Using “Mean” in your English Class

We use mean as a verb and the definition is to signify or indicate. We use mean in language to talk about the definition of a word or phrase:

The phrasal verb “put out” means “extinguish.”
The word “sprint” means “to run at full speed for a short distance.”
What does this word mean?
Be careful! We say “It means ~” and not “It’s mean ~”

A: Do you know the word “hardly ever?”

B: Yes. It means “almost never.” Not, It’s mean “almost never.”

The noun form is the word meaning. We use meaning like this:

The meaning of the phrasal verb “put out” is “extinguish.”
The meaning of the word “sprint” is “to run at full speed for a short distance.”
What is the meaning of this word?