“many” – English explanatory dictionary

adj 1. a large number of things or people ○ Many old people live on the south coast. ○ So many people wanted rooms that the hotel was booked up. ○ She ate twice as many cakes as her sister did. 2. asking a question ○ How many times have you been to France? ○ How many passengers were there on the plane? 3. □ a great many, a good many quite a lot ○ A good many people think we should build a bypass round the town. □ too many more than necessary ○ There were too many people waiting and not enough room on the bus for all of them. □ one too many one more than enough ■ pron a large number of people ○ Many of the students knew the lecturer when he was a student himself. ○ Many would say that smoking should be banned in all public places.

n. [See Meine, Mansion.] A retinue of servants; a household. [Obs.] Chaucer.

a. or pron. [It has no variation to express degrees of comparison; more and most, which are used for the comparative and superlative degrees, are from a different root.] [OE. mani, moni, AS. manig, maenig, monig; akin to D. menig, OS. & OHG. manag, G. manch, Dan. mange, Sw. månge, Goth. manags, OSlav. mnog’, Russ. mnogii; cf. Icel. margr, Prov. E. mort. rad.103.] Consisting of a great number; numerous; not few. “Thou shalt be a father of many nations.” Gen. xvii. 4. “Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” 1 Cor. i. 26. Many is freely prefixed to participles, forming compounds which need no special explanation; as many-angled, many-celled, many-eyed, many-footed, many- handed, many-leaved, many-lettered, many- named, many-peopled, many-petaled, many- seeded, many-syllabled (polysyllabic), many- tongued, many-voiced, many-wived, and the like. Comparison is often expressed by many with as or so. ´As many as were willing hearted … brought bracelets.´ Exod. xxxv. 22. ´So many laws argue so many sins.´ Milton. Many stands with a singular substantive with a or an. Many a, a large number taken distributively; each one of many. ´For thy sake have I shed many a tear.´ Shak. ´Full many a gem of purest ray serene.´ Gray. — Many one, many a one; many persons. Bk. of Com. Prayer. — The many, the majority; — opposed to the few. See Many, n. — Too many, too numerous; hence, too powerful; as they are too many for us. L’Estrange. Syn. — Numerous; multiplied; frequent; manifold; various; divers; sundry.

n. [AS. menigeo, menigo, menio, multitude; akin to G. menge, OHG. managi, menigi, Goth. managei. See Many, a.]
1. The populace; the common people; the majority of people, or of a community. “After him the rascal many ran.” Spenser.
2. A large or considerable number. “A many of our bodies shall no doubt
Find native graves.” Shak. “Seeing a great many in rich gowns.” Addison. “It will be concluded by manythat he lived like an honest man.” Fielding. In this sense, many is connected immediately with another substantive (without of) to show of what the many consists; as a good many [of] people think so. “He is liable to a great many inconveniences.” Tillotson.