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amain

adv
/əˈmeɪn/US

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish amainar (“to reef a sail (take in part of a sail to adapt its size to the force of the wind); to abate, die down, subside; to ease off, let up; of a person: to calm down, control one’s anger”); further etymology uncertain, probably from a regional Italian (Naples) word (compare Italian ammainare (“to lower or reef (a flag, sail, etc.)”)), from Vulgar Latin *invagīnare (“to sheathe (a sword); to put away, stow”), from Latin in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + vāgīna (“scabbard, sheath; covering, holder; vagina”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weh₂ǵ- (“to cover; sheath”)); this would make it a doublet of invaginate.

  1. derived from *weh₂ǵ-✻ — “to cover; sheath”
  2. derived from in-
  3. derived from *invagīnare✻ — “to sheathe (a sword); to put away, stow”
  4. derived from ammainare — “to lower or reef (a flag, sail, etc.)”
  5. borrowed from amainar — “to reef a sail (take in part of a sail to adapt its size to the force of the wind); to abate, die down, subside; to ease off, let up; of a person: to calm down, control one’s anger”

Definitions

  1. With all of one's might

    With all of one's might; mightily; forcefully, violently.

    • So likewiſe turnde the Prince vpon the Knight, And layd at him amaine with all his will and might.

  2. At full speed

    At full speed; also, in great haste.

    • At length the Danes beeing aſſayled on eche ſide, both a front before, and on their backes behinde, oppreſſed as it were wyth multitude, they threwe downe theyr weapons and fled amain.
    • Now when he was got up to the top of the Hill, there came two Men running againſt him amain; the name of the one was Timorous, and of the other Miſtruſt. To whom Chriſtian ſaid, Sirs, what's the matter you run the wrong way?

  3. Out of control.

  4. ›+ 4 more definitions

    1. Exceedingly

      Exceedingly; overmuch.

      • Riches are mine, Fortune is in my hand; They whom I favour thrive in wealth amain, While Virtue, Valour, Wiſdom ſit in want.
      • The herd approach'd; each guest, with busy brain, Arriving at the portal, gaz'd amain, And enter'd marveling: […]

    2. To lower (the sail of a ship, particularly the topsail).

    3. To decrease or reduce (something).

    4. To lower the topsail in token of surrender

      To lower the topsail in token of surrender; to yield.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for amain. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA