A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

May Day --- first of May, 1438. Accounts of merrymaking on this date are attested from c.1240. Synonymous with "communist procession" from at least 1906. Maypole "high pole painted with spiral stripes and decorated with flowers, set up in public places for May Day celebrants to dance around" is attested from 1554 but certainly much older, as the first mention of it is in an ordinance banning them, and there are references to such erections, though not by this name from a mid-14c. Welsh poem. The May Queen, however, seems to be a Victorian re-invented tradition.

maybe --- c.1425, from (it) may be. Still sometimes written as two words early 19c.

mayday --- distress call, 1927, from Fr. m'aider, shortening of venez m'aider "come help me!"

Mayfair --- fashionable district of London, early 19c., built on Brook fields, where an annual May fair had been held 17c.

mayhem --- 1472, from Anglo-Fr. maihem (13c.), from O.Fr. mahaigne "injury," related to mahaignier "to maim" (see maim). Originally, in law, the crime of maiming a person to make him less able to defend himself or annoy his adversary.

mayonnaise --- 1841, from Fr. mayonnaise (1807), said to have been named in allusion to Mahon, seaport capital of island of Minorca, captured by France 1756; the sauce introduced in commemoration of the victory. But the dates make this seem doubtful. Shortened form mayo first attested c.1930.

mayor --- 1297, from O.Fr. maire "head of a city or town government" (13c.), originally "greater, superior" (adj.), from L. maior, major, comp. of magnus "great" (see magnum).

maze (n.) --- 1297, "delusion, bewilderment," possibly from O.E. *mæs, which is suggested by the compound amasod "amazed" (see amaze). Perhaps related to Norw. dial. mas "exhausting labor." Meaning "labyrinth" first recorded c.1385.

mazel tov --- 1862, from mod. Heb. mazzal tob "good luck," from Heb. mazzaloth (pl.) "constellations."

mazuma --- slang for "money," 1901, from Yiddish, from Mishnaic Hebrew mezumman "designated, fixed, appointed," used in Medieval Heb. in sense of "cash" (cf. slang the needful "money"), from Akkad. simanu "appointed time."

mazurka --- 1818, from Rus. mazurka, from Pol. mazurek "dance of the Mazur," a ref. to inhabitants of Mazowsze (M.L. Mazovia), ancient region in central Poland. The Polish accusative in tanczyc mazurka "to dance the mazurek" was interpreted in Russian as a feminine affix, hence the -ka ending.

McCarthyism --- 1950, from U.S. Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy (1908-57), leader of U.S. anti-Communist witch-hunt. The term is said to have been coined by "Washington Post" political cartoonist Herbert Block ("Herblock"). The surname is from Ir. Mac Carthaigh "son of Carthach" (Welsh Caradawc), an ancient Celtic name, also known in its Latinized form, Caractacus (last of the British leaders to resist Rome, captured 51 C.E.)

McConnell --- Irish surname, from Ir. mac "son of" + Conall, from Celt. kunovalos "high-powerful."

McCoy --- as in the real McCoy, 1922, from Scot. the real Mackay (1883), of uncertain origin, though there are many candidates, including whiskey distilled by A. and M. Mackay of Glasgow (the phrase the real McCoy became popular during Prohibition to describe liquor); Charles S. "Kid" McCoy (1872-1940), former welterweight boxing champ; and a claimant for chief of the northern branch of the clan Mackay.

McFarland --- Irish surname, from Gael. Mac Pharlain "son of Parlan," from O.Ir. Parthalon "Bartholomew."

McGuffey's --- children's reader, first published 1836, created by Ohio educator and linguist William Holmes McGuffey (1800-73).

McIntosh --- kind of red apples, 1878, from John McIntosh (b.1777), Ontario farmer who found them in 1796 while clearing woodland on his farm and began to cultivate them.

McMillan --- Irish surname, from Gael. Mac Mhaolain "son of the tonsured one."

