~ 1
■ adjective chief in size or importance.
■ noun
1》 a principal pipe carrying water or gas or a cable carrying electricity.
↘( the ~s ) Brit. the source of public water, gas, or electricity supply through pipes or cables.
2》 ( the ~ ) archaic or literary the open ocean.
3》 Nautical short for ~sail or ~mast .
Phrases
by ~ force through sheer strength.
in the ~ on the whole.
Origin
ME: from OE mægen 'physical force', reinforced by ON meginn , megn 'strong, powerful', both from a Gmc base meaning 'have power'.
————————
~ 2
■ noun
1》 (in the game of hazard) a number (5, 6, 7, 8, or 9) called by a player before dice are thrown.
2》 historical a match between fighting cocks.
Origin
C16: prob. from the phr. ~ chance .