Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - major

 biographical name John 1943- British prime minister (1990-97) MAJOR  I. adjective  Etymology: Middle English maiour, from Latin ~, comparative of magnus great, large — more at much  Date: 15th century  1. greater in dignity, rank, importance, or interest one of the ~ poets  2. greater in number, quantity, or extent the ~ part of his work  3. having attained ~ity  4.  a. notable or conspicuous in effect or scope ; considerable a ~ improvement  b. prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree earned some ~ cash  5. involving grave risk ; serious a ~ illness  6. of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization  7.  a. having half steps between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth degrees ~ scale  b. based on a ~ scale ~ key  c. equivalent to the distance between the keynote and another tone (except the fourth and fifth) of a ~ scale ~ third  d. having a ~ third above the root ~ triad  II. noun  Date: 1616  1. a person who has attained ~ity  2.  a. one that is superior in rank, importance, size, or performance economic power of the oil ~s  b. a ~ musical interval, scale, key, or mode  3. a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps ranking above a captain and below a lieutenant colonel  4.  a. an academic subject chosen as a field of specialization  b. a student specializing in such a field a history ~  5. plural ~ league baseball — used with the  6. any of several high-level tournaments in professional golf  III. intransitive verb  Date: 1913 to pursue an academic ~ ~ed in English