8 letter word starting with ma

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Words Parts of Speech Meaning/Definition/Similar Words
macarize verb t. To congratulate.
macaroni noun Long slender tubes made of a paste chiefly of wheat flour, and used as an article of food; Italian or Genoese paste., A medley; something droll or extravagant., A sort of droll or fool., A finical person; a fop; — applied especially to English fops of about 1775., The designation of a body of Maryland soldiers in the Revolutionary War, distinguished by a rich uniform.
macaroon noun A small cake, composed chiefly of the white of eggs, almonds, and sugar., A finical fellow, or macaroni.
macavahu noun A small Brazilian monkey (Callithrix torquatus), — called also collared teetee.
maccaboy noun Alt. of Maccoboy
maccoboy noun A kind of snuff.
macerate verb t. To make lean; to cause to waste away., To subdue the appetites of by poor and scanty diet; to mortify., To soften by steeping in a liquid, with or without heat; to wear away or separate the parts of by steeping; as, to macerate animal or vegetable fiber.
machinal adjective Of or pertaining to machines.
machined imp. & past participle of Machine
machiner noun One who or operates a machine; a machinist.
macilent adjective Lean; thin.
mackerel noun A pimp; also, a bawd., Any species of the genus Scomber, and of several related genera. They are finely formed and very active oceanic fishes. Most of them are highly prized for food.
mackinaw A thick blanket formerly in common use in the western part of the United States.
maclurea noun A genus of spiral gastropod shells, often of large size, characteristic of the lower Silurian rocks.
maclurin noun See Morintannic.
macropod noun Any one of a group of maioid crabs remarkable for the length of their legs; — called also spider crab.
macropus noun genus of marsupials including the common kangaroo.
macroura adjective Alt. of Macroural
macrural adjective Same as Macrurous.
macruran noun One of the Macrura.
maculate verb To spot; to stain; to blur., Marked with spots or maculae; blotched; hence, defiled; impure; as, most maculate thoughts.
maculose adjective Of or pertaining to spots upon a surface; spotted; maculate.
madbrain adjective Hot-headed; rash., A rash or hot-headed person.
maddened imp. & past participle of Madden
madecass noun Alt. of Madecassee
madefied imp. & past participle of Madefy
madhouse noun A house where insane persons are confined; an insane asylum; a bedlam.
madrague noun A large fish pound used for the capture of the tunny in the Mediterranean; also applied to the seines used for the same purpose.
madrigal noun A little amorous poem, sometimes called a pastoral poem, containing some tender and delicate, though simple, thought., An unaccompanied polyphonic song, in four, five, or more parts, set to secular words, but full of counterpoint and imitation, and adhering to the old church modes. Unlike the freer glee, it is best sung with several voices on a part. See Glee.
maegbote noun Alt. of Magbote
maestoso adjective & adverb Majestic or majestically; — a direction to perform a passage or piece of music in a dignified manner.
magazine noun A receptacle in which anything is stored, especially military stores, as ammunition, arms, provisions, etc., The building or room in which the supply of powder is kept in a fortification or a ship., A chamber in a gun for holding a number of cartridges to be fed automatically to the piece., A pamphlet published periodically containing miscellaneous papers or compositions., To store in, or as in, a magazine; to store up for use.
magdalen noun A reformed prostitute.
maggiore adjective Greater, in respect to scales, intervals, etc., when used in opposition to minor; major.
magician noun One skilled in magic; one who practices the black art; an enchanter; a necromancer; a sorcerer or sorceress; a conjurer.
magister noun Master; sir; — a title of the Middle Ages, given to a person in authority, or to one having a license from a university to teach philosophy and the liberal arts.
magnesia noun A light earthy white substance, consisting of magnesium oxide, and obtained by heating magnesium hydrate or carbonate, or by burning magnesium. It has a slightly alkaline reaction, and is used in medicine as a mild antacid laxative. See Magnesium.
magnesic adjective Pertaining to, or containing, magnesium; as, magnesic oxide.
magnetic adjective Alt. of Magnetical, A magnet., Any metal, as iron, nickel, cobalt, etc., which may receive, by any means, the properties of the loadstone, and which then, when suspended, fixes itself in the direction of a magnetic meridian.
