Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

main

2 noun
     
main2
1 [countable]TBC a large pipe or wire carrying the public supply of water, electricity, or gas:
The report found that many of Yorkshire's water mains needed replacing.
a burst gas main
2 British English
a)

the mains

TEEDHH the place on a wall where you can connect something to a supply of electricity:
You can run the torch off batteries or plug it into the mains.
at the mains
Make sure that the television is turned off at the mains.
b)

mains gas/water/electricity

TP gas, water, or electricity supplied to a building through a pipe or wire:
The heater will run off mains gas or bottled gas.
3

in the main

mostly:
Their job in the main consisted of cleaning and maintaining the building.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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