■ noun
1》 the faculty of consciousness and thought.
2》 a person's ability to think and reason; the intellect.
↘a person's memory.
↘a person identified with their intellectual faculties: he was one of the greatest ~s of his time.
3》 a person's attention.
↘a person's will or determination.
■ verb
1》 be distressed or annoyed by.
↘object to.
2》 feel concern about: never ~ the opinion polls.
3》 remember or take care to do something: ~ you look after the children.
↘give attention to; watch out for: ~ your head!
↘ N. Amer. & Irish be obedient to.
4》 take care of temporarily.
5》 ( be ~ed ) be inclined to do a particular thing.
6》 (also ~ you ) introducing a qualification to a previous statement: ~ you, he didn't seem bothered.
Phrases
be in (or N. Amer. of ) two ~s be unable to decide between alternatives.
be of one (or a different ) ~ share the same (or hold a different) opinion.
give someone a piece of one's ~ informal rebuke someone.
have a (or a good or half a ) ~ to do something be inclined to do something.
have someone/thing in ~
1》 be thinking of someone or something.
2》 intend to do something.
in one's ~'s eye in one's imagination.
~ over matter the use of willpower to overcome physical problems.
~ one's own business refrain from prying or interfering.
~ one's Ps & Qs be careful to be polite and avoid giving offence. [said by some to refer to the care a young pupil must pay in differentiating the tailed letters p and q .]
never ~
1》 do not or let us not be concerned or distressed.
2》 (also never you ~ ) used in refusing to answer a question: never ~ where I'm going.
3》 let alone: he found it hard to think, never ~ talk.
out of one's ~ having lost control of one's mental faculties.
put one in ~ of re~ one of.
to my ~ in my opinion.
Origin
OE gemynd 'memory, thought', of Gmc origin; related to L. mens '~'.