McQueen --- Irish surname, from Gael. Mac Shuibhne "son of Suibhne, lit. "pleasant."

me --- O.E. me (dat.), me, mec (acc.; oblique cases of I), from P.Gmc. *meke (acc.), *mes (dat.), cf. O.N., Goth. mik, O.H.G. mih, Ger. mich; from PIE base *me-, *eme-, the bare stem of the pronoun (cf. Skt., Avestan mam, Gk. eme, L. me, O.Ir. me, Welsh mi "me"). Erroneous or vulgar use for nom. (e.g. it is me) attested from c.1500. Dative preserved in obsolete meseems, methinks.

mea culpa --- c.1374, from L., lit. "I am to blame," a phrase from the prayer of confession in the L. liturgy.

mead (1) --- fermented honey drink, O.E. medu, from P.Gmc. *meduz (cf. O.N. mjöðr, Dan. mjød, O.Fris., M.Du. mede, Ger. Met "mead"), from PIE base *medhu- "honey, sweet drink" (cf. Skt. madhu "sweet, sweet drink, wine, honey," Gk. methy "wine," O.C.S. medu, Lith. medus "honey," O.Ir. mid, Welsh medd, Breton mez "mead"). Synonymous but unrelated early M.E. meþeglin yielded Chaucer's meeth.

mead (2) --- meadow, O.E. mæd "meadow," from P.Gmc. *mædwon (cf. Du. made, Ger. Matte "meadow," O.E. mæþ "harvest, crop"), from PIE *metwa-, from base *me- "mow" (see mow).

meadow --- O.E. mædwe, originally "land covered in grass which is mown for hay," oblique case of mæd (see mead (2)).

meager --- c.1300, "lean, thin, emaciated" (of persons or animals), from O.Fr. megre, maigre, from L. macrum (nom. macer) "lean, thin," from PIE *makro- (see macro-). Of material things (land, food, etc.) from 1501.

meal (1) --- food, time for eating, O.E. mæl "fixed time, a measure, meal," from P.Gmc. *mæla- (cf. Du. maal "time, meal," O.N. mal "measure, time, meal," Ger. Mal "time," Goth. mel "time, hour"), from PIE base *me- "to measure" (see meter (2)). Probably related to O.E. mæð "measure." Original sense of "time" is preserved in piecemeal; once a more common suffix, e.g. O.E. styccemælum "bit by bit," gearmælum "year by year." Meals-on-wheels attested from 1961. Meal ticket first attested 1870 in lit. sense of "ticket of admission to a dining hall;" fig. sense of "source of income or livelihood" is from 1899.

meal (2) --- ground grain, O.E. melu, from W.Gmc. *melwan "grind" (cf. Ger. malen "to grind," Mehl "meal"), from PIE base *mel-/*mol-/*ml- "to grind, soft" (cf. Hittite mallanzi "they grind," Arm. malem "I crush, bruise," Gk. malakos "soft," Alb. miel "meal, flour," L. molere "to grind," O.C.S. meljo, Lith. malu "to grind;" see mill (1)).

mealy-mouthed --- 1572, "afraid to say what one really thinks," probably from O.E. milisc "sweet," from P.Gmc. *meduz "honey" (see mead (1)), which suits the sense, but if the O.E. word did not survive long enough to be the source of this, perhaps the first element is from meal (2) on notion of the "softness" of ground flour.

mean (adj.) --- low-quality, O.E. gemæne "common, public, general, universal, shared by all," from P.Gmc. *ga-mainiz "possessed jointly" (cf. O.Fris. mene, M.L.G. gemeine, Du. gemeen, Ger. gemein, Goth. gamains "common"), from PIE *ko-moin-i- "held in common," a compound adjective formed from collective prefix *ko- "together" (P.Gmc. *ga-) + *moi-n-, suffixed form of PIE base *mei- "to change, exchange" (see mutable); cf. second element in common, a word whose sense evolution parallels that of mean (adj.). Sense influenced by mean (n.). Meaning "inferior, poor" emerged c.1300; that of "stingy, nasty" first recorded 1665; weaker sense of "disobliging, pettily offensive" is from 1839, originally Amer.Eng. slang. Inverted sense of "remarkably good" (i.e. plays a mean saxophone) first recorded c.1900, also in phrase no mean _______ "not inferior" (1596, also, "not average," reflecting further confusion with mean (n.)). Meanie "cruel person" is from 1927.

