Ma"ny (?), n. [See Meine, Mansion.]
A retinue of servants; a household.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
© Webster 1913.
Ma"ny, a. ∨ 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. m�x86;nge, Goth. manags, OSlav. mnog', Russ. mnogii; cf. Icel. margr, Prov. E. mort. &root;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.<-- in such usage equivalent to multi -->
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.
© Webster 1913.
Ma"ny, 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 many that 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.
© Webster 1913.