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v. meant (mĕnt), mean·ing, means v.tr. 1. a. To be used to convey; denote: "'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things'" (Lewis Carroll). b. To act as a symbol of; signify or represent: In this poem, the budding flower means youth. 2. To intend to convey or indicate: "No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous" (Henry Adams). 3. To have as a purpose or an intention; intend: I meant to go running this morning, but I overslept. 4. To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end: a building that was meant for storage; a student who was meant to be a scientist. 5. To have as a consequence; bring about: Friction means heat. 6. To have the importance or value of: The opinions of the critics meant nothing to him. She meant so much to me. v.intr. Idiom: To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed: They mean well but lack tact. mean business Informal To be in earnest. [Middle English menen, from Old English mǣnan, to tell of; see mei-no- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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