major
n
1 (Military) an officer immediately junior to a lieutenant colonel
2 a person who is superior in a group or class
3 often preceded by: the (Music) a major key, chord, mode, or scale
4 (U.S., Canadian, Austral., and N.Z.)
a the principal field of study of a student at a university, etc.
his major is sociology
b a student who is studying a particular subject as his principal field
a sociology major
5 a person who has reached the age of legal majority
6 (Logic) a major term or premise
7 pl
♦
the (U.S. and Canadian) the major leagues
adj
8 larger in extent, number, etc.
the major part
9 of greater importance or priority
10 very serious or significant
a major disaster
11 main, chief, or principal
12 of, involving, or making up a majority
a (of a scale or mode) having notes separated by the interval of a whole tone, except for the third and fourth degrees, and seventh and eighth degrees, which are separated by a semitone
b relating to or employing notes from the major scale
a major key
c postpositive denoting a specified key or scale as being major
C major
d denoting a chord or triad having a major third above the root
e (in jazz) denoting a major chord with a major seventh added above the root
14 (Logic) constituting the major term or major premise of a syllogism
15 (Chiefly U.S., Canadian, Austral., and N.Z.) of or relating to a student's principal field of study at a university, etc.
16 (Brit) the elder: used after a schoolboy's surname if he has one or more younger brothers in the same school
Price major
18 postpositive (Change-ringing) of, relating to, or denoting a method rung on eight bells
vb
19 intr; usually foll by: in (U.S., Canadian, Austral., and N.Z.) to do one's principal study (in a particular subject) to major in English literature (C15 (adj): from Latin, comparative of magnus great; C17 (n, in military sense): from French, short for sergeant major) ♦
majorship n
Canis Major
n Latin genitive , Canis Majoris a constellation in the S hemisphere close to Orion, containing Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, (Also called)
the Great Dog
(Latin: the greater dog)
company sergeant major
n (Military) the senior Warrant Officer II in a British or Commonwealth regiment or battalion, responsible under the company second in command for all aspects of duty and discipline of the NCOs and men in that subunit, (Abbrev.)
CSM Compare →
regimental sergeant major
See also →
warrant officer
drum major
n the noncommissioned officer, usually of warrant officer's rank, who is appointed to command the corps of drums of a military band and who is in command of both the drums and the band when paraded together
Major
n John. born 1943, British Conservative politician: Chancellor of the Exchequer (1989--90); prime minister (1990--97)
major axis
n the longer or longest axis of an ellipse or ellipsoid
major-domo
n pl , -mos
1 the chief steward or butler of a great household
2 Facetious a steward or butler
(C16: from Spanish mayordomo, from Medieval Latin major domus head of the household)
major general
n (Military) an officer immediately junior to a lieutenant general
♦
major-generalship, major-generalcy n
major league
n (U.S. and Canadian) a league of highest classification in baseball, football, hockey, etc.
Major Mitchell
n an Australian cockatoo, Kakatoe leadbeateri, with a white-and-pink plumage
(C19: named after Major (later Sir) Thomas Mitchell)
major orders
pl n (R.C. Church) the three higher degrees of holy orders: bishop, priest, and deacon
major planet
n a planet of the solar system, as opposed to an asteroid (minor planet)
major premise
n (Logic) the premise of a syllogism containing the predicate of its conclusion
major seventh chord
n a chord much used in modern music, esp. jazz and pop, consisting of a major triad with an added major seventh above the root
Compare →
minor seventh chord (Often shortened to)
major seventh
major suit
n (Bridge) hearts or spades
Compare →
minor suit
major term
n (Logic) the predicate of the conclusion of a syllogism, also occurring as the subject or predicate in the major premise
pipe major
n the noncommissioned officer, generally of warrant officer's rank, who is responsible for the training, duty, and discipline of a military or civilian pipe band
regimental sergeant major
n (Military) the senior Warrant Officer I in a British or Commonwealth regiment or battalion, responsible under the adjutant for all aspects of duty and discipline of the warrant officers, NCOs, and men, (Abbrev)
RSM Compare →
company sergeant major
See also →
warrant officer
sergeant major
n
1 a noncommissioned officer of the highest rank or having specific administrative tasks in branches of the armed forces of various countries
2 a large damselfish, Abudefduf saxatilis, having a bluish-grey body marked with black stripes
Syrtis Major
n a conspicuous dark region visible in the N hemisphere of Mars
Ursa Major
n Latin genitive , Ursae Majoris an extensive conspicuous constellation in the N hemisphere, visible north of latitude 40°. The seven brightest stars form the Plough. A line through the two brightest stars points to the Pole Star lying in Ursa Minor, (Also called)
the Great Bear, the Bear
(Latin: greater bear)
vis major
n See →
force majeure
(from Latin, literally: greater force)
