mean1
verb (past and past part. meant) 1 intend to express or refer to. 2 (of a word) have as its explanation in the same language or its equivalent in another language. 3 intend to occur or be the case. 4 have as a consequence. 5 intend or design for a particular purpose. 6 be of specified importance. PHRASES mean business be in earnest. mean well have good intentions, but not always carry them out. ORIGIN Old English.
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