n. The adjutant of a regiment. [ 1913 Webster ]

def>. 1. The chief or first drummer of a regiment; an instructor of drummers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The marching leader of a military band. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A noisy gathering. [ R. ] See under Drum, n., 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ F., fr. état state + L. major greater. ] (Mil.) The staff of an army, including all officers above the rank of colonel, also, all adjutants, inspectors, quartermasters, commissaries, engineers, ordnance officers, paymasters, physicians, signal officers, judge advocates; also, the noncommissioned assistants of the above officers.

[ L. major, compar. of magnus great: cf. F. majeur. Cf. Master, Mayor, Magnitude, More, a. ] 1. Greater in number, quantity, or extent; as, the major part of the assembly; the major part of the revenue; the major part of the territory. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of greater dignity; more important. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of full legal age; adult. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) Greater by a semitone, either in interval or in difference of pitch from another tone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Major key (Mus.), a key in which one and two, two and three, four and five, five and six and seven, make major seconds, and three and four, and seven and eight, make minor seconds. --
Major offense (Law), an offense of a greater degree which contains a lesser offense, as murder and robbery include assault. --
Major scale (Mus.), the natural diatonic scale, which has semitones between the third and fourth, and seventh and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees; the scale of the major mode, of which the third is major. See Scale, and Diatonic. --
Major second (Mus.), a second between whose tones is a difference in pitch of a step. --
Major sixth (Mus.), a sixth of four steps and a half step. In major keys the third and sixth from the key tone are major. Major keys and intervals, as distinguished from minors, are more cheerful. --
Major third (Mus.), a third of two steps. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. major. See Major, a. ] 1. (Mil.) An officer next in rank above a captain and next below a lieutenant colonel; the lowest field officer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) A person of full age. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Logic) That premise which contains the major term. It its the first proposition of a regular syllogism; as: No unholy person is qualified for happiness in heaven [ the major ]. Every man in his natural state is unholy [ minor ]. Therefore, no man in his natural state is qualified for happiness in heaven [ conclusion or inference ]. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In hypothetical syllogisms, the hypothetical premise is called the major. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. [ LL. See Major. ] A mayor. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A small genus of herbs usually included in the genus Origanum.
Syn. -- genus Majorana. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ F. majorat, LL. majoratus. See Major, a., and cf. Majorate. ] 1. The right of succession to property according to age; -- so termed in some of the countries of continental Europe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (French Law) Property, landed or funded, so attached to a title of honor as to descend with it. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office or rank of a major. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ LL. majorare to augment. See Major, a. ] To augment; to increase. [ Obs. ] Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Increase; enlargement. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Geom.), The greater axis of a geometrical figure. Especially: the longest axis of an ellipse or ellipsoid, which passes through the two foci. See Focus, n., 2. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

prop. a. Of or pertaining to Majorca. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Majorca. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mus.), The natural diatonic scale, which has semitones between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth notes, and whole tones between the other notes; the scale of the major mode, of which the third is major; also called major scale. See Scale, and Diatonic. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Sp. mayordomo, or It. maggiordomo; both fr. LL. majordomus; L. major greater + domus house. ] A man who has authority to act, within certain limits, as master of the house; a steward; also, a chief minister or officer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Grammar) Any of the parts of speech of traditional grammar. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

An officer of the army holding a rank next above that of brigadier general and next below that of lieutenant general, and who usually commands a division or a corps. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Majorities [ F. majorité. See Major. ] 1. The quality or condition of being major or greater; superiority. Specifically: (a) The military rank of a major. (b) The condition of being of full age, or authorized by law to manage one's own affairs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The greater number; more than half; as, a majority of mankind; a majority of the votes cast. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. [ Cf. L. majores. ] Ancestors; ancestry. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The amount or number by which one aggregate exceeds all other aggregates with which it is contrasted; especially, the number by which the votes for a successful candidate exceed those for all other candidates; as, he is elected by a majority of five hundred votes. See Plurality. [ 1913 Webster ]

To go over to the majority or
To join the majority, to die. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Politics) The leader of the majority party in a legislature. Compare minority leader. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The rule or doctrine that the numerical majority{ 2 } of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group; as, our club makes decisions by majority rule.. Contrasted with unanimous consent, or decision by a decree of a single person or small committee forming part of an organization. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Sports) The most important league{ 2 } in any sport (especially baseball); contrasted with minor league. Its teams are more competent, its members are paid more, and its games attract more interest and publicity, than those of a minor league. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to a major league; as, major-league football rules. [ PJC ]

2. Among the best or most important of its class; as, a major-league computer manufacturer. [ PJC ]

n. A member of a major-league baseball team. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A sports team that plays in a major league. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A nation powerful enough to influence events throughout the world.
Syn. -- world power, great power, power. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Logic), That premise of a syllogism that contains the major term (which is the predicate of the conclusion). Contrasted to minor premise. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. pl. The teams in the major leagues.
Syn. -- major leagues, big leagues. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The office of major. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bridge) A suit of playing cards which has higher scoring value; specifically, either spades or hearts. Contrasted with a minor suit, being either diamonds or clubs. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Logic), That term of a syllogism which forms the predicate of the conclusion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. tierce majeure. ] (Card Playing) See Tierce, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖. [ L. major greater. ] (Law) A superior force which under certain circumstances is held to exempt from contract obligations; inevitable accident; -- a civil-law term used as nearly equivalent to, but broader than, the common-law term act of God (which see). [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]