Webster's English Dictionary

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may

1. may \(')ma-\ \(')mi-t\ vb or might;  or may [ME (1st & 3d sing. pres. 
   indic.), fr. OE mg; akin to OHG mag] past  pres sing & pl  (1st & 3d 
   sing. pres. indic.) have power, am able (infin. magan), Gk me-chos means, 
   expedient obs  : to be able  archaic  1: have the ability to : CAN  2a: 
   have permission to {you ~ go now} : have liberty to - us ed nearly 
   interchangeably with can 2b: be in some degree likely to {you ~ be right}  
   3: - used in auxiliary function to express a wish or desire esp. in pray 
   er, imprecation, or benediction {long ~ he reign} 4: - used in auxiliary 
   function expressing purpose or expectation {I l augh that I ~ not weep} or 
   contingency {he'll do his duty come what ~} or concession {he ~ be slow but 
   he is thorough} 5: SHALL, MUST - used in law where the sense, purpose, or 
   po licy requires this interpretation
2. may \'ma-\ n [ME, FR. OE m-g kinsman, kinswoman, maiden] archaic  : 
   MAIDEN May \'ma-\ n [ME, fr. OF & L; OF mai fr. L maius, fr. Maia, Roman 
   goddess] 1: the 5th month of the Gregorian calendar  often not cap  2: the 
   vigorous blooming time of human life  3: the merrymaking of May Day  not 
   cap  4a: green or flowering branches (as of hawthorn) used for May Day 
   decoratio ns 4b: a plant that yields may : as  4b1: HAWTHORN  4b2: a 
   spring-flowering spirea