mean (n.) --- that which is halfway between extremes, 1330, from O.Fr. meien, from L. medianus "of or that is in the middle" (see median). Oldest sense is musical. Sense of "so-so, mediocre" led to confusion with mean (adj.). First record of means "course of action," is c.1380; sense of "wealth" is first recorded 1603. This is the mean in meantime (1340), meanwhile (1464), and by no means (1472).

mean (v.) --- O.E. mænan "to mean, tell, say, complain," from W.Gmc. *mainijanan (cf. O.Fris. mena, Du. menen, Ger. meinen to think, suppose, be of the opinion"), from PIE *meino- "opinion, intent" (cf. O.C.S. meniti "to think, have an opinion," O.Ir. mian "wish, desire," Welsh mwyn "enjoyment"), probably from base *men- "think." Meaningful first attested 1852.

meander --- 1576 (n.) "confusion, intricacies," from L. meander, from Gk. Maiandros, name of a river in Phrygia, noted for its winding course. The verb meaning "to flow in a winding course" (of rivers) is attested from c.1612. Of a person, "to wander aimlessly" (1831) it is perhaps confused with maunder (q.v.).

measles --- c.1325, pl. of M.E. masel, probably from M.Du. masel "blemish" (in pl. "measles"), from P.Gmc. *mas- "spot, blemish" (cf. O.H.G. masla "blood-blister"). There may have been an O.E. cognate, but if so it has not been recorded. Probably influenced by O.Fr. mesel "leprous," from L. misellus "wretched, unfortunate," dim. of miser "wretched." Measly "affected with measles" is 1687, sense of "meager and contemptible" first recorded 1864 in British slang.

measure (v.) --- c.1300, from O.Fr. mesurer, from L.L. mensurare "to measure," from L. mensura "a measuring, a thing to measure by," from mensus, pp. of metiri "to measure," from PIE *ma-/*me- "measure" (see meter (2)). Replaced O.E. cognate mæð "measure." The noun also is attested from c.1300. Meaning "treatment 'meted out' to someone" is from 1593; that of "plan or course of action intended to obtain some goal" is from 1698; sense of "legislative enactment" is from 1759. To measure up "have the necessary abilities" is 1910, Amer.Eng. Phrase for good measure (1382) is lit. "ample in quantity, in goods sold by measure."

meat --- O.E. mete "food, item of food" (contrasted with drink), from P.Gmc. *matiz (cf. O.Fris. mete, O.N. matr, Goth. mats "food," M.Du., Du. metworst, Ger. Mettwurst "type of sausage"), from PIE *mat-/*met- "measure" (see meter (2)). Narrower sense of "flesh used as food" is first attested c.1300; similar sense evolution in Fr. viande "meat," originally "food." Figurative sense of "essential part" is from 1901. Dark meat, white meat supposedly popularized by Victorians as euphemisms for leg and breast. First record of meat loaf is from 1932. Meathead "stupid person" is from 1945; meat market "place where one looks for sex partners" is from 1896 (meat in various sexual senses of "penis, vagina, body regarded as a sex object, prostitute" are attested from 1595); meat wagon "ambulance" is from 1925, Amer.Eng. slang. Meaty "full of substance" is from 1881.

Mecca --- 1823, from Arabic Makkah, sacred city of Islam, birthplace of Muhammad, which every Muslim must visit at least once. Origins have been proposed in Phoenician maqaq "ruined" or Arabic mahrab "sanctuary." Fig. sense of "any place one holds supremely sacred" (usually with lower-case m-) is from 1850.

mechanic --- 1549 (adj.) "pertaining to or involving mechanical labor" (now usually mechanical), from L. mechanicus (n. and adj.), from Gk. mekhanikos "an engineer" (n.), also "resourceful, inventive," lit. "pertaining to machines" (adj.), from mekhane (see machine). The noun meaning originally was "manual laborer" (1390); sense of "one who is employed in manual labor, a handicraft worker, an artisan (chief sense through early 19c.) is attested from 1562. The adj. meaning "of the nature of or pertaining to machines" is from 1625; the noun sense of "skilled workman who is concerned with making or repair of machinery" is from 1662, but not the main sense until the rise of the automobile. Mechanical is attested from 1432 in the sense "of or pertaining to machines;" of persons or human actions, "resembling machines, automatic" it is from 1607. Mechanize is attested from 1678.

