5 definitions found From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: May \May\ (m[=a]), v. [imp. {Might} (m[imac]t)] [AS. pres. maeg I am able, pret. meahte, mihte; akin to D. mogen, G. m["o]gen, OHG. mugan, magan, Icel. mega, Goth. magan, Russ. moche. [root]103. Cf. {Dismay}, {Main} strength, {Might}. The old imp. mought is obsolete, except as a provincial word.] An auxiliary verb qualifying the meaning of another verb, by expressing: (a) Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener expressed by {can}. [1913 Webster] How may a man, said he, with idle speech, Be won to spoil the castle of his health! --Spenser. [1913 Webster] For what he [the king] may do is of two kinds; what he may do as just, and what he may do as possible. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] For of all sad words of tongue or pen The saddest are these: "It might have been." --Whittier. [1913 Webster] (b) Liberty; permission; allowance. [1913 Webster] Thou mayst be no longer steward. --Luke xvi. 2. [1913 Webster] (c) Contingency or liability; possibility or probability. [1913 Webster] Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance Some general maxims, or be right by chance. --Pope. [1913 Webster] (d) Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to soften a question or remark. [1913 Webster] How old may Phillis be, you ask. --Prior. [1913 Webster] (e) Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation, benediction, and the like. "May you live happily." --Dryden. [1913 Webster] {May be}, & {It may be}, are used as equivalent to {possibly}, {perhaps}, {maybe}, {by chance}, {peradventure}. See 1st {Maybe}. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Maybe \May"be\, adv. [For it may be.] Perhaps; possibly; peradventure. [1913 Webster] Maybe the amorous count solicits her. --Shak. [1913 Webster] In a liberal and, maybe, somewhat reckless way. --Tylor. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Maybe \May"be\, a. Possible; probable, but not sure. [R.] [1913 Webster] Then add those maybe years thou hast to live. --Driden. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Maybe \May"be\, n. Possibility; uncertainty. [R.] [1913 Webster] What they offer is mere maybe and shift. --Creech. [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]: maybe adv : by chance; "perhaps she will call tomorrow"; "we may possibly run into them at the concert"; "it may peradventure be thought that there never was such a time" [syn: {possibly}, {perchance}, {perhaps}, {mayhap}, {peradventure}]
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