Part 6898

<sd>(d)</sd> <cd>Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to soften a question or remark.</cd>

<blockquote>How old <b>may</b> Phillis be, you ask. <i>Prior.</i></blockquote>

<sd>(e)</sd> <cd>Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation, benediction, and the like.</cd> "<i>May</i> you live happily."

<i>Dryden.</i>

<cs><mcol><col>May be</col>, &and; <col>It may be</col></mcol>, <cd>are used as equivalent to <i>possibly<i>, <i>perhaps<i>, <i>by chance<i>, <i>peradventure<i>. See 1st <er>Maybe</er>.</cd></cs>

<h1>May</h1> <Xpage=904>

<hw>May</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. Icel. <ets>m\'91r</ets>, Goth. <ets>mawi</ets>; akin to E. <ets>maiden</ets>. <?/.]</ety> <def>A maiden.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<h1>May</h1> <Xpage=904>

<hw>May</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>Mai</ets>, L. <ets>Maius</ets>; so named in honor of the goddess <ets>Maia</ets> (Gr. <?/), daughter of Atlas and mother of Mercury by Jupiter.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The fifth month of the year, containing thirty-one days.</def>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The early part or springtime of life.</def>

<blockquote>His <b>May</b> of youth, and bloom of lustihood. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>The flowers of the hawthorn; -- so called from their time of blossoming; also, the hawthorn.</def>

<blockquote>The palm and <b>may</b> make country houses gay. <i>Nash.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Plumes that micked the <b>may</b>. <i>Tennyson.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>The merrymaking of May Day.</def>

<i>Tennyson.</i>

<cs><col>Italian may</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>a shrubby species of <spn>Spir\'91a</spn> (<spn>S. hypericifolia</spn>) with many clusters of small white flowers along the slender branches.</cd> -- <col>May apple</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>the fruit of an American plant (<spn>Podophyllum peltatum</spn>). Also, the plant itself (popularly called <altname>mandrake</altname>), which has two lobed leaves, and bears a single egg-shaped fruit at the forking. The root and leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic.</cd> -- <mcol><col>May beetle</col>, <col>May bug</col></mcol> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>any one of numerous species of large lamellicorn beetles that appear in the winged state in May. They belong to <spn>Melolontha</spn>, and allied genera. Called also <altname>June beetle</altname>.</cd> -- <col>May Day</col>, <cd>the first day of May; -- celebrated in the rustic parts of England by the crowning of a May queen with a garland, and by dancing about a May pole.</cd> -- <col>May dew</col>, <cd>the morning dew of the first day of May, to which magical properties were attributed.</cd> -- <col>May flower</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>a plant that flowers in May; also, its blossom. See <er>Mayflower</er>, in the vocabulary.</cd> -- <col>May fly</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>any species of <spn>Ephemera</spn>, and allied genera; -- so called because the mature flies of many species appear in May. See <cref>Ephemeral fly</cref>, under <er>Ephemeral</er>.</cd> -- <col>May game</col>, <cd>any May-day sport.</cd> -- <col>May lady</col>, <cd>the queen or lady of May, in old May games.</cd> -- <col>May lily</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>the lily of the valley (<spn>Convallaria majalis</spn>).</cd> -- <col>May pole</col>. <cd>See <er>Maypole</er> in the Vocabulary.</cd> -- <col>May queen</col>, <cd>a girl or young woman crowned queen in the sports of May Day.</cd> -- <col>May thorn</col>, <cd>the hawthorn.</cd></cs>

<h1>Maya</h1> <Xpage=904>

<hw>Ma"ya</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Hindoo Philos.)</fld> <def>The name for the doctrine of the unreality of matter, called, in English, <i>idealism</i>; hence, nothingness; vanity; illusion.</def>

<h1>Maybe</h1> <Xpage=904>

<hw>May"be</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>adv.</tt> <ety>[For <ets>it may be</ets>.]</ety> <def>Perhaps; possibly; peradventure.</def>

<blockquote><b>Maybe</b> the amorous count solicits her. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>In a liberal and, <b>maybe</b>, somewhat reckless way. <i>Tylor.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Maybe</h1> <Xpage=904>

<hw>May"be</hw>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Possible; probable, but not sure.</def> <mark>[R.]</mark>

<blockquote>Then add those <b>maybe</b> years thou hast to live. <i>Driden.</i></blockquote>