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Bible Dictionaries
Mean
King James Dictionary
MEAN, a. L. communis, vulgus, minor and minuo.
1. Wanting dignity low in rank or birth as a man of mean parentage,mean birth or origin.
2. Wanting dignity of mind low minded base destitute of honor spiritless.
Can you imagine I so mean could prove,
To save my life by changing of my love?
3. Contemptible despicable.
The Roman legions and great Caesar found
Our fathers no mean foes.
4. Of little value low in worth or estimation worthy of little or no regard.
We fast, not to please men, nor to promote any mean worldly interest.
5. Of little value humble poor as a mean abode a mean dress.
MEAN, a. L. medium, medius.
1. Middle at an equal distance from the extremes as the means distance the mean proportion between quantities the mean ratio.
According to the fittest style of lofty, mean, or lowly.
2. Intervening intermediate coming between as in the mean time or while.
MEAN, n. The middle point or place the middle rate or degree mediocrity medium. Observe the golden mean.
There is a mean in all things.
But no authority of gods or men
Allow of any mean in poesy.
1. Intervening time interval of time interim meantime.
And in the mean, vouchsafe her honorable tomb.
Here is an omission of time or while.
2. Measure regulation. Not in use.
3. Instrument that which is used to effect an object the medium through which something is done.
The virtuous conversation of christians was a mean to work the conversion of the heathen to Christ.
In this sense, means, in the plural,is generally used, and often with a definitive and verb in the singular.
By this means he had them more at vantage.
A good character,when established, should not be rested on as an end, but employed as a means of doing good.
4. Means, in the plural, income, revenue, resources, substance or estate, considered as the instrument of effecting any purpose. He would have built a house, but he wanted means.
Your means are slender.
5. Instrument of action or performance.
By all means, without fail. Go, by all means.
By no means, not at all certainly not not in any degree.
The wine on this side of the lake is by no means so good as that on the other.
By no manner of means, by no means not the least.
By any means, possibly at all.
If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. Philippians 3
Meantime
Meanwhile, in the intervening time. In this use of these words there is an omission of in or in the in the meantime.
MEAN, pret. and pp. meant pronounced ment. L. mens Eng.mind L. intendo, propono.
1. To have in the mind, view or contemplation to intend.
What mean you by this service? Exodus 12
2. To intend to purpose to design, with reference to a future act.
Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it for good. Genesis 1
3. To signify to indicate.
What mean these seven ewe lambs? Genesis 21
What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? 1 Samuel 4
Go ye, and learn what that meaneth-- Matthew 9
MEAN, To have thought or ideas or to have meaning.
Dictionary of Words from the King James Bible. Public Domain. Copy freely.
Material presented was supplied by Brandon Staggs and was derived from the KJV Dictionary found on his website located at av1611.com.
The unabridged 1828 version of this dictionary in the SwordSearcher Bible Software.
Entry for 'Mean'. King James Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​kjd/​m/mean.html.