mechanism --- 1662, from Mod.L. mechanismus, from Gk. mekhane (see machine).

meconium --- fecal discharge from a newborn infant, 1706, from L. meconium "excrement of a newborn child," from Gk. mekonion, lit. "poppy-juice, opium," dim. of mekon "poppy" (cognate with O.C.S. maku, Ger. Mohn "poppy"). So called by classical physicians for its resemblance.

medal --- 1586, from M.Fr. médaille (15c.), from It. medaglia "a medal," from V.L. *metallea (moneta) "metal (coin)," from L. metallum (see metal). The other theory is that medaglia originally meant "coin worth half a denarius," and is from V.L. *medalia, from L.L. medialia "little halves," neut. pl. of medialis "of the middle" (see medial). Originally a trinket; as a reward for merit, proficiency, etc., attested from 1751.

medallion --- 1658, from Fr. médaillon, from It. medaglione "large medal," augmentative of medaglia (see medal).

meddle --- c.1290, "to mingle," from O.N.Fr. medler (O.Fr. mesler) "to mix, mingle, to meddle," from V.L. *misculare, from L. miscere "to mix" (see mix). Meaning "to concern oneself" (usually disparaging) is attested from 1415. From c.1340 to 1700, it also was a euphemism for "have sexual intercourse." Meddlesome is attested from 1615.

Medea --- famous sorceress, daughter of the king of Colchis, from Gk. Medeia, lit. "cunning," related to medos "counsel, plan, device, cunning," median "to protect, rule over," from PIE *med- "to measure, limit, consider," from base *med- "to measure" (see meditation).

media --- newspapers, radio, TV, etc. 1927, perhaps abstracted from mass media (1923, a technical term in advertising), pl. of medium, on notion of "intermediate agency," a sense first found 1605.

medial --- 1570, "pertaining to a mathematical mean," from L.L. medialis "of the middle," from L. medius "middle," from PIE *medhjo-, from base *me- "between" (cf. Skt. madhyah, Avestan madiya- "middle," Gk. messos, Goth. midjis, O.E. midd "middle," O.C.S. medzu "between," Arm. mej "middle"). Meaning "occupying a middle position" is attested from 1721.

median --- 1592, from M.Fr. médian, from L. medianus "of the middle," from medius "middle" (see medial). Originally anatomical, of veins, arteries, nerves; mathematical sense "middle number of a series" first recorded 1902; median strip "strip between lanes of a highway" is from 1954.

mediator --- c.1300, from L.L. mediatorem (nom. mediator) "one who mediates," from mediatus, pp. of mediari "to intervene, mediate," also "to be or divide in the middle," from L. medius "middle" (see medial). Originally applied to Christ, who in Christian theology "mediates" between God and man. Meaning "one who intervenes between two disputing parties" is first attested 1387. The verb mediate is first recorded 1542, probably a back-formation from mediation (c.1425) or mediator.

medic --- 1659, "physician, medical student," from L. medicus "physician" (see medical); modern sense of "serviceman in a military medical corps" first recorded 1925.

Medicaid --- 1966, U.S. medical assistance program set up by Title XIX of the Social Security Act of 1965.

medical --- 1646, from Fr. médical, from L.L. medicalis "of a physician," from L. medicus "physician" (n.); "healing" (adj.), from mederi "to heal," originally "know the best course for," from PIE base *med- "to measure, limit, consider, advise" (cf. Gk. medos "counsel, plan, device, cunning," Avestan vi-mad "physician"); see meditation.

medication --- 1603, from M.Fr. médication, from L. medicationem (nom. medicatio) "healing, cure," from medicare, medicari "medicate, heal, cure," from medicus "healing" (see medical). The verb medicate "to treat medicinally" is from 1623.

medicine --- c.1225, from L. medicina, originally ars medicina "the medical art," from fem. of medicinus (adj.) "of a doctor," from medicus "a physician" (see medical). To take (one's) medicine "submit to something disagreeable" is first recorded 1865. N.Amer. Indian medicine-man "shaman" is first attested 1801, from Amer. Indian adoption of the word in sense of "magical influence." The U.S.-Canadian boundary they called Medicine Line (first attested 1910), because it conferred a kind of magic protection: punishment for crimes committed on one side of it could be avoided by crossing over to the other. Medicine show "traveling show meant to attract a crowd so patent medicine can be sold to them" is Amer.Eng., 1938. Medicine ball "stuffed leather ball used for exercise" is from 1895.

