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Meaning & use

the mains

noun·EverydayBritish

Last updated

UK/ðə ˈmeɪnz/
US/ðə ˈmeɪnz/

Meanings

  1. nounusually pluralBritish

    The main public supply system of electricity delivered into buildings through wires, as opposed to batteries.

    Grammar: Always with the: plug it into the mains; the mains was cut off.

    Patterns

    • plug something into the mains
    • run on the mains
    • turn something off at the mains

    Always switch the cooker off at the mains before cleaning behind it.

    This radio runs on batteries or the mains.

    Plug the charger into the mains and wait ten minutes.

  2. nounusually pluralBritish

    The principal public pipes or cables carrying water or gas to homes, from which each building's supply branches off.

    Grammar: Often 'the water mains' or 'the gas mains'; a burst mains is a pipe failure.

    Patterns

    • connected to the mains
    • a burst mains

    Every house on the street is connected to the mains.

    A burst water mains flooded the road on Tuesday.

    The cottage had no connection to the mains, so it relied on a well.

Common combinations

mains electricity
The cabin has no mains electricity, only solar panels.
mains water
We pay for mains water by the month.
switch off at the mains
Switch off at the mains before changing the plug.
mains powered
This lamp is mains powered, not battery operated.
a burst mains
A burst mains left us without water for hours.

Synonyms and how they differ

power supply
It is broader and can include a battery or generator, while the mains is specifically the public supply.
grid
The grid suggests the whole national network, while the mains means what comes into your own building.
electricity supply
It is a plain descriptive phrase and does not carry the idea of a public network feeding homes.

Opposites

battery power

Word family

main adjective
most important
main noun
a large pipe or cable carrying supply
mainly adverb
for the most part

Commonly confused: the mains or mains?

the mains vs mains

Do not confuse the mains with 'mains' as in main courses in British restaurant menus, where mains means the main dishes of a meal.

Practice

Before replacing the light fitting, you should switch the electricity off at the ______.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “the mains”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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