M – N
magnitude(MAG ni tood) adj. greatness of size, volume, brightness, area, and
so on
- The brightness of stars is measured by order of magnitude,with white stars
being of the highest order. - Some would argue that the magnitudeof one’s IQ is a measure of how
much they know rather than their intelligence.
maladroit(MAL uh DROYT) adj. clumsy; inept; klutzy
•A maladroitperson should not be employed as a waiter or waitress. - It is very unusual to find a maladroitcat, but Karen has had two of them.
[-ly adv., -ness n.] [Syn. awkward]
mammal(MAM uhl) n. any of a class of warm-blooded vertebrates, most have
hair and all are able to feed their young with milk secreted by the female’s mamma-
ry glands - All animals with hair are mammals.
- If an animal has feathers or scales, it is not a mammal.
- Whales and dolphins are aquatic mammals.
manipulate(muh NIP yoo layt) vt. 1. to work or operate with the hands; 2. to
artfully manage or influence someone in an unfair way; 3. to falsify something for
one’s own benefit - One’s fingers are used to manipulatethe keys of a computer keyboard.
- Con artists specialize in manipulatingpeople into buying things they don’t
need or for more money than they can afford to spend. - Manipulatingstock prices for one’s personal gain is a federal crime.
[-d, manipulating, manipulation n.] [Syn. handle]
marginal(MAHR jin il) adj. 1. written in the margin of a page; 2. close to the
border or limit, especially a lower limit - Carol wrote marginalnotes in all her textbooks, summarizing the content
of the page. - Brad earned just enough money for a marginal existence.
- Vinny was diagnosed as a marginalschizophrenic.
[-ly adv.]
meadow(ME doh) n. 1. a piece of grassland, especially one used as a pasture or
for growing grass for hay; 2. a low grassland near a river or lake - The sheep’s in the meadow,the cow’s in the corn.
- The horses are out grazing in the meadow.
- The meadowgrasses are being cut and baled for hay for animal feed over
the winter.
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