magneto- A prefix meaning pertaining to, produced by, or in some way connected with, magnetism.
magnific adjective Alt. of Magnifical
magnolia noun A genus of American and Asiatic trees, with aromatic bark and large sweet-scented whitish or reddish flowers.
maharmah noun A muslin wrapper for the head and the lower part of the face, worn by Turkish and Armenian women when they go abroad.
mahogany noun A large tree of the genus Swietenia (S. Mahogoni), found in tropical America., The wood of the Swietenia Mahogoni. It is of a reddish brown color, beautifully veined, very hard, and susceptible of a fine polish. It is used in the manufacture of furniture., A table made of mahogany wood.
mahoohoo noun The African white two-horned rhinoceros (Atelodus simus).
mahratta noun One of a numerous people inhabiting the southwestern part of India. Also, the language of the Mahrattas; Mahrati. It is closely allied to Sanskrit., Of or pertaining to the Mahrattas.
maidenly adjective Like a maid; suiting a maid; maiden-like; gentle, modest, reserved., In a maidenlike manner.
maidhood noun Maidenhood.
maidpale adjective Pale, like a sick girl.
maieutic adjective Alt. of Maieutical
mailable adjective Admissible lawfully into the mail.
mailclad adjective Protected by a coat of mail; clad in armor.
maimedly adverb In a maimed manner.
mainland noun The continent; the principal land; — opposed to island, or peninsula.
mainmast noun The principal mast in a ship or other vessel.
mainsail noun The principal sail in a ship or other vessel.
mainstay noun The stay extending from the foot of the foremast to the maintop., Main support; principal dependence.
maintain verb t. To hold or keep in any particular state or condition; to support; to sustain; to uphold; to keep up; not to suffer to fail or decline; as, to maintain a certain degree of heat in a furnace; to maintain a fence or a railroad; to maintain the digestive process or powers of the stomach; to maintain the fertility of soil; to maintain present reputation., To keep possession of; to hold and defend; not to surrender or relinquish., To continue; not to suffer to cease or fail., To bear the expense of; to support; to keep up; to supply with what is needed., To affirm; to support or defend by argument.
maistrie noun Alt. of Maistry
majestic adjective Possessing or exhibiting majesty; of august dignity, stateliness, or imposing grandeur; lofty; noble; grand.
majolica noun A kind of pottery, with opaque glazing and showy, which reached its greatest perfection in Italy in the 16th century.
majorate noun The office or rank of a major., To augment; to increase.
majorcan adjective Of or pertaining to Majorca., A native or inhabitant of Majorca.
majority noun The quality or condition of being major or greater; superiority., The military rank of a major., The condition of being of full age, or authorized by law to manage one’s own affairs., The greater number; more than half; as, a majority of mankind; a majority of the votes cast., Ancestors; ancestry., The amount or number by which one aggregate exceeds all other aggregates with which it is contrasted; especially, the number by which the votes for a successful candidate exceed those for all other candidates; as, he is elected by a majority of five hundred votes. See Plurality.
makebate noun One who excites contentions and quarrels.
makeless adjective Matchless., Without a mate.
maladies plural of Malady
malagash noun Same as Malagasy.
malagasy noun sing. & pl. A native or natives of Madagascar; also (sing.), the language.
malamate noun A salt of malamic acid.
malamide noun The acid amide derived from malic acid, as a white crystalline substance metameric with asparagine.
malapert adjective Bold; forward; impudent; saucy; pert., A malapert person.
malarial adjective Alt. of Malarious
malarian adjective Alt. of Malarious
malaxate verb t. To soften by kneading or stirring with some thinner substance.
maledict adjective Accursed; abominable.
malefice noun An evil deed; artifice; enchantment.
maligned imp. & past participle of Malign
maligner noun One who maligns.
malignly adverb In a malign manner; with malignity.
malinger verb i. To act the part of a malingerer; to feign illness or inability.
malleate verb t. To hammer; to beat into a plate or leaf.
mallecho noun Same as Malicho.
malleoli plural of Malleolus
mallotus noun A genus of small Arctic fishes. One American species, the capelin (Mallotus villosus), is extensively used as bait for cod.
malonate adjective At salt of malonic acid.
maltonic adjective Of, pertaining to, or derived from, maltose; specif., designating an acid called also gluconic or dextronic acid. See Gluconic.
