verb
I did mean to phone you but had no time. I am sure she meant nothing by her remark
What does 'canicular' mean? It depends on what you mean by 'liberty'. The footprints meant that someone had already been here
Those clouds mean that it will soon rain
Money means little to someone in her circumstances
adjective
He is far too mean to buy anyone a Christmas present. It seems rather a mean contribution to the fund, given his wealth
He rose to a position of great power in spite of his mean background
They live in very mean circumstances
It was very mean of you to steal that toy from the baby
That mean old lady would never even talk to us
The saxophonist in that combo is one mean cat
noun
We are attempting to achieve the mean between the two extremes
She gained access to her victims by means of the telephone directory. We entered by means of the front door
This is sometimes but by no means always the case. He is by no means a great artist
by all means
By all means, do tell us what you think is wrong
By all means, you must do what you think is right
means
If you can find the means, then get the job done at once
I wanted to go to Australia to see my brother, but I simply didn't have the means
She is a woman of considerable means
adjective
The mean temperature for the year has increased
US