries. * mega = D. mogen = MLG. LG. mogen = OHG. mag an , mug an, MHG. mugen, mügen, G. mögen = Icel. mega = Sw. må = Dan. maa = Goth. mag an ; an orig. independent verb meaning 'be strong, have power, hence 'be able, can, and used in AS., etc., where now (in E.) can would be used ( can orig. meaning 'know': see can1 ); akin to OBulg. mog a , moshti , be able, can, = Ru . moc he , be able; also prob. to AS. micel , etc., E. much , L. magnus , great, Gr. μέγας , great, L. mactus , honored, Skt. V mah , be great.] A. may pa ing into each other, and may in many constructions being purposely or inevitably used with more or le indefinitene . The principal uses are as follows: (a) dicate subjective ability, or abstract po ibility: rarely used absolutely (as in the first quotation), but usually with an infinitive (not, however, as a mere auxiliary). See also mow3. For and thou ouer me myztist , as y ouer thee may, Weel bittirli thou woldist me bynde. Political Poems , etc. (ed. Furnivall), p. 167. If thou consider the number and the maner of thy bli es and thy sorrowes, thou maist nat forsaken [canst not deny) that nart yet bli ful. Chaucer, Boëthius. Therefore whanne it maie not be aghenseid to these thing is, it behoueth ghou to be cee id, and to do nothing folili. 3668 called compound tenses of the subjunctive or potential mode, expre ing contingency in connection with purpose, conce ion, etc. May is so used (1) In substantive clauses, or clauses that take the place of or are in apposition with the subject or object or predicate of a sentence: introduced by that. It was my secret wish that he might be prevailed on to accompany me. Byron. They apprehended that he might have been carried off by gipsies. Southey. I heard from an old officer that when in the West Indies he was told by a lady, at whose house he was dining, that he might not like the soup, as it was made from snakes. N. and Q., 7th ser., II. 335. permi ion is distinctly expre ed.] Lands, goods, horse, armour, anything I have Is his to use, so Somerset may die. May-beetle 5. In Cambridge University, England, the Easter-term examination. The May is one of the features which distinguishes Cambridge from Oxford; at the latter there are no public College examinations. C. A. Bristed, English University, p. 87. Italian may, a frequently cultivated shrub, Spirœa hy pericifolia, with small white flowers in se ile umbels. Also called St. Peter's wreath. - Lord of the May. See lord. - May laws. See lawl.