maxim

noun

1. (archaic)A self-evident axiom or premise; a pithy expression of a general principle or rule.
2. A precept; a succinct statement or observation of a rule of conduct or moral teaching.

   “In every age and country of the world men must have attended to the characters, designs, and actions of one another, and many reputable rules and maxims for the conduct of human life, must have been laid down and approved of by common consent.”

   “It was impossible to imagine anything more cold or comfortless, while it was a task of no small dexterity to thread your way through the labyrinth of trunks, bandboxes, &c.; for it had of late years become a maxim with Lady Anne that nothing ought to be thrown or given away:...”

   “Those maxims lurch through my head like rivers of lava. Those smarmy, know-it-all maxims. Trivia disguised as deeply held wisdom.”

3. (alt-of)Alternative letter-case form of Maxim.
4. The Maxim gun, a British machine gun of various calibres used by the British army from 1889 until World War I.

   “Again we went on, and climbed the false immensity of another ridge, when several rifles and a maxim opened upon us, and very close they were.”

5. Any machine gun that derives from the design pattern of Maxim's patented design
6. (informal, obsolete)A machine gun

name

1. A surname