many noun [See Meine, Mansion.]

A retinue of servants; a household. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ma′ny, adjective or pronoun [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, mænig, 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. √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 it is 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 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, noun

Too many

too numerous; hence, too powerful; as, they are too many for us. L'Estrange.

Syn. – Numerous; multiplied; frequent; manifold; various; divers; sundry.

Ma′ny, noun [AS. menigeo, menigo, menio, multitude; akin to G. menge, OHG. managī, menigī, Goth. managei. See Many, adjective]

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's unabridged 1913