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Added 9 October 2026

may

/meɪ/ symbol

Categories: TimePlantsEveryday Words

In Latin: possum, sim, licet Wiktionary

symbol Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about may at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. ISO 639-2/B language code for Malay.

verb

  1. To be strong; to have power (over). .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
  2. To be able; can.
  3. To be able to go.

noun

  1. The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.

verb

  1. To gather may, or flowers in general.
  2. To celebrate May Day.

Origin

From Middle English magen, mauen, mawe, mawen, mayen, maȝen, mouin, mow, mowen, moȝen, mugen, from Old English magan, from Proto-West Germanic *magan, from Proto-Germanic *maganą (“to be able, may”), from Proto-Indo-European *(me)mógʰe (“to be able”), from *megʰ- (“to be able”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: getcanwhitethornpleaseopportunityablecapablecaseavailable

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