Idioms for main

    in the main, for the most part; chiefly: In the main, the novel was dull reading.

Origin of main

1
before 900; (noun) Middle English meyn, mayn strength, power, Old English mægen, cognate with Old Norse megin(n), megn strength; (adj.) Middle English mayn, partly < Old Norse megenn, megn strong, partly independent use of Old English mægen (noun) taken as an adj. in compounds, as in mægen-weorc, literally, work of might

British Dictionary definitions for in the main (1 of 3)

Main
/ (meɪn, German main) /

noun

a river in central and W Germany, flowing west through Würzburg and Frankfurt to the Rhine. Length: about 515 km (320 miles)

British Dictionary definitions for in the main (2 of 3)

main 1
/ (meɪn) /

adjective (prenominal)

noun

Word Origin for main

C13: from Old English mægen strength

British Dictionary definitions for in the main (3 of 3)

main 2
/ (meɪn) /

noun

a throw of the dice in dice games
a cockfighting contest
a match in archery, boxing, etc

Word Origin for main

C16: of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases with in the main (1 of 2)

in the main

For the most part, chiefly, as in It was an excellent conference in the main. [First half of 1600s]

Idioms and Phrases with in the main (2 of 2)

main