Meaning

meaning
    adj 1: rich in significance or implication; "a meaning look"
           [syn: {meaning(a)}, {pregnant}, {significant}]
    n 1: the message that is intended or expressed or signified;
         "what is the meaning of this sentence"; "the significance
         of a red traffic light"; "the signification of Chinese
         characters"; "the import of his announcement was ambiguous"
         [syn: {meaning}, {significance}, {signification}, {import}]
    2: the idea that is intended; "What is the meaning of this
       proverb?" [syn: {meaning}, {substance}]
    

Mean \Mean\ (m[=e]n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Meant} (m[e^]nt); p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Meaning}.] [OE. menen, AS. m[=ae]nan to recite,
   tell, intend, wish; akin to OS. m[=e]nian to have in mind,
   mean, D. meenen, G. meinen, OHG. meinan, Icel. meina, Sw.
   mena, Dan. mene, and to E. mind. [root]104. See {Mind}, and
   cf. {Moan}.]
   1. To have in the mind, as a purpose, intention, etc.; to
      intend; to purpose; to design; as, what do you mean to do?
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            What mean ye by this service ?        --Ex. xii. 26.
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            Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto
            good.                                 --Gen. 1. 20.
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            I am not a Spaniard
            To say that it is yours and not to mean it.
                                                  --Longfellow.
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   2. To signify; to indicate; to import; to denote.
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            What mean these seven ewe lambs ?     --Gen. xxi.
                                                  29.
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            Go ye, and learn what that meaneth.   --Matt. ix.
                                                  13.
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Meaning \Mean"ing\, n.
   1. That which is meant or intended; intent; purpose; aim;
      object; as, a mischievous meaning was apparent.
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            If there be any good meaning towards you. --Shak.
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   2. That which is signified, whether by act lanquage;
      signification; sense; import; as, the meaning of a hint.
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   3. Sense; power of thinking. [R.]
      [1913 Webster] -- {Mean"ing*less}, a. -- {Mean"ing*ly},
      adv.
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124 Moby Thesaurus words for "meaning":
      acceptation, aim, allegory, allusion, ambition, animus,
      arcane meaning, aspiration, assumption, balefulness, banefulness,
      bodefulness, characterization, coloration, connotation,
      construction, content, counsel, definition, denomination,
      denotation, description, desideration, desideratum, design,
      designation, desire, determination, diagnosis, differentiation,
      direness, disclosure, doomfulness, drift, effect, essence,
      explanation, expression, fatality, fatefulness, fingering,
      fixed purpose, force, function, gist, hint, idea, identification,
      implication, implied meaning, import, indication, indicativeness,
      inference, innuendo, intendment, intent, intention, interpretation,
      intimation, ironic suggestion, manifestation, message,
      metaphorical sense, mind, motive, naming, nisus, nuance,
      occult meaning, ominousness, overtone, picking out, plan, point,
      pointing, pointing out, pointing to, portent, portentousness,
      presagefulness, presumption, presupposition, project, proposal,
      prospectus, purport, purpose, reading, resolution, resolve, sake,
      selection, sense, show, showing, significance, significancy,
      signification, sinisterness, specification, spirit, striving,
      study, subsense, subsidiary sense, substance, suggestion,
      suggestiveness, sum and substance, supposition, symbolism,
      symptomaticness, tenor, tinge, touch, undercurrent, undermeaning,
      understanding, undertone, value, view, way of seeing, will