2 ADJ If a crime carries a mandatory punishment, that punishment is fixed by law for all cases, in contrast to crimes for which the judge or magistrate has to decide the punishment for each particular case. [FORMAL ] □ …the mandatory life sentence for murder.
man|di|ble /mæ nd I b ə l/ (mandibles )
1 N‑COUNT A mandible is the bone in the lower jaw of a person or animal. [TECHNICAL ]
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] An insect's mandibles are the two parts of its mouth which it uses for biting, similar to an animal's jaws. [TECHNICAL ]
man|do|lin /mæ ndəl I n, -l I n/ (mandolins ) N‑VAR A mandolin is a musical instrument that looks like a small guitar and has four pairs of strings.
mane /me I n/ (manes ) N‑COUNT The mane on a horse or lion is the long thick hair that grows from its neck.
ma n-eating ADJ [ADJ n] A man-eating animal is one that has killed and eaten human beings, or that people think might do so. □ …man-eating lions.
ma|neu|ver /mənuː və r / → see manoeuvre
ma|neu|ver|able /mənuː vərəb ə l/ → see manoeuvrable
man|ful|ly /mæ nf ə li/ ADV [ADV with v] If you say that someone, especially a man, does something manfully , you mean that they do it in a very determined or brave way. □ They stuck to their task manfully.
man|ga /mæ ŋgə/ N‑UNCOUNT Manga is a type of Japanese comic book, which often contains material that is intended for adults. □ Most manga is targeted toward a specific readership. □ When he smiles, he looks like a character from a manga comic or computer game.
man|ga|nese /mæ ŋgəniːz/ N‑UNCOUNT Manganese is a greyish-white metal that is used in making steel.
man|ger /me I ndʒə r / (mangers ) N‑COUNT A manger is a low open container which cows, horses, and other animals feed from when indoors. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
mange|tout /mɒ nʒtuː / (mangetout or mangetouts ) also mange-tout N‑COUNT [usu pl] Mangetout are a type of pea whose pods are eaten as well as the peas inside them. [BRIT ] in AM, use snow pea
man|gle /mæ ŋg ə l/ (mangles , mangling , mangled )
1 VERB [usu passive] If a physical object is mangled , it is crushed or twisted very forcefully, so that it is difficult to see what its original shape was. □ [be V -ed] His body was crushed and mangled beyond recognition. □ [V -ed] …the mangled wreckage.
2 VERB If you say that someone mangles words or information, you are criticizing them for not speaking or writing clearly or correctly. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] They don't know what they're talking about and mangle scientific information.
man|go /mæ ŋgoʊ/ (mangoes or mangos ) N‑VAR A mango is a large sweet yellowish fruit which grows on a tree in hot countries. □ Peel, stone and dice the mango. □ …mango chutney. ● N‑VAR [oft N n] A mango or a mango tree is the tree that this fruit grows on. □ …orchards of lime and mango trees.
man|grove /mæ ŋgroʊv/ (mangroves ) N‑VAR [oft N n] A mangrove or mangrove tree is a tree with roots which are above the ground and that grows along coasts or on the banks of large rivers in hot countries. □ …mangrove swamps.
man|gy /me I ndʒi/ (mangier , mangiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] A mangy animal looks dirty, uncared for or ill. □ …mangy old dogs.
man|handle /mæ nhænd ə l/ (manhandles , manhandling , manhandled )
1 VERB If someone is manhandled , they are physically held or pushed, for example when they are being taken somewhere. □ [be V -ed] Foreign journalists were manhandled by armed police, and told to leave. □ [V n prep/adv] They manhandled the old man along the corridor. [Also V n]
2 VERB If you manhandle something big or heavy somewhere, you move it there by hand. □ [V n prep/adv] The three of us manhandled the uncovered dinghy out of the shed.
man|hole /mæ nhoʊl/ (manholes ) N‑COUNT A manhole is a large hole in a road or path, covered by a metal plate that can be removed. Workers climb down through manholes when they want to examine or clean the drains.
man|hood /mæ nhʊd/ N‑UNCOUNT Manhood is the state of being a man rather than a boy. □ They were failing lamentably to help their sons grow from boyhood to manhood.
ma n-hour (man-hours ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] A man-hour is the average amount of work that one person can do in an hour. Man-hours are used to estimate how long jobs take, or how many people are needed to do a job in a particular time. □ The restoration took almost 4,000 man-hours over four years.
man|hunt /mæ nhʌnt/ (manhunts ) N‑COUNT A manhunt is a major search for someone who has escaped or disappeared.
ma|nia /me I niə/ (manias )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing, n N ] If you say that a person or group has a mania for something, you mean that they enjoy it very much or spend a lot of time on it. □ [+ for ] It seemed to some observers that the English had a mania for travelling. □ …Mozart mania.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Mania is a mental illness which causes the sufferer to become very worried or concerned about something. □ …the treatment of mania.
ma|ni|ac /me I niæk/ (maniacs )
1 N‑COUNT A maniac is a mad person who is violent and dangerous. □ …a drug-crazed maniac.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe someone's behaviour as maniac , you are emphasizing that it is extremely foolish and uncontrolled. [EMPHASIS ] □ A maniac driver sped 35 miles along the wrong side of a motorway at 110 mph.