資料來源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
{Saint Martin's summer}, a season of mild, damp weather
frequently prevailing during late autumn in England and
the Mediterranean countries; -- so called from St.
Martin's Festival, occurring on November 11. It
corresponds to the Indian summer in America. --Shak.
--Whittier.
{Saint Patrick's cross}. See Illust. 4, under {Cross}.
{Saint Patrick's Day}, the 17th of March, anniversary of the
death (about 466) of St. Patrick, the apostle and patron
saint of Ireland.
{Saint Peter's fish}. (Zo["o]l.) See {John Dory}, under
{John}.
{Saint Peter's-wort} (Bot.), a name of several plants, as
{Hypericum Ascyron}, {H. quadrangulum}, {Ascyrum stans},
etc.
{Saint Peter's wreath} (Bot.), a shrubby kind of Spir[ae]a
({S. hypericifolia}), having long slender branches covered
with clusters of small white blossoms in spring.
{Saint's bell}. See {Sanctus bell}, under {Sanctus}.
{Saint Vitus's dance} (Med.), chorea; -- so called from the
supposed cures wrought on intercession to this saint.
May \May\, n. [F. Mai, L. Maius; so named in honor of the
goddess Maia (Gr. ?), daughter of Atlas and mother of Mercury
by Jupiter.]
1. The fifth month of the year, containing thirty-one days.
--Chaucer.
2. The early part or springtime of life.
His May of youth, and bloom of lustihood. --Shak.
3. (Bot.) The flowers of the hawthorn; -- so called from
their time of blossoming; also, the hawthorn.
The palm and may make country houses gay. --Nash.
Plumes that micked the may. --Tennyson.
4. The merrymaking of May Day. --Tennyson.
{Italian may} (Bot.), a shrubby species of {Spir[ae]a} ({S.
hypericifolia}) with many clusters of small white flowers
along the slender branches.
{May apple} (Bot.), the fruit of an American plant
({Podophyllum peltatum}). Also, the plant itself
(popularly called {mandrake}), which has two lobed leaves,
and bears a single egg-shaped fruit at the forking. The
root and leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic.
{May beetle}, {May bug} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous
species of large lamellicorn beetles that appear in the
winged state in May. They belong to {Melolontha}, and
allied genera. Called also {June beetle}.
{May Day}, the first day of May; -- celebrated in the rustic
parts of England by the crowning of a May queen with a
garland, and by dancing about a May pole.
{May dew}, the morning dew of the first day of May, to which
magical properties were attributed.
{May flower} (Bot.), a plant that flowers in May; also, its
blossom. See {Mayflower}, in the vocabulary.
{May fly} (Zo["o]l.), any species of {Ephemera}, and allied
genera; -- so called because the mature flies of many
species appear in May. See {Ephemeral fly}, under
{Ephemeral}.
{May game}, any May-day sport.
{May lady}, the queen or lady of May, in old May games.
{May lily} (Bot.), the lily of the valley ({Convallaria
majalis}).
{May pole}. See {Maypole} in the Vocabulary.
{May queen}, a girl or young woman crowned queen in the
sports of May Day.
{May thorn}, the hawthorn.