main (mains plural )
1 adj The main thing is the most important one of several similar things in a particular situation.
det ADJ
(=chief)
...one of the main tourist areas of Amsterdam..., My main concern now is to protect the children..., What are the main differences and similarities between them?
2 If you say that something is true in the main, you mean that it is generally true, although there may be exceptions.
in the main phrase PHR with cl
(=on the whole)
Tourists are, in the main, sympathetic people...
3 n-count The mains are the pipes which supply gas or water to buildings, or which take sewage away from them.
usu pl, usu with supp
...the water supply from the mains..., The capital has been without mains water since Wednesday night.
4 n-plural The mains are the wires which supply electricity to buildings, or the place where the wires end inside the building. (mainly BRIT) usu the N ...amplifiers which plug into the mains...
main clause (main clauses plural )A main clause is a clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence. Compare subordinate clause. n-count
main drag
The main drag in a town or city is its main street.
(mainly AM)
INFORMAL n-sing the N
main road (main roads plural )A main road is an important road that leads from one town or city to another. n-count
Webb turned off the main road and drove round to the car park.
Main Street
1 n-proper In small towns in the United States, the street where most of the shops are is often called Main Street.
2 n-uncount Main Street is used by journalists to refer to the ordinary people of America who live in small towns rather than big cities or are not very rich.
(AM)
This financial crisis had a much greater impact on Main Street.
water main (water mains plural )A water main is a very large underground pipe used for supplying water to houses and factories. n-count
