n. [ F. maxime, L. maxima (sc. sententia), the greatest sentence, proposition, or axiom, i. e., of the greatest weight or authority, fem. fr. maximus greatest, superl. of magnus great. See Magnitude, and cf. Maximum. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
'T is their maxim, Love is love's reward. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]
A kind of machine gun; -- named after its inventor,
n. [ From the proper name. ] A gold coin of Bavaria, of the value of about 13s. 6d. sterling, or about three dollars and a quarter. [ 1913 Webster ]
n.
n. The act or process of increasing to the highest degree. Bentham. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. [ L. maximus greatest. ] To increase to the highest degree. Bentham. [ 1913 Webster ]
adj. Making as great as possible; increasing tothe highest degree. [ WordNet 1.5 ]
n.;
Good legislation is the art of conducting a nation to the maximum of happiness, and the minimum of misery. P. Colquhoun. [ 1913 Webster ]
Maximum thermometer,
a. Greatest in quantity or highest in degree attainable or attained;
. An automatic machine gun in which the mechanism is worked by the recoil, assisted by the pressure of gases from the muzzle, which expand in a gas chamber against a disk attached to the end of the barrel, thus moving the latter to the rear with increased recoil, and against the front wall of the gas chamber, checking the recoil of the system. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]
. (Ordnance) One of a system of ordnance, including machine, quick-fire, coast, and field guns, of all calibers, manufactured by the combined firms of Vickers' Sons of Sheffield and Maxim of Birmingham and elsewhere, England. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]