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may meaning

EN[meɪ]
US
WMay
  • May (/meɪ/ may) is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seve
  • May is a month of Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • Additionally, in years immediately before common years,
may
  • NounPLmays
    1. The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.
    2. VerbSGmaysPR-PRmayingPT, PPmayedPTmightPP-
      1. OBS VI To be strong; to have power (over).
        1. OBS VA To be able; can.
          1. VI (poetic) To be able to go.
            1. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.
              1. you may smoke outside;  may I sit there? ‎
            2. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly.
              1. he may be lying;  Schrödinger's cat may or may not be in the box ‎
            3. (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect).
              1. may you win;  may the weather be sunny ‎
            4. Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark.
              1. To gather may.
              2. More Examples
                1. Used in the Middle of Sentence
                  • (1900) The sphinxèd riddle of the Universe / Nature's unsolved enigma, who may prove?
                  • The application route of the leukemic cells, intravenously or intrafemorally, may support certain leukemic cells in their engraftment in mice.
                  • In a small number of horses, muscle weakness may progress to paralysis. ‎
                2. Used in the Beginning of Sentence
                  • Might this then be a bellwether tale about the rumored dire effects of overabsorption in new media?
                  • May the divine Savitri, the well-handed, well-fingered, and well-armed, clear thee by his might!'
                  • May the souls of the recently departed rest in peace.
                3. Used in the Ending of Sentence
                  • This year, I'll be going to Stratford on holiday. I heard it's lovely in May.
                  • Now (sayd the Lady) draweth toward night, And well I wote, that of your later fight Ye all forwearied be: for what so strong, 285 But wanting rest will also want of might?
                  • There's a storm coming, so I grit my teeth and start rowing with all my might.

              Meaning of may for the defined word.

              Grammatically, this word "may" is a noun, more specifically, a countable noun. It's also a verb, more specifically, an auxiliary verb, a defective verb, an intransitive verb and a verbs by inflection type.
              • Part-of-Speech Hierarchy
                1. Nouns
                  • Countable nouns
                  • Verbs
                    • Auxiliary verbs
                      • Modal verbs
                      • Defective verbs
                        • Intransitive verbs
                          • Verbs by inflection type
                            • Irregular verbs
                              • Defective verbs
                        Difficultness: Level 1
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                        Easy     ➨     Difficult
                        Definiteness: Level 9
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                        Definite    ➨     Versatile
                        Related Links:
                        1. en maybe
                        2. en mayor
                        3. en mayn't
                        4. fr maya
                        5. en mayonnaise
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