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Maj.
**Mailer, Norman** (1923-) a US writer and JOURNALIST, known for dealing with social and political subjects and for criticizing US society. His books often contain a lot of sex and violence, and many of them are based on real events. They include *The Naked and the Dead* (1948) and *An American Dream*. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for *The Armies of the Night*, and in 1980 for *The Executioner's Song*.
**mail-ing** /'meɪlɪŋ/ *n* **1** [C] something that is sent to people by post, especially to advertise something: *A catalogue and order form are included with this mailing.* | *A mailing had gone out to every school in the country.* **2** [C,U] the process of sending something to people by post: *A very effective mailing of product samples was carried out last year.* | mailing costs
**'mailing list** *n* a list of names and addresses kept by an organization, to which it sends information by mail: *I'll put you on our mailing list, sir.*
**mail-man** /'meɪlmæn/ *n* *pl.* **-men** /men/ *AmE* for POSTMAN
**Mail on 'Sunday, The** *trademark* a British TABLOID newspaper produced every Sunday by the same company that produces *The Daily Mail*
**mail 'order** *n* [U] a method of selling goods in which the buyer chooses them at home, often from a book (CATALOGUE) which lists them, and the goods that have been ordered are sent by post
**mail-shot** /'meɪlʃɒt||-ʃɑːt/ *n* a sending of advertisements or other sorts of information to large numbers of people by post
**maim** /meɪm/ *v* [T] to wound very severely and usually lastingly: *She survived the accident but she was maimed for life and will never walk again.*
**main¹** /meɪn/ *adj* [A *no comp.*] of greater size, importance, or influence than all others; chief: *a busy main road* | *We have our main meal in the evening.* | *Note down the main points of the speech.* | *Soldiers guarded the main gates.* ➔ see also MAINLY
**main²** *n* **1** also mains *pl.* — the chief pipe supplying water or gas, or a chief wire carrying electricity, into a building from outside: *The workman accidentally drilled a hole in the gas main.* | *She turned the water off at the mains.* (=so that the complete supply to the house was cut off) ➔ see also MAINS **2** in the main on the whole; usually; mostly ➔ see also by/with might and main (MIGHT²)
**main 'chance, the** *infml* especially *BrE* the possibility of making money or of other personal gain: *He always had an eye to (=had as his purpose) the main chance.*
**main 'clause** *n* an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
**'main course** *n* the most important dish in a meal: *They served chicken as the main course.*
**main 'drag, the** *n* especially *AmE* *slang* a chief street in a town or city where shops and businesses are found: *Let's take a cruise down the main drag and see what's going on.* | *It's a really small town. The main drag is only a block long.*
**Maine** /meɪn/ *written abbrev.* **ME** a state in the northeast of the US, next to the Atlantic coast and the border with Canada. Maine is the largest state in NEW ENGLAND, and is known for its beautiful forests, mountains, and coast.
