Mean

MEAN, adjective [Latin communis, vulgus, minor and minuo.]

1. Wanting dignity; low in rank or birth; as a man of mean parentage, mean birth or origin.

2. Wanting dignity of mind; low minded; base; destitute of honor; spiritless.

Can you imagine I so mean could prove,

To save my life by changing of my love?

3. Contemptible; despicable.

The Roman legions and great Caesar found

Our fathers no mean foes.

4. Of little value; low in worth or estimation; worthy of little or no regard.

We fast, not to please men, nor to promote any mean worldly interest.

5. Of little value; humble; poor; as a mean abode; a mean dress.

MEAN, adjective [Latin medium, medius.]

1. Middle; at an equal distance from the extremes; as the means distance; the mean proportion between quantities; the mean ratio.

According to the fittest style of lofty, mean or lowly.

2. Intervening; intermediate; coming between; as in the mean time or while.

MEAN, noun The middle point or place; the middle rate or degree; mediocrity; medium. Observe the golden mean

There is a mean in all things.

But no authority of gods or men

Allow of any mean in poesy.

1. Intervening time; interval of time; interim; meantime.

And in the mean vouchsafe her honorable tomb.

Here is an omission of time or while.

2. Measure; regulation. [Not in use.]

3. Instrument; that which is used to effect an object; the medium through which something is done.

The virtuous conversation of christians was a mean to work the conversion of the heathen to Christ.

In this sense, means, in the plural, is generally used, and often with a definitive and verb in the singular.

By this means he had them more at vantage.

A good character, when established, should not be rested on as an end, but employed as a means of doing good.

4. Means, in the plural, income, revenue, resources, substance or estate, considered as the instrument of effecting any purpose. He would have built a house, but he wanted means.

Your means are slender.

5. Instrument of action or performance.

By all means, without fail. Go, by all means.

By no means, not at all; certainly not; not in any degree.

The wine on this side of the lake is by no means so good as that on the other.

By no manner of means, by no means; not the least.

By any means, possibly; at all.

If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. Philippians 3:11.

MEANtime

MEANwhile, in the intervening time. [In this use of these words there is an omission of in or in the; in the meantime.]

MEAN, verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive meant; pronounced ment. [Latin mens; Eng.mind; Latin intendo, propono.]

1. To have in the mind, view or contemplation; to intend.

What mean you by this service? Exodus 12:26.

2. To intend; to purpose; to design, with reference to a future act.

Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it for good. Genesis 1:1.

3. To signify; to indicate.

What mean these seven ewe lambs? Genesis 21:29.

What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? 1 Samuel 4:6.

Go ye, and learn what that meaneth-- Matthew 9:13.

MEAN, verb intransitive To have thought or ideas; or to have meaning.