medieval --- 1827, "pertaining to or suggestive of the Middle Ages," coined in Eng. from L. medi(um) "middle" + æv(um) "age."

mediocre --- 1586, from Fr. médiocre, from L. mediocris "of middling height or state," originally "halfway up a mountain," from medius "middle" (see medial) + ocris "jagged mountain" (cf. Gk. okris "peak, point," Welsh ochr "corner, border," L. acer "sharp;" see acrid). Mediocrity is first recorded 1531, from M.Fr. médiocrité, from L. mediocritatem (nom. mediocritas) "a middling condition," from mediocris.

meditation --- c.1225, "discourse on a subject," from L. meditationem (nom. meditatio), from meditatus, pp. of meditari "to meditate, to think over, consider," from PIE base *med- "to measure, limit, consider, advise" (cf. Gk. medesthai "think about," medon "ruler," L. modus "measure, manner," modestus "moderate," modernus "modern," mederi "to heal," medicus "physician," Skt. midiur "I judge, estimate," Welsh meddwl "mind, thinking," Goth. miton, O.E. metan "to measure"). Meaning "act of meditating, continuous calm thought upon some subject" is from 1390.

Mediterranean --- c.1400, from L.L. Mediterraneum mare "Mediterranean Sea" (7c.), from L. mediterraneus "midland;" original sense being of "sea in the middle of the earth," from medius "middle" (see medial) + terra "land, earth" (see terrain). The O.E. name was Wendel-sæ, so called for the Vandals, Gmc. tribe that settled on the southwest coast of it after the fall of Rome.

medium (n.) --- 1584, "a middle ground, quality, or degree," from L. medium, from neut. of adj. medius (see medial). Meaning "intermediate agency, channel of communication" is from 1605. That of "person who conveys spiritual messages" first recorded 1853, from notion of "substance through which something is conveyed." Artistic sense (oil, watercolors, etc.) is from 1854. The adj. is 1670, from the noun; as a designation of cooked meat, it is attested from 1939. Happy medium is the "golden mean," Horace's aurea mediocritas.

medlar --- small fruit-bearing tree, c.1366 (in ref. to the fruit itself), from O.Fr. medler, variant of mesple, from L. mespila "fruit of the medlar," from Gk. mespilion, a foreign word of unknown origin.

medley --- c.1300, "hand-to-hand combat," from O.Fr. medlee, var. of meslee (see meddle). Meaning "combination, mixture" is from c.1440; that of "musical combination consisting of diverse parts" is from 1626.

medulla --- 1651, "hindmost segment of the brain," from L., lit. "marrow," also "pith of plants," of unknown origin, perhaps related to or influenced by medius "middle" (but cf. also O.Ir. smiur, Welsh mer "marrow").

medusa --- jellyfish, 1758, as genus name, from the name of one of the three Gorgons with snakes for hair, whose glance turned to stone him who looked upon it (attested in Eng. from 1390). Her name is from Gk. Medousa, lit. "guardian," fem. prp. of the verb medein "to protect, rule over" (see Medea). The zoological name was chosen by Linnæus, suggested by the creature's long tentacles.

meek --- c.1200, "gentle, courteous, kind," from O.N. mjukr "soft, pliant, gentle," from P.Gmc. *meukaz (cf. Goth. muka-modei "humility," Du. muik "soft"), of uncertain origin. Use to translate L. mansuetus from Vulgate (see mansuetude). Sense of "submissive" is from 1340.

meerkat --- 1481, "monkey," from Du. meerkat "monkey" (related to O.H.G. mericazza), apparently from meer "lake" + kat "cat." But cf. Hindi markat, Skt. markata "ape," which could serve as a source of a Teutonic folk-etymology, even though the word was in Gmc. long before any known direct contact with India. First applied to the small South African mammals in 1801.