maltreat verb t. To treat ill; to abuse; to treat roughly.
maltster noun A maltman.
maltworm noun A tippler.
malvesie noun Malmsey wine. See Malmsey.
mamaluke noun Same as Mameluke.
mameluco noun A child born of a white father and Indian mother.
mameluke noun One of a body of mounted soldiers recruited from slaves converted to Mohammedanism, who, during several centuries, had more or less control of the government of Egypt, until exterminated or dispersed by Mehemet Ali in 1811.
mammalia noun pl. The highest class of Vertebrata. The young are nourished for a time by milk, or an analogous fluid, secreted by the mammary glands of the mother.
mammetry noun See Mawmetry.
mammifer noun A mammal. See Mammalia.
mammilae plural of Mammilla
mammilla noun The nipple.
mammodis noun Coarse plain India muslins.
manacled imp. & past participle of Manacle
managing present participle & vb. noun of Manage
managery noun Management; manner of using; conduct; direction., Husbandry; economy; frugality.
manation noun The act of issuing or flowing out.
manciple noun A steward; a purveyor, particularly of a college or Inn of Court.
mandamus noun A writ issued by a superior court and directed to some inferior tribunal, or to some corporation or person exercising authority, commanding the performance of some specified duty.
mandarin noun A Chinese public officer or nobleman; a civil or military official in China and Annam., A small orange, with easily separable rind. It is thought to be of Chinese origin, and is counted a distinct species (Citrus nobilis)mandarin orange; tangerine –.
mandator noun A director; one who gives a mandate or order., The person who employs another to perform a mandate.
mandelic adjective Pertaining to an acid first obtained from benzoic aldehyde (oil of better almonds), as a white crystalline substance; — called also phenyl glycolic acid.
manderil noun A mandrel.
mandible noun The bone, or principal bone, of the lower jaw; the inferior maxilla; — also applied to either the upper or the lower jaw in the beak of birds., The anterior pair of mouth organs of insects, crustaceaus, and related animals, whether adapted for biting or not. See Illust. of Diptera.
mandioca noun See Manioc.
mandment noun Commandment.
mandolin noun Alt. of Mandoline
mandrake noun A low plant (Mandragora officinarum) of the Nightshade family, having a fleshy root, often forked, and supposed to resemble a man. It was therefore supposed to have animal life, and to cry out when pulled up. All parts of the plant are strongly narcotic. It is found in the Mediterranean region., The May apple (Podophyllum peltatum). See May apple under May, and Podophyllum.
mandrill noun a large West African baboon (Cynocephalus, / Papio, mormon). The adult male has, on the sides of the nose, large, naked, grooved swellings, conspicuously striped with blue and red.
manducus noun A grotesque mask, representing a person chewing or grimacing, worn in processions and by comic actors on the stage.
maneless adjective Having no mane.
manequin noun An artist’s model of wood or other material.
manerial adjective See Manorial.
maneuver noun Alt. of Manoeuvre, Alt. of Manoeuvre, Alt. of Manoeuvre
mamgabey noun Any one of several African monkeys of the genus Cercocebus, as the sooty mangabey (C. fuliginosus), which is sooty black.
manganic adjective Of, pertaining to resembling, or containing, manganese; specif., designating compounds in which manganese has a higher valence as contrasted with manganous compounds. Cf. Manganous.
mangcorn noun A mixture of wheat and rye, or other species of grain.
mangling present participle & vb. noun of Mangle
mangonel noun A military engine formerly used for throwing stones and javelins.
mangrove noun The name of one or two trees of the genus Rhizophora (R. Mangle, and R. mucronata, the last doubtfully distinct) inhabiting muddy shores of tropical regions, where they spread by emitting aerial roots, which fasten in the saline mire and eventually become new stems. The seeds also send down a strong root while yet attached to the parent plant., The mango fish.
manhaden noun See Menhaden.
maniable adjective Manageable.
maniacal adjective Affected with, or characterized by, madness; maniac.
manicate adjective Covered with hairs or pubescence so platted together and interwoven as to form a mass easily removed.
manichee noun A believer in the doctrines of Manes, a Persian of the third century A. D., who taught a dualism in which Light is regarded as the source of Good, and Darkness as the source of Evil.
