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Glossary · Nouns · M

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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Meristemnounundifferentiated tissue from which new cells are formed, as at the tip of a stem or rootverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merit BadgenounMWEa badge award to Boy Scouts in recognition of special projectsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merit PaynounMWEextra pay awarded to an employee on the basis of merit, especially to school teachersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merit SystemnounMWEthe system of employing and promoting civil servants on the basis of abilityverifiedMay 18, 2026
Meritocracynounthe belief that rulers should be chosen for their superior abilities and not because of their wealth or birthverifiedMay 18, 2026
Meritoriousnessnounthe quality of being deserving (e.g., deserving assistance)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Merlnouncommon black European thrushverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merlenouncommon black European thrushverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merlinnounsmall falcon of Europe and America having dark plumage with black-barred tailverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merlonnouna solid section between two crenels in a crenelated battlementverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mermaidnounhalf woman and half fishverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mermannounhalf man and half fishverifiedMay 18, 2026
Meromelianouncongenital absence of part of an arm or legverifiedMay 18, 2026
Meronymnouna word that names a part of a larger wholeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Meronymynounthe semantic relation that holds between a part and the wholeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merozoitenouna cell that arises from the asexual division of a parent sporozoan during its life cycleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merrimentnounactivities that are enjoyable or amusingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merrinessnounthe trait of merry jokingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merry AndrewnounMWEa person who amuses others by ridiculous behaviorverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merry BellsnounMWEany of various plants of the genus Uvularia having yellowish drooping bell-shaped flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merry-Go-Roundnouna never-ending cycle of activities and events (especially when they seem to have little purpose)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Merrymakernouna celebrant who shares in a noisy partyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Merrymakingnouna boisterous celebrationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesanounflat tableland with steep edgesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesalliancenouna marriage with a person of inferior social statusverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mésalliancenouna marriage with a person of inferior social statusverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mescalnouna colorless Mexican liquor distilled from fermented juices of certain desert plants of the genus Agavaceae (especially the century plant)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Mescal BeannounMWEshrub or small tree having pinnate leaves poisonous to livestock and dense racemes of intensely fragrant blue flowers and red beansverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mescal ButtonnounMWEthe button-shaped top of the mescal cactusverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mescalinenounthe hallucinatory alkaloid that is the active agent in mescal buttonsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesencephalonnounthe middle portion of the brainverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesenchymenounmesodermal tissue that forms connective tissue and blood and smooth musclesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesenteric ArterynounMWEone of two branches of the aorta that pass between the two layers of the mesentery to the intestinesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesenteric PlexusnounMWEa plexus of autonomic nervesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesenteric VeinnounMWEa tributary of the portal vein passing from the intestine between the two layers of mesenteryverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesenterynouna double layer of peritoneum that attaches to the back wall of the abdominal cavity and supports the small intestinesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesh TopologynounMWEthe topology of a network whose components are all connected directly to every other componentverifiedMay 18, 2026
Meshingnounan open fabric of string or rope or wire woven together at regular intervalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Meshugaasnoun(Yiddish) crazinessverifiedMay 18, 2026
Meshworknounan open fabric of string or rope or wire woven together at regular intervalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesmerismnounthe act of inducing hypnosisverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesmeristnouna person who induces hypnosisverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesmerizernouna person who induces hypnosisverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesne LordnounMWEa feudal lord who was lord to his own tenants on land held from a superior lordverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesoblastnounthe middle germ layer that develops into muscle and bone and cartilage and blood and connective tissueverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesocarpnounthe middle layer of a pericarpverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesocolonnounmesentery that holds the lower colon to the dorsal abdominal wallverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesodermnounthe middle germ layer that develops into muscle and bone and cartilage and blood and connective tissueverifiedMay 18, 2026