**main-frame** /'meɪnfreɪm/ *n* the largest and most powerful type of computer ➔ compare MICROCOMPUTER, MINICOMPUTER, PERSONAL COMPUTER
**main-land, the** /'meɪnlænd, -lənd/ *n* a land mass, considered without its islands: *Ferry services operate between the islands and the mainland.* —**mainland** *adj* [A] *the good road network in mainland Britain*
**'main line** *n* a chief railway line
**main-line** /'meɪnlan/ *v* [I,T] *slang* to put (INJECT) a drug into one of the chief VEINS of the body, either for pleasure or because one is dependent on it, not for medical reasons
**main-ly** /'meɪnli/ *adv* [no *comp.*] in most cases or to a large degree; chiefly: *I don't know what her interests are, because we talk mainly about work when we meet.* | *His money comes mainly from business investments.*
**main-mast** /'meɪnmɑːst, -mɑːst||-mæst, -mæst/ *n* the largest or most important of the MASTS which hold up the sails on a ship
**mains** /meɪnz/ *n* [the+sing./pl. v] especially *BrE* a supply of electricity produced centrally and brought to houses etc, by wires: *Does your radio work off the mains or from a battery?* | a mains radio
**main-sail** /'meɪnsəl, not tech -seɪl/ *n* the chief sail on a ship, usually the one on the mainmast
**main-spring** /'meɪnsprɪŋ/ *n* **1** the chief spring in a watch **2** [ (of) usually sing.] the chief force or reason that makes something happen: *His belief in liberty was the mainspring of his fight against slavery.*
**main-stay** /'meɪnsteɪ/ *n* [ (of) usually sing.] someone or something which provides the chief means of support: *Agriculture is still the mainstay of the country's economy.*
**main-stream¹** /'meɪnstriːm/ *n* [the] the main or most widely accepted way of thinking or acting in relation to a subject: *Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.* —**mainstream** *adj* [A] *mainstream philosophical thinking*
**mainstream²** *v* [T;I] *AmE* to include (a child with learning problems or physical disability) in a class with children developing in the expected way —**ing** *n* [U]
**'Main Street** *n* **1** [C] the most important street in many small towns in the US, which has many shops and businesses on it ➔ compare HIGH STREET **2** [U] *AmE* small US towns in general, used especially when talking about their CONSERVATIVE political and social opinions: *The President's speech wasn't well received on Main Street.* (=among the type of people who live in small towns)
**CULTURAL NOTE** Sinclair LEWIS wrote a novel called *Main Street* about life in a small town in the MIDWEST in which the characters have traditional, conservative beliefs and are unwilling to accept or understand new ideas.
**main-tain** /meɪn'teɪn, mən-/ *v* **1** [T] to continue to have, do etc as before; KEEP up: *He took the lead, and maintained it until the end of the race.* | *I hope you will maintain your recent improvement.* | *Part of her job is to maintain good relations with our suppliers.* **2** [T] to keep (something) in good condition by making repairs to it and taking care of it: *The railway lines have to be constantly maintained.* | *a well-maintained house* **3** [T] to (continue to) argue in favour of or declare to be true; ASSERT: *Throughout the trial he maintained his innocence.* | [+(that)] *Some people still maintain that the Earth is flat.* **4** [T] **a)** to support with money: *He is too poor to maintain his family.* **b)** to keep in existence: *The supplies of food were scarcely enough to maintain life.* **5** [I] *AmE* *infml* to continue in one's present state or course of action —**able** *adj*
**main-te-nance** /'meɪntənəns/ *n* [U] **1** the act of maintaining, especially of keeping something in good condition: *lessons in car maintenance* **2** *BrE* money paid regularly by a DIVORCED person to his or her former partner, to help financially or support their children. The man and woman may agree the amount between themselves, but usually a court decides the amount and orders that it must be paid. Usually the man has to pay the woman, but if she earns more than he does she may have to pay, especially if the children live with their father. If the money is not paid regularly, the court may order the person's employers to take it out of their pay. ➔ compare ALIMONY, CHILD SUPPORT and see also DIVORCE¹
**'maintenance order** *n* *BrE* an order made by a law court that a person shall pay for the support of others, especially a man for his (former) wife and their children
**mai-son-ette** /meɪzə'net/ *n* especially *BrE* a flat, usually on two floors, that is part of a larger house but which has its own door to the outside
**mai-tre d'** /ˌmetrə 'di:ɪlˌmeɪ-/ also **maître d'hô·tel** /ˌmetrə dəu'tellˌmeɪ-/ *n* a person in charge of a restaurant, who tells guests where to sit and waiters what to do etc
**maize** /meɪz/ especially *BrE* || **Indian corn** especially *AmE*, **corn** especially *AmE* & *AustrE* — *n* [U] (the seed of) a type of tall plant grown, especially in America and Australia, for its ears of yellow seeds, food for people and animals ➔ see also SWEET CORN
**Maj.** *written abbrev.* for Major (MAJOR²)