Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Many \Ma"ny\, n. [See {Meine}, {Mansion}.]
   A retinue of servants; a household. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Many \Ma"ny\, a. or pron.

   Note: [It has no variation to express degrees of comparison;
         more and most, which are used for the comparative and
         superlative degrees, are from a different root.] [OE.
         mani, moni, AS. manig, m[ae]nig, monig; akin to D.
         menig, OS. & OHG. manag, G. manch, Dan. mange, Sw.
         m[*a]nge, Goth. manags, OSlav. mnog', Russ. mnogii; cf.
         Icel. margr, Prov. E. mort. [root]103.]
   Consisting of a great number; numerous; not few.

         Thou shalt be a father of many nations.  --Gen. xvii.
                                                  4.

         Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not
         many noble, are called.                  --1 Cor. i.
                                                  26.

   Note: Many is freely prefixed to participles, forming
         compounds which need no special explanation; as,
         many-angled, many-celled, many-eyed, many-footed,
         many-handed, many-leaved, many-lettered, many-named,
         many-peopled, many-petaled, many-seeded, many-syllabled
         (polysyllabic), many-tongued, many-voiced, many-wived,
         and the like.

Many \Ma"ny\, n. [AS. menigeo, menigo, menio, multitude; akin to
   G. menge, OHG. manag[=i], menig[=i], Goth. managei. See
   {Many}, a.]
   1. The populace; the common people; the majority of people,
      or of a community.

            After him the rascal many ran.        --Spenser.

   2. A large or considerable number.

            A many of our bodies shall no doubt Find native
            graves.                               --Shak.

            Seeing a great many in rich gowns.    --Addison.

            It will be concluded by manythat he lived like an
            honest man.                           --Fielding.

   Note: In this sense, many is connected immediately with
         another substantive (without of) to show of what the
         many consists; as, a good many [of] people think so.

               He is liable to a great many inconveniences.
                                                  --Tillotson.

Source : WordNet®

many
     adj : a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often
           preceded by `as' or `too' or `so' or `that'; amounting
           to a large but indefinite number; "many temptations";
           "the temptations are many"; "a good many"; "a great
           many"; "many directions"; "take as many apples as you
           like"; "too many clouds to see"; "never saw so many
           people" [ant: {few}]