n. The adjutant of a regiment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Bengalese, a worshiping assembly. ] A modern reforming theistic sect among the Hindus. [ Written also Brama-samaj. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

def>. 1. The chief or first drummer of a regiment; an instructor of drummers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The marching leader of a military band. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A noisy gathering. [ R. ] See under Drum, n., 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ F., fr. état state + L. major greater. ] (Mil.) The staff of an army, including all officers above the rank of colonel, also, all adjutants, inspectors, quartermasters, commissaries, engineers, ordnance officers, paymasters, physicians, signal officers, judge advocates; also, the noncommissioned assistants of the above officers.

pos>n. [ F. lese-majesté, fr. L. laesus, fem. laesa, injured (see Lesion) + majestas majesty; that is, crimen laesae majestatis. ] [ Written also lèse majesty. ] 1. (Law) Any crime committed against the sovereign power, or against a ruler. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any affront to the dignity of an eminent or respected person. [ PJC ]

3. An attack against an institution or custom revered by the majority in a society. [ PJC ]

n. See Leze majesty. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A shrubby tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus) widely distributed along tropical shores, which yields a light tough wood used for canoe outriggers and a fiber used for cordage and caulk; it is often cultivated for ornament.
Syn. -- mahoe, mahagua, balibago, purau, Hibiscus tiliaceus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. An erect forest tree (Hibiscus elatus) of Cuba and Jamaica having variably hairy leaves and orange-yellow or orange-red flowers; it yields a moderately dense timber for cabinetwork and gunstocks.
Syn. -- Cuban bast, blue mahoe, mahoe, mahagua, Hibiscus elatus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ species name. ] A large European spider crab.
Syn. -- European spider crab, king crab, Maja squinado. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } a. Majestic. [ Obs. ] E. Pocock. Dr. J. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Majesty. ] Possessing or exhibiting majesty; of august dignity, stateliness, or imposing grandeur; lofty; noble; grand. “The majestic world.” Shak. “Tethys' grave majestic pace.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The least portions must be of the epic kind; all must be grave, majestic, and sublime. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- August; splendid; grand; sublime; magnificent; imperial; regal; pompous; stately; lofty; dignified; elevated. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Majestic. Cowley. [ 1913 Webster ]

An older architecture, greater, cunninger, more majestical. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Ma*jes"tic*al*ly, adv. -- Ma*jes"tic*al*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being majestic. Oldenburg. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Majesties [ OE. magestee, F. majesté, L. majestas, fr. an old compar. of magnus great. See Major, Master. ] The dignity and authority of sovereign power; quality or state which inspires awe or reverence; grandeur; exalted dignity, whether proceeding from rank, character, or bearing; imposing loftiness; stateliness; -- usually applied to the rank and dignity of sovereigns. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord reigneth; he is clothed with majesty. Ps. xciii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

No sovereign has ever represented the majesty of a great state with more dignity and grace. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, used with the possessive pronoun, the title of an emperor, king or queen; -- in this sense taking a plural; as, their majesties attended the concert. [ 1913 Webster ]

In all the public writs which he [ Emperor Charles V. ] now issued as King of Spain, he assumed the title of Majesty, and required it from his subjects as a mark of respect. Before that time all the monarchs of Europe were satisfied with the appellation of Highness or Grace. Robertson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Dignity; elevation of manner or style. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A natural family comprising the spider crabs.
Syn. -- family Majidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ It. ] A kind of pottery, with opaque glazing and showy decoration, which reached its greatest perfection in Italy in the 16th century. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term is said to be derived from Majorca, which was an early seat of this manufacture. Heyse. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ L. major, compar. of magnus great: cf. F. majeur. Cf. Master, Mayor, Magnitude, More, a. ] 1. Greater in number, quantity, or extent; as, the major part of the assembly; the major part of the revenue; the major part of the territory. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of greater dignity; more important. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of full legal age; adult. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) Greater by a semitone, either in interval or in difference of pitch from another tone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Major key (Mus.), a key in which one and two, two and three, four and five, five and six and seven, make major seconds, and three and four, and seven and eight, make minor seconds. --
Major offense (Law), an offense of a greater degree which contains a lesser offense, as murder and robbery include assault. --
Major scale (Mus.), the natural diatonic scale, which has semitones between the third and fourth, and seventh and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees; the scale of the major mode, of which the third is major. See Scale, and Diatonic. --
Major second (Mus.), a second between whose tones is a difference in pitch of a step. --
Major sixth (Mus.), a sixth of four steps and a half step. In major keys the third and sixth from the key tone are major. Major keys and intervals, as distinguished from minors, are more cheerful. --
Major third (Mus.), a third of two steps. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. major. See Major, a. ] 1. (Mil.) An officer next in rank above a captain and next below a lieutenant colonel; the lowest field officer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) A person of full age. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Logic) That premise which contains the major term. It its the first proposition of a regular syllogism; as: No unholy person is qualified for happiness in heaven [ the major ]. Every man in his natural state is unholy [ minor ]. Therefore, no man in his natural state is qualified for happiness in heaven [ conclusion or inference ]. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In hypothetical syllogisms, the hypothetical premise is called the major. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. [ LL. See Major. ] A mayor. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A small genus of herbs usually included in the genus Origanum.
Syn. -- genus Majorana. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ F. majorat, LL. majoratus. See Major, a., and cf. Majorate. ] 1. The right of succession to property according to age; -- so termed in some of the countries of continental Europe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (French Law) Property, landed or funded, so attached to a title of honor as to descend with it. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office or rank of a major. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ LL. majorare to augment. See Major, a. ] To augment; to increase. [ Obs. ] Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Increase; enlargement. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Geom.), The greater axis of a geometrical figure. Especially: the longest axis of an ellipse or ellipsoid, which passes through the two foci. See Focus, n., 2. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