meerschaum --- 1789, "tobacco pipe with a bowl made of meerschaum," a type of soft white clay, from Ger., lit. "sea-foam," so called from its frothy appearance, translation of L. spuma maris, from Pers. kef-i-darya.

meet (adj.) --- O.E. gemæte "suitable, having the same dimensions," from P.Gmc. *ga-mætijaz (cf. O.N. mætr, O.H.G. gimagi, Ger. gemäß "suitable"), from collective prefix *ga- + PIE *med- "to measure." The root sense is thus the same as commensurate.

meet (v.) --- O.E. metan, from P.Gmc. *motijanan (cf.O.N. mæta, O.S. motian "to meet"). Related to O.E. gemot "meeting." The noun, in the sporting sense, is attested from 1831, originally of hunting. Meeting "gathering of people for discussion, etc." is attested from 1513. In 17c., it was applied generally to worship assemblies of nonconformists, but this now is retained mostly by Quakers.

mega- --- prefix, often meaning "large, great," but in precise scientific language "one million" (megaton, megawatt, etc.), from Gk. megas "great, large, mighty" (fem. megale), from PIE *meg- "great" (cf. L. magnus, Goth. mikils, O.E. micel; see mickle). Mega began to be used alone as an adj. 1982.

megabucks --- 1946, originally "one million dollars," from mega- (q.v.) + slang buck "dollar." A jocular coinage of U.S. scientists working on expensive atomic research.

megadeath --- 1953, from mega- (q.v.) + death (n.). The death of one million persons, as a measure of the effectiveness of nuclear weapons.

megalithic --- 1839, from Gk. megas "large" (see mickle) + lithos "stone." Megalith "huge prehistoric stone" (1853) is a back-formation.

megalomania --- 1890, from Fr. mégalomanie, formed from Gk. megas (gen. megalou) "great" (see mickle) + mania "madness."

megalopolis --- 1832, from Gk. megas (gen. megalou) "great" (see mickle) + polis "city" (see policy (1)). The word was used in classical times of Athens, Syracuse, and Alexandria.

megaphone --- 1878, coined (perhaps by Thomas Edison, who invented it) from Gk. megas "great" (see mickle) + phone "voice" (see fame).

megaton --- 1952, unit of explosive power equal to one million tons of TNT, from mega- (q.v.) + ton.

megillah --- long, tedious, complicated story, 1957, from Yiddish (e.g. a gantse Megillah "a whole megillah"), lit. "roll, scroll," name of the five O.T. books appointed to be read on certain feast days. The slang use is in ref. to the length of the text.

Meiji --- 1873, "period of rule of emperor Mutsuhito" (1868-1912), which was marked by modernization and Westernization, lit. "enlightened government."

mein --- Chinese wheat flour noodles (in lo mein, chow mein, etc.), 1934, from Chinese, lit. "wheat flour."

meiosis --- division of a cell nucleus, 1905, from Gk., lit. "a lessening," from meioun "to lessen," from meion "less," from PIE base *mei- "to lessen, diminish."

meistersinger --- 1845, from Ger. Meistersinger, lit. "master singer."

melancholy (n.) --- c.1303, "condition characterized by sullenness, gloom, irritability," from O.Fr. melancholie, from L.L. melancholia, from Gk. melankholia "sadness," lit. "black bile," from melas (gen. melanos) "black" (see melanin) + khole "bile" (see Chloe). Medieval physiology attributed depression to excess of "black bile," a secretion of the spleen and one of the body's four "humors." Adj. sense of "sullen, gloomy" is from 1526; sense of "deplorable" (of a fact or state of things) is from 1710.

Melanesian --- 1849, in ref. to Melanesia, one of three large divisions of Pacific islands, from Gk. melano-, comb. form of melas (gen. melanos) "black" (see melanin) + nesos "island." Modeled after Polynesia and meant to signify "the islands inhabited by blacks."

melange --- 1653, from Fr. mélange, from mêler "to mix, mingle," from O.Fr. mesler (see meddle).

melanin --- black pigment found in animal bodies, 1843, Mod.L., with chemical suffix -in, from Gk. melas (gen. melanos) "black," from PIE base *mel- "dark, soiled, dirty" (cf. Skt. malinah "dirty, stained, black," Lith. melynas "blue," L. mulleus "reddish").