manicure noun A person who makes a business of taking care of people’s hands, especially their nails.
manifest adjective Evident to the senses, esp. to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived; hence, obvious to the understanding; apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible; plain; not obscure or hidden., Detected; convicted; — with of., A public declaration; an open statement; a manifesto. See Manifesto., A list or invoice of a ship’s cargo, containing a description by marks, numbers, etc., of each package of goods, to be exhibited at the customhouse., To show plainly; to make to appear distinctly, — usually to the mind; to put beyond question or doubt; to display; to exhibit., To exhibit the manifests or prepared invoices of; to declare at the customhouse.
manifold adjective Various in kind or quality; many in number; numerous; multiplied; complicated., Exhibited at divers times or in various ways; — used to qualify nouns in the singular number., A copy of a writing made by the manifold process., A cylindrical pipe fitting, having a number of lateral outlets, for connecting one pipe with several others., The third stomach of a ruminant animal., To take copies of by the process of manifold writing; as, to manifold a letter.
maniform adjective Shaped like the hand.
mannered adjective Having a certain way, esp. a polite way, of carrying and conducting one’s self., Affected with mannerism; marked by excess of some characteristic peculiarity.
mannerly adjective Showing good manners; civil; respectful; complaisant., With good manners.
mannitan noun A white amorphous or crystalline substance obtained by the partial dehydration of mannite.
mannitic adjective Of, pertaining to, resembling, or derived from, mannite.
mannitol noun The technical name of mannite. See Mannite.
manofwar n A government vessel employed for the purposes of war, esp. one of large size; a ship of war.
manorial adjective Of or pertaining to a manor.
manovery noun A contrivance or maneuvering to catch game illegally.
mansuete adjective Tame; gentle; kind.
manswear verb i. To swear falsely. Same as Mainswear.
mantchoo adjective & noun Same as Manchu.
manteaux plural of Manteau
manteaus plural of Manteau
mantelet noun A short cloak formerly worn by knights., A short cloak or mantle worn by women., A musket-proof shield of rope, wood, or metal, which is sometimes used for the protection of sappers or riflemen while attacking a fortress, or of gunners at embrasures; — now commonly written mantlet.
mantilla noun A lady’s light cloak of cape of silk, velvet, lace, or the like., A kind of veil, covering the head and falling down upon the shoulders; — worn in Spain, Mexico, etc.
mantissa noun The decimal part of a logarithm, as distinguished from the integral part, or characteristic.
mantling present participle & vb. noun of Mantle, The representation of a mantle, or the drapery behind and around a coat of arms: — called also lambrequin.
manually adverb By hand.
manubial adjective Belonging to spoils; taken in war.
manubria plural of Manubrium
manucode noun Any bird of the genus Manucodia, of Australia and New Guinea. They are related to the bird of paradise.
manumise verb t. To manumit.
manurage noun Cultivation.
manuring present participle & vb. noun of Manure, The act of process of applying manure; also, the manure applied.
manurial adjective Relating to manures.
manyways adverb Alt. of Manywise
manywise adverb In many different ways; variously.
marabout noun A Mohammedan saint; especially, one who claims to work cures supernaturally.
marasmus noun A wasting of flesh without fever or apparent disease; a kind of consumption; atrophy; phthisis.
marauded imp. & past participle of Maraud
marauder verb A rover in quest of booty or plunder; a plunderer; one who pillages.
maravedi noun A small copper coin of Spain, equal to three mils American money, less than a farthing sterling. Also, an ancient Spanish gold coin.
marbling present participle & vb. noun of Marble, The art or practice of variegating in color, in imitation of marble., An intermixture of fat and lean in meat, giving it a marbled appearance., Distinct markings resembling the variegations of marble, as on birds and insects.
marching present participle & vb. noun of March, a. & n., fr. March, v.
marchman noun A person living in the marches between England and Scotland or Wales.
margaric adjective Pertaining to, or resembling, pearl; pearly.
margarin noun A fatty substance, extracted from animal fats and certain vegetable oils, formerly supposed to be a definite compound of glycerin and margaric acid, but now known to be simply a mixture or combination of tristearin and teipalmitin.
margined imp. & past participle of Margin, Having a margin., Bordered with a distinct line of color.
