a low-lying area of very wet ground, sometimes inhabited by grobes
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noun mammals A mammal is an animal that gives birth to live babies and feeds its young with its own milk. Cats, dogs, whales, lions, and people are all mammals, as is Fantastic Mr Fox and the Geraneous Giraffe.
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noun The Manhugger is one of the not-so-friendly giants in The BFG. The Manhugger is not as cuddly as it sounds. Its name suggests it crushes its victims before it eats them, rather like a python. LOOK IT UP! Some other human-eating giants are the Bonecruncher and the Fleshlumpeater.
maniac
noun maniacs a person who acts in a violent and wild way The tall skinny Bean and dwarfish pot-bellied Bunce were driving their machines like maniacs, racing the motors and making the shovels dig at a terrific speed. — FANTASTIC MR FOX
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noun Your manners are the ways in which you behave when you are talking to people or eating your food. Mr Twit has terrible table manners. 'What an impudent fellow Rat is.' 'He has bad manners,' Badger said. 'All rats have bad manners. I've never met a polite rat yet.' —FANTASTIC MR FOX
march
verb marches, marching, marched When you march, you walk with regular steps like a soldier. A moment later, Mr and Mrs Twit came marching into the garden, each carrying a fearsome-looking gun. —THE TWITS
march
noun marches a piece of music you can march to The Old-Green-Grasshopper started to play the Funeral March on his violin, and by the time he had finished, everyone, including himself, was in a flood of tears. —JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH
margarine
A marshmallow is a soft spongy sweet. Willa Wonka makes edible pillows made of marshmallow. 'Marshmallow pillows are terrific!' shouted Mr Wonka as he dashed by. 'They'll be all the rage when I get them into the shops!'—CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
marvellous
adjective
Something that is marvellous is wonderful and exciting. Soon the marvellous mixture began to froth and foam. A rich blue smoke, the colour of peacocks, rose from the surface of the liquid.—GEORGE'S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE
You can also say fantabulous, gloriumptious, or wondercrump. An opposite is horrigust. SPLIFFLING SYNONYMS
mask
noun masks
You wear a mask over your face to hide it or protect it. The Grand High Witch wears a face mask so that no-one will recognise her and start to scream.
noun Margarine is a food that looks and tastes like butter, but is made from vegetable oils. Charlie and his family can only afford bread and margarine for breakfast. The only meals they could afford were bread and margarine for breakfast, boiled potatoes and cabbage for lunch, and cabbage soup for supper. —CHARLIE AND THE
I saw The Grand High Witch herself reach for her face-mask and put it on over that revolting face of hers. It was astonishing how that mask transformed her. —THE
CHOCOLATE FACTORY
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marmalade
noun jam made from oranges or lemons 'Do calm down, my dear,' Mrs Kranky said from the other end of the table. 'And stop putting marmalade on your cornflakes.' —GEORGE'S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE
massive
adjective Something that is massive is very big. The giant peach, with the sunlight glinting on its side, was like a massive golden ball sailing upon a silver sea. —JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH
You can also say gigantuous or whunking. An opposite is midgy. SPLIFFLING SYNONYMS
mast
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noun masts a tall pole that holds up a ship’s sails James . . . pointed to the peach stem, which was standing up like a short thick mast in the middle of the deck.—JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH
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match
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noun matches a small, thin stick that makes a flame when you rub it against something rough I got out of my bunk and found a box of matches by the sink. I struck one and held it up to the funny old clock that hung on the wall.—DANNY THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD
Matilda Matilda Wormwood is a fiveyear-old girl genius who loves reading books (including of course dictionaries). She is ignored by her dim-witted parents, but uses her telekinetic powers to get revenge on them and on her cruel headmistress, Miss Trunchbull.
mattress
noun mattresses A mattress is the soft part of a bed that you lie on. Charlie and his parents sleep on mattresses as they only have one bed in the house, which his grandparents use. 'You think it's funny?' she cried. 'Well just you wait, Doctor Spencer, and one night I'll put a few snakes or crocodiles or something under your mattress and see how you like it!'—DANNY THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD
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noun marshmallows
noun masses a large amount of something, or a large number of things The moon had long since disappeared but the sky was clear and a great mass of stars was wheeling above my head.—DANNY THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD
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noun marbles Marbles are small, glass balls that you use to play games with. A large green marble dropped . . . into a basket on the floor. At least it looked like a marble. 'Everlasting Gobstoppers!' cried Mr Wonka proudly. —CHARLIE AND THE
noun marshes
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‘Mrs Silver, please will you marry me ?’ ‘Why, Mr Hoppy!’ she cried. ‘I didn’t think you’d ever get round to asking me! Of course I’ll marry you!’ —ESIO TROT
The name manticore comes from an old Persian word meaning 'man-eater'. noun maps a drawing of a town, a country, or the world 'Where is this place?' the Air Force man said to the BFG. 'I presume you can pinpoint it on the map?' —THE BFG
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verb marries, marrying, married
When you marry someone, you become their husband or wife, like Mr and Mrs Twit. When you ask someone to marry you, you propose to them.
GIANT PEACH DID YOU KNOW?
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noun manticores (say man-tee-core) The manticore is a legendary creature with the body of a lion, a human head, sharp teeth, and bat-like wings. The hoof of a manticore is a vital ingredient in Wonka-Vite. 'Look out!' they cried. 'It's a Dragon!' 'It's not a Dragon! It's a Wampus!' 'It's a Gorgon!' 'It's a Sea-serpent!' 'It's a Prock!' 'It's a Manticore!'—JAMES AND THE
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noun mambas a venomous snake found in Africa If a black mamba bit you, you died within the hour writhing in agony and foaming at the mouth. I couldn't wait. —BOY
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