MesohippusnounNorth American three-toed Oligocene animalverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesomorphnouna person with a well-developed muscular bodyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesomorphynounmuscular and big-bonedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesonnounan elementary particle responsible for the forces in the atomic nucleusverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesophyronnouna smooth prominence of the frontal bone between and above the eyebrowsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesophytenounland plant growing in surroundings having an average supply of waterverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesophytic PlantnounMWEland plant growing in surroundings having an average supply of waterverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesospherenounthe atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphereverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesotheliomanouna form of carcinoma of the mesothelium lining lungs or abdomen or heartverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesotheliumnounepithelium originating in the embryonic mesodermverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesotronnounan elementary particle responsible for the forces in the atomic nucleusverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesquitnounany of several small spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Prosopis having small flowers in axillary cylindrical spikes followed by large pods rich in sugarverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesquitenounany of several small spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Prosopis having small flowers in axillary cylindrical spikes followed by large pods rich in sugarverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mesquite GumnounMWEa gum obtained from mesquite podsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mess HallnounMWEa (large) military dining room where service personnel eat or relaxverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mess JacketnounMWEwaist-length jacket tapering to a point at the backverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mess KitnounMWEkit containing a metal dish and eating utensilsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mess of PottagenounMWEanything of trivial valueverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mess-Upnounsomething badly botched or muddledverifiedMay 18, 2026
Message authentication codenounMWEA cryptographic checksum on data that uses a symmetric key to detect both accidental and intentional modifications of the data. MACs provide authenticity and integrity protection, but not non-repudiation protection.ControlMay 9, 2026
Message digestnounMWEA digital signature that uniquely identifies data and has the property that changing a single bit in the data will cause a completely different message digest to be generated.DataMay 9, 2026
Message digest algorithmnounMWEMessage digest algorithms are SHA1, MD2, MD4 and MD5. These algorithms are one-way functions unlike private and public key encryption algorithms. Scope Note: All digest algorithms take a message of arbitrary length and produce a 128-bit message digest.CapabilityMay 9, 2026
Message ExternalsnounMWEInformation outside of the message text, such as the header, trailer, etc.DataMay 12, 2026
Message IndicatornounMWESequence of bits transmitted over a communications system for synchronizing cryptographic equipment.DataRegulatedCUIMay 9, 2026
Message PadnounMWEa pad of paper on which messages can be writtenverifiedMay 18, 2026
Messagingnounthe sending and processing of e-mail by computerverifiedMay 18, 2026
Messengernouna person who carries a messageverifiedMay 18, 2026
Messenger BoynounMWEa boy who earns money by running errandsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Messiahnounany expected delivererverifiedMay 18, 2026
Messiahshipnounthe position of messiahverifiedMay 18, 2026
Messinessnouna state of confusion and disorderlinessverifiedMay 18, 2026
Messmatenoun(nautical) an associate with whom you share meals in the same mess (as on a ship)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Messuagenoun(law) a dwelling house and its adjacent buildings and the adjacent land used by the householdverifiedMay 18, 2026
Mestizanouna woman of mixed racial ancestry (especially mixed European and Native American ancestry)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Mestizonouna person of mixed racial ancestry (especially mixed European and Native American ancestry)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Mestranolnouna synthetic form of estrogen used in combination with a progestin in oral contraceptivesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metabolanouninsects that undergo complete metamorphosisverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metabolic AcidosisnounMWEacidosis and bicarbonate concentration in the body fluids resulting either from the accumulation of acids or the abnormal loss of bases from the body (as in diarrhea or renal disease)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Metabolic AlkalosisnounMWEalkalosis resulting from hydrogen-ion loss or excessive intake of alkaline substancesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metabolic DisordernounMWEa disorder or defect of metabolismverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metabolic ProcessnounMWEthe organic processes (in a cell or organism) that are necessary for lifeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metabolic RatenounMWErate of metabolismverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metabolismnounthe marked and rapid transformation of a larva into an adult that occurs in some animalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metabolitenounany substance involved in metabolism (either as a product of metabolism or as necessary for metabolism)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Metacarpal ArterynounMWEdorsal and palmar arteries of the handverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metacarpal BonenounMWEany bone of the hand between the wrist and fingersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metacarpal VeinnounMWEdorsal and palmar veins of the handverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metacarpophalangeal JointnounMWEa joint of a finger when the fist is closedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metacarpusnounthe part of the hand between the carpus and phalangesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metacenternoun(shipbuilding) the point of intersection between two vertical lines, one line through the center of buoyancy of the hull of a ship in equilibrium and the other line through the center of buoyancy of the hull when the ship is inclined to one sideverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metacentrenoun(shipbuilding) the point of intersection between two vertical lines, one line through the center of buoyancy of the hull of a ship in equilibrium and the other line through the center of buoyancy of the hull when the ship is inclined to one sideverifiedMay 18, 2026
Metacentric ChromosomenounMWEa chromosome having two equal arms because the centromere is in median positionverifiedMay 18, 2026