marginal adjective Of or pertaining to a margin., Written or printed in the margin; as, a marginal note or gloss.
margrave noun Originally, a lord or keeper of the borders or marches in Germany., The English equivalent of the German title of nobility, markgraf; a marquis.
marigold noun A name for several plants with golden yellow blossoms, especially the Calendula officinalis (see Calendula), and the cultivated species of Tagetes.
marikina noun A small marmoset (Midas rosalia); the silky tamarin.
marinade noun A brine or pickle containing wine and spices, for enriching the flavor of meat and fish.
marinate verb t. To salt or pickle, as fish, and then preserve in oil or vinegar; to prepare by the use of marinade.
maritime adjective Bordering on, or situated near, the ocean; connected with the sea by site, interest, or power; having shipping and commerce or a navy; as, maritime states., Of or pertaining to the ocean; marine; pertaining to navigation and naval affairs, or to shipping and commerce by sea.
marjoram noun A genus of mintlike plants (Origanum) comprising about twenty-five species. The sweet marjoram (O. Majorana) is pecularly aromatic and fragrant, and much used in cookery. The wild marjoram of Europe and America is O. vulgare, far less fragrant than the other.
markable adjective Remarkable.
marketed imp. & past participle of Market
marketer noun One who attends a market to buy or sell; one who carries goods to market.
markhoor noun A large wild goat (Capra megaceros), having huge flattened spiral horns. It inhabits the mountains of Northern India and Cashmere.
marksmen plural of Marksman
marksman noun One skillful to hit a mark with a missile; one who shoots well., One who makes his mark, instead of writing his name, in signing documents.
marlitic adjective Partaking of the qualites of marlite.
marmalet noun See Marmalade.
marmoset noun Any one of numerous species of small South American monkeys of the genera Hapale and Midas, family Hapalidae. They have long soft fur, and a hairy, nonprehensile tail. They are often kept as pets. Called also squirrel monkey.
marmozet noun See Marmoset.
maronite noun One of a body of nominal Christians, who speak the Arabic language, and reside on Mount Lebanon and in different parts of Syria. They take their name from one Maron of the 6th century.
marooned imp. & past participle of Maroon
marquess noun A marquis.
marquise noun The wife of a marquis; a marchioness.
marriage verb t. The act of marrying, or the state of being married; legal union of a man and a woman for life, as husband and wife; wedlock; matrimony., The marriage vow or contract., A feast made on the occasion of a marriage., Any intimate or close union.
marrried adjective Being in the state of matrimony; wedded; as, a married man or woman., Of or pertaining to marriage; connubial; as, the married state.
marrowed imp. & past participle of Marrow
marrying present participle & vb. noun of Marry
marsupia plural of Marsupium
martagon noun A lily (Lilium Martagon) with purplish red flowers, found in Europe and Asia.
mar-text noun A blundering preacher.
martinet noun In military language, a strict disciplinarian; in general, one who lays stress on a rigid adherence to the details of discipline, or to forms and fixed methods., The martin.
martyred imp. & past participle of Martyr
martyrly adverb In the manner of a martyr.
marveled imp. & past participle of Marvel
mary-bud noun The marigold; a blossom of the marigold.
marysole noun A large British fluke, or flounder (Rhombus megastoma); — called also carter, and whiff.
mascotte noun A person who is supposed to bring good luck to the household to which he or she belongs; anything that brings good luck.
masorite noun One of the writers of the Masora.
massacre noun The killing of a considerable number of human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the usages of civilized people; as, the massacre on St. Bartholomew’s Day., Murder., To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the usages of nations; to butcher; to slaughter; — limited to the killing of human beings.
masseter noun The large muscle which raises the under jaw, and assists in mastication.
masseuse noun f. One who performs massage.
massicot noun Lead protoxide, PbO, obtained as a yellow amorphous powder, the fused and crystalline form of which is called litharge; lead ocher. It is used as a pigment.
massoret noun Same as Masorite.
mastered imp. & past participle of Master
masterly adjective Suitable to, or characteristic of, a master; indicating thorough knowledge or superior skill and power; showing a master’s hand; as, a masterly design; a masterly performance; a masterly policy., Imperious; domineering; arbitrary., With the skill of a master.
