mass
noun
- measure of inertia
- type of worship service within many Christian denomination
- form of sacred musical composition
verb
- to gather into a mass
adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L338304 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /mæs/ / /mas/ / /mɛs/ / /ˈmæs/ / /mɑːs/
adj
Etymology: In late Middle English (circa 1400) as masse in the sense of "lump, quantity of matter", from Anglo-Norman masse, in Old French attested from the 11th century, via late Latin massa (“lump, dough”), from Ancient Greek μᾶζα (mâza, “barley-cake, lump (of dough)”). The Greek noun may be derived from the verb μάσσω (mássō, “to knead”), ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European *maǵ- (“to oil, knead”), although this is uncertain. Doublet of masa. The sense of "a large number or quantity" arises circa 1580. The scientific sense is from 1687 (as Latin massa) in the works of Isaac Newton, with the first English use (as mass) occurring in 1704.
- Involving a mass of things; concerning a large quantity or number.
“There is evidence of mass extinctions in the distant past.”
“The national liberation movement had not yet developed to a sufficiently mass scale.”
- Involving a mass of people; of, for, or by the masses.
“Mass unemployment resulted from the financial collapse.”
“Every agency is sold on use of mass media today — or at least, it thinks it is — and what can be "masser" than television?”
name
Etymology: Short forms.
- Abbreviation of Massachusetts.
“the Mass Pike”
- Alternative form of Mas.
noun
Etymology: From Middle English messe, from Old English mæsse and Old French messe, both from Late Latin missa, from Latin mittō (“to send, dismiss”), compare French messe. In the ancient churches, the public services at which the catechumens were permitted to be present were called missa catechumenorum, ending with the reading of the Gospel. Then they were dismissed with the words: "Ite, missa est", the congregation is dismissed. After that the sacrifice proper began. At its close the same words were said to those who remained. So the word gave the name of Mass to the sacrifice in the Catholic Church. Compare Christmas, Lammas, missal. Doublet of missa.
- The principal liturgical service of the Church, encompassing both a scripture service (Liturgy of the Word) and a eucharistic service (Liturgy of the Eucharist), which includes the consecration and oblation (offering) of the host and wine.
- A similar ceremony offered by a number of Christian churches.
- A musical composition set to portions, or all, of the Mass.
verb
Etymology: From Middle English messe, masse, from Old English mæsse (“the mass, church festival”) and Old French messe, from Vulgar Latin *messa (“Eucharist, dismissal”), from Late Latin missa, noun use of feminine past participle of classical Latin mittere (“to send”), from ite, missa est (“go, (the assembly) is dismissed”), reanalyzed as "go, [that] is the missa", last words of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Compare Dutch mis (“mass”), German Messe (“mass”), Danish messe (“mass”), Swedish mässa (“mass; expo”), Icelandic messa (“mass”). More at mission.
- To celebrate mass.
“massing priests”