prop. a. Of or pertaining to Majorca. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Majorca. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mus.), The natural diatonic scale, which has semitones between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth notes, and whole tones between the other notes; the scale of the major mode, of which the third is major; also called major scale. See Scale, and Diatonic. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Sp. mayordomo, or It. maggiordomo; both fr. LL. majordomus; L. major greater + domus house. ] A man who has authority to act, within certain limits, as master of the house; a steward; also, a chief minister or officer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Grammar) Any of the parts of speech of traditional grammar. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

An officer of the army holding a rank next above that of brigadier general and next below that of lieutenant general, and who usually commands a division or a corps. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Majorities [ F. majorité. See Major. ] 1. The quality or condition of being major or greater; superiority. Specifically: (a) The military rank of a major. (b) The condition of being of full age, or authorized by law to manage one's own affairs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The greater number; more than half; as, a majority of mankind; a majority of the votes cast. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. [ Cf. L. majores. ] Ancestors; ancestry. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

To go over to the majority or
To join the majority, to die. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Politics) The leader of the majority party in a legislature. Compare minority leader. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The rule or doctrine that the numerical majority{ 2 } of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group; as, our club makes decisions by majority rule.. Contrasted with unanimous consent, or decision by a decree of a single person or small committee forming part of an organization. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Sports) The most important league{ 2 } in any sport (especially baseball); contrasted with minor league. Its teams are more competent, its members are paid more, and its games attract more interest and publicity, than those of a minor league. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to a major league; as, major-league football rules. [ PJC ]

2. Among the best or most important of its class; as, a major-league computer manufacturer. [ PJC ]

n. A member of a major-league baseball team. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A sports team that plays in a major league. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A nation powerful enough to influence events throughout the world.
Syn. -- world power, great power, power. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Logic), That premise of a syllogism that contains the major term (which is the predicate of the conclusion). Contrasted to minor premise. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. pl. The teams in the major leagues.
Syn. -- major leagues, big leagues. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The office of major. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bridge) A suit of playing cards which has higher scoring value; specifically, either spades or hearts. Contrasted with a minor suit, being either diamonds or clubs. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Logic), That term of a syllogism which forms the predicate of the conclusion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Madjoun. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ L., fem. pl. fr. majusculus somewhat greater or great, dim. of major, majus. See Major. ] (Palaeography) Capital letters, as found in manuscripts of the sixth century and earlier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. majuscule. See Majusculae. ] A capital letter; especially, one used in ancient manuscripts. See Majusculae. [ 1913 Webster ]

Majuscule writing, writing composed wholly of capital letters, especially the style which prevailed in Europe from the third to the sixth century. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ It. See Mezzo; Majolica. ] (Ceramics) Italian pottery of the epoch and general character of majolica, but less brilliantly decorated, esp. such pottery without tin enamel, but painted and glazed. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Jap. rōmajikai, Roman character association. ] An association, including both Japanese and Europeans, having for its object the changing of the Japanese method of writing by substituting Roman letters for Japanese characters. Laso known as Hyojun Romajikai. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

‖n. [ Hind. samāj meeting, assembly, fr. Skr. samāja a community. ] A society or congregation; a church or religious body. [ India ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ } n. A society; a congregation, a worshiping assembly, or church, esp. of the Brahmo-somaj. [ India ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. tierce majeure. ] (Card Playing) See Tierce, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖. [ L. major greater. ] (Law) A superior force which under certain circumstances is held to exempt from contract obligations; inevitable accident; -- a civil-law term used as nearly equivalent to, but broader than, the common-law term act of God (which see). [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]