MEANS

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does means mean? 

• MEANS (noun)
  The noun MEANS has 3 senses:

1. thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

2. an instrumentality for accomplishing some end

3. considerable capital (wealth or income)

  Familiarity information: MEANS used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MEANS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

agency; means; way

Context example:

the true way to success

Hypernyms ("means" is a kind of...):

effectuation; implementation (the act of implementing (providing a practical means for accomplishing something); carrying into effect)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "means"):

dint (interchangeable with 'means' in the expression 'by means of')

escape (a means or way of escaping)

fast track (a rapid means of achieving a goal)

instrument; tool (the means whereby some act is accomplished)

road (a way or means to achieve something)

stepping stone (any means of advancement)

expedient (a means to an end; not necessarily a principled or ethical one)

desperate measure (desperate actions taken as a means to an end)

open sesame (any very successful means of achieving a result)

salvation (a means of preserving from harm or unpleasantness)

tooth (a means of enforcement)

voice (a means or agency by which something is expressed or communicated)

wings (a means of flight or ascent)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An instrumentality for accomplishing some end

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("means" is a kind of...):

instrumentality; instrumentation (an artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Considerable capital (wealth or income)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

means; substance

Context example:

he is a man of means

Hypernyms ("means" is a kind of...):

capital (wealth in the form of money or property owned by a person or business and human resources of economic value)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "means"):

pocketbook (your personal financial means)

wherewithal (the necessary means (especially financial means))

 Context examples 

He means to give the whole school a treat at Christmas.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Oh, said the ass, by all means go with us to the great city; you are a good night singer, and may make your fortune as a musician.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

A German company has already developed a prototype of the technology, which means that within an estimated two years more people will be able to use it.

(World's Fastest Film Camera, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The surviving cells also showed signs of DNA damage which means they can be predisposed to developing cancer in the future.

(Lung damage from agricultural fires probed, SciDev.Net)

The features are given to man as the means by which he shall express his emotions, and yours are faithful servants.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

People who eat eggs every day should pay extra attention, since greater consumption means higher risk.

(Eggs No Longer Part of a Healthy Diet?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

This means Mercury will retrograde in your professional sector, and that will slow down your career progress.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

"She means vampire, not seaweed, but it doesn't matter. It's too warm to be particular about one's parts of speech," murmured Jo.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

No, it is part of my plan that each in turn shall descend as in a parachute, and the balloon be drawn back by means which I shall have no difficulty in perfecting.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The technique is used for many other vegetables as a means of dealing with stress factors such as extreme climate conditions and toxic soil.

(Grafting helps pepper plants deal with drought, SciDev.Net)