masthead noun The top or head of a mast; the part of a mast above the hounds., To cause to go to the masthead as a punishment.
masticin noun A white, amorphous, tenacious substance resembling caoutchouc, and obtained as an insoluble residue of mastic.
masticot noun Massicot.
mastiffs plural of Mastiff
mastives plural of Mastiff
mastitis noun Inflammation of the breast.
mastless adjective Bearing no mast; as, a mastless oak or beech., Having no mast; as, a mastless vessel.
mastodon noun An extinct genus of mammals closely allied to the elephant, but having less complex molar teeth, and often a pair of lower, as well as upper, tusks, which are incisor teeth. The species were mostly larger than elephants, and their romains occur in nearly all parts of the world in deposits ranging from Miocene to late Quaternary time.
mastress noun Mistress.
matachin noun An old dance with swords and bucklers; a sword dance.
matadore noun Alt. of Matador
matamata noun The bearded tortoise (Chelys fimbriata) of South American rivers.
matching present participle & vb. noun of Match
mateless adjective Having no mate.
matelote noun A dish of food composed of many kinds of fish.
material adjective Consisting of matter; not spiritual; corporeal; physical; as, material substance or bodies., Hence: Pertaining to, or affecting, the physical nature of man, as distinguished from the mental or moral nature; relating to the bodily wants, interests, and comforts., Of solid or weighty character; not insubstantial; of cinsequence; not be dispensed with; important., Pertaining to the matter, as opposed to the form, of a thing. See Matter., The substance or matter of which anything is made or may be made., To form from matter; to materialize.
materiel noun That in a complex system which constitutes the materials, or instruments employed, in distinction from the personnel, or men; as, the baggage, munitions, provisions, etc., of an army; or the buildings, libraries, and apparatus of a college, in distinction from its officers.
maternal adjective Of or pertaining to a mother; becoming to a mother; motherly; as, maternal love; maternal tenderness.
matfelon noun The knapweed (Centaurea nigra).
mathesis noun Learning; especially, mathematics.
mathurin noun See Trinitarian.
matrices plural of Matrix
matronal adjective Of or pertaining to a matron; suitable to an elderly lady or to a married woman; grave; motherly.
matronly adjective Advanced in years; elderly., Like, or befitting, a matron; grave; sedate.
mattages noun A shrike or butcher bird; — written also matagasse.
mattered imp. & past participle of Matter
mattress noun A quilted bed; a bed stuffed with hair, moss, or other suitable material, and quilted or otherwise fastened., A mass of interwoven brush, poles, etc., to protect a bank from being worn away by currents or waves.
maturant noun A medicine, or application, which promotes suppuration.
maturate adjective To bring to ripeness or maturity; to ripen., To promote the perfect suppuration of (an abscess)., To ripen; to become mature; specif/cally, to suppurate.
maturing present participle & vb. noun of Mature, Approaching maturity; as, maturing fruits; maturing notes of hand.
maturely adverb In a mature manner; with ripeness; completely., With caution; deliberately., Early; soon.
maturity noun The state or quality of being mature; ripeness; full development; as, the maturity of corn or of grass; maturity of judgment; the maturity of a plan., Arrival of the time fixed for payment; a becoming due; termination of the period a note, etc., has to run.
matutine adjective Matutinal.
maundril noun A pick with two prongs, to pry with.
mauveine noun An artificial organic base, obtained by oxidizing a mixture of aniline and toluidine, and valuable for the dyestuffs it forms.
maverick noun In the southwestern part of the united States, a bullock or heifer that has not been branded, and is unclaimed or wild; — said to be from Maverick, the name of a cattle owner in Texas who neglected to brand his cattle.
mawmetry noun The religion of Mohammed; also, idolatry. See Mawmet.
maxillae plural of Maxilla
maxillar adjective Alt. of Maxillary
maximize verb t. To increase to the highest degree.
maybloom noun The hawthorn.
mayoress noun The wife of a mayor.
mazarine adjective Of or pertaining to Cardinal Mazarin, prime minister of France, 1643-1661., Mazarine blue.
mazdeism noun The Zoroastrian religion.
maziness noun The state or quality of being mazy.
mazology noun Same as Mastology.
mazourka noun Alt. of Mazurka