¹ / meIn; men/ adj [attrib 作定语] (no comparative or superlative forms 无比较级或最高级形式)
most important; chief; principal 最重要的; 主要的; 首要的: the main thing to remember 要记住的主要东西 * the main street of a town 市内的主要街道 * Be careful crossing that main road. 过那条大路时要小心. * the main meal of the day 一天的正餐 * the main course (of a meal) （一餐的）主菜 * My main concern is the welfare of the children. 我最关心的是儿童的福利.
(idm 习语) have an eye for/on/to the main chance => eye¹. in the `main for the most part; on the whole 大体上; 大致上: These businessmen are in the main honest. 这些商人大都很诚实.
> mainly adv chiefly; primarily 主要地; 首要地: You are mainly to blame. 主要应当责备你. * The people in the streets were mainly tourists. 街上的人大多是游客.
# main `clause (grammar) clause(1) that can stand on its own to make a sentence 主句.
`main deck upper deck of a ship 主甲板.
main `drag (infml 口 esp US) main street of a town or city （城镇的）主要街道, 大街.
`mainframe n (also mainframe com`puter) large powerful computer with an extensive memory （计算机的）主机. Cf 参看 microcomputer, minicomputer.
`mainland / -lAnd; -9lAnd/ n [sing] large mass of land forming a country, continent, etc without its islands 大陆.
,main `line principal railway line between two places （铁路的）干线, 主线: the main line from London to Coventry 从伦敦到考文垂的铁路干线 * [attrib 作定语] a ,main-line `train, `station 铁路干线列车﹑ 车站.
`mainline v [Ipr, Tn, Tn.pr] ~ sth (into sth) (sl 俚) inject (a drug) into a large vein for stimulation, often because of addiction 将（毒品）注入大静脉（常因犯瘾）:be mainlining on hard drugs 注射硬性毒品 * She mainlinedheroin (into a vein in her arm). 她（向臂静脉中）注射海洛因.
`mainmast n principal mast of a sailing ship 主桅.
`mainsail / 5meInsl, 5meInseIl; `mensl, `men9sel/ n principalsail on a sailing-ship, usu attached to the mainmast （主桅上的）主帆. =>illus at yacht 见yacht插图.
`mainspring n
1 principal spring of a clock or watch （钟表的）主发条.
2 (fml fig 文, 比喻) chief motive or reason (for sth) （某事的）主要动机或原因: Her jealousy is the mainspring of the novel's plot. 这部小说情节中贯穿了她的忌妒之心.
`mainstay / -steI; -9ste/ n 1 rope from the top of the mainmast to the base of the foremast 主桅支索.
(fig 比喻) chief support(er) 主要的依靠; 支柱: He is the mainstay of our theatre group. 他是我们剧组的台柱.
`mainstream n [sing]
1 dominant trend, tendency, etc 主要倾向﹑ 趋势等; 主流: the mainstream of political thought 政治思潮的主流 * [attrib 作定语] mainstream politics 主流政治学.
2 style of jazz that is neither traditional nor modern 主流派爵士乐（介乎传统与现代之间者）: [attrib 作定语] a mainstream band, player 主流派爵士乐乐队﹑ 演奏者.