Maxim

[ mak-sim; for 4 also French mak-seem, Russian muh-ksyeem ]
/ ˈmæk sɪm; for 4 also French makˈsim, Russian mʌˈksyim /

noun

Hiram Percy,1869–1936, U.S. inventor.
his fatherSir Hiram Stevens,1840–1916, English inventor, born in the U.S.: inventor of the Maxim gun.
Hudson,1853–1927, U.S. inventor and explosives expert (brother of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim).
a male given name, form of Maximilian.

British Dictionary definitions for hiram maxim (1 of 2)

maxim
/ (ˈmæksɪm) /

noun

a brief expression of a general truth, principle, or rule of conduct

Word Origin for maxim

C15: via French from Medieval Latin, from maxima, in the phrase maxima prōpositio basic axiom (literally: greatest proposition); see maximum

British Dictionary definitions for hiram maxim (2 of 2)

Maxim
/ (ˈmæksɪm) /

noun

Sir Hiram Stevens. 1840–1916, British inventor of the first automatic machine gun (1884), born in the US