What does "mac" mean?
Clipping of mackintosh (“a raincoat”).
Mac
/mæk/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Clipping of mackintosh (“a raincoat”).
- Grammar: mac is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: mackintosh, apple computer, mac based, mac related.
- Useful contrasts: PC, non MAC, non Macintosh.
- Usage evidence: Mac helped me carry the vacuum cleaner.
How to use "mac"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mac" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "mac" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "mac" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mac" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "mac" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mackintosh" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "mac", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Clipping of mackintosh (“a raincoat”). abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
"Standing in the dock at Southampton / Trying to get to Holland or France / The man in the mac said / You've got to go back / You know they didn't even give us a chance"
- 2 Clipping of macaroni. Canada, US, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang, uncountable
"Is there any mac and cheese left?"
- 3 Used to address a man whose name is unknown. US, informal
"Have you got a light, Mac?"
- 4 A Macintosh computer (made by Apple Inc.).
"Although our Macs served us well, in those early, dark years Macintosh users were effectively excommunicated by the computer establishment."
- 5 Initialism of maximum allowable concentration, the maximum concentration of a pollutant which is considered harmless to healthy adults during their working hours, assuming they breathe uncontaminated air at all other times. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Show 15 more definitions
- 6 a waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric wordnet
- 7 A person of Scottish descent (used in driving culture to denigrate someone for poor/slow/amateurish driving responses). Australia, Canada, UK, US, derogatory, ethnic, offensive, slang, slur
- 8 Initialism of mandatory access control. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 9 Initialism of media access control: the portion of Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 wireless, Bluetooth, FDDI, ATM, and Fibre Channel networks that controls which hardware devices have access to the media over which signals are sent. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
"When operating on customer MAC (C-MAC) and service MAC (S-MAC) addresses, PBB uses a new backbone MAC (B-MAC) address. The B-MAC address is added at the edge of the PBB network, that is administered by a carrier VPN or a carrier-of-carriers VPN."
- 10 Initialism of mean aerodynamic chord. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 11 Initialism of mid-air collision. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 12 Initialism of message authentication code. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 13 Initialism of merchant aircraft carrier. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, historical, initialism, uncountable
- 14 Initialism of magnetic accelerator cannon. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 15 Initialism of Migration Authorisation Code. UK, abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 16 Initialism of membrane attack complex, a part of the complement system of the innate immune system. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 17 Initialism of multiply and accumulate, a hardware module found in digital signal processors which performs a multiplication and adds the result of that operation to an accumulator in the same cycle, used extensively in implementations of digital filters, transforms, and codecs. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 18 Initialism of Mycobacterium avium complex. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 19 Initialism of minimum alveolar concentration. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 20 Initialism of monitored anesthesia care. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the male given name Max.
- 2 McMaster University informal
- 3 McDonald's Singapore, slang
- 4 Acronym of Military Airlift Command, formerly, one of three former divisions of the US airforce, the others being SAC and TAC. US, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 5 A diminutive for a person with a surname that starts with "Mac" or "Mc". Canada, US
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Acronym of Military Armament Corporation. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 7 Initialism of Military Armistice Commission. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Mac helped me carry the vacuum cleaner."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mac"?
Common synonyms include: mackintosh, apple computer, mac based, mac related, mac system, macintosh.
How do you use "mac" in a sentence?
Mac helped me carry the vacuum cleaner.
How do you pronounce "mac"?
Pronounced /mæk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Clipping of mackintosh.
Etymology 2
Clipping of macaroni.
Etymology 3
See macc for details.
Etymology 4
Informal diminutive of Macintosh, later adopted by Apple as a trademark.
Etymology 5
A shortening.