English

Proper noun

Ming

1. A former dynasty in China, reigning from the end of the Yuan to the beginning of the Qing
2. A former empire in China, occupying the eastern half of modern China, as well as parts of Russia and northern Vietnam
3. The era of Chinese history during which the dynasty reigned
4. The pottery of the era, famed for its high quality
5. A surname​.
6. A male or female given name

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• minge, meng

Verb

ming ‎(third-person singular simple present mings, present participle minging, simple past and past participle minged or meint or ment)

1. (now rare) To mix, blend, mingle.
   • 1562, William Turner, Baths:

     I founde here and there litle peces of marquesites and stones, menged with copper, but I could by no sense or wit perceyue, that the bathes had any notable qualitie thereof.

2. (obsolete) To bring (people, animals etc.) together; to be joined, in marriage or sexual intercourse.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.ii:

     the old man [...] him brought into a secret part, / Where that false couple were full closely ment / In wanton lust and lewd embracement [...].

3. (Britain, dialectal) To produce through mixing; especially, to knead.

Noun

ming ‎(plural mings)

1. Mixture.

Etymology 2

Backformation from minging.

Verb

ming ‎(third-person singular simple present mings, present participle minging, simple past and past participle minged)

1. (Britain, slang) To be unattractive (person or object).
2. (Britain, slang) To be foul smelling.

Related terms

• minger
• minging

Etymology 3

From Middle English mingen, mengen, mungen, muneȝen, from Old English myngian, mynegian, ġemynegian ‎(“to bring to mind, have in mind”), from myne ‎(“mind”), from ġemunan ‎(“to remember”), from Proto-Germanic *munaną ‎(“to think”), from Proto-Indo-European *men- ‎(“to think”). Merged in Middle English with Old English ġemyndgian ‎(“to remember, be mindful, remind, intend, commemorate, mention, exhort, impel, warn, demand payment”). More at mind.

Alternative forms

• minge

Verb

ming ‎(third-person singular simple present mings, present participle minging, simple past and past participle minged)

1. (transitive) To speak of; mention; tell; relate.
2. (intransitive) To speak; tell; talk; discourse.

Mandarin

Romanization

ming

1. Nonstandard spelling of mīng.
2. Nonstandard spelling of míng.
3. Nonstandard spelling of mǐng.
4. Nonstandard spelling of mìng.

Usage notes

• English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Scots

Noun

ming ‎(plural mings)

1. smell