massage
noun
- process of skin, muscle, and connective tissue manipulation (usually by hand)
verb
- to manipulate the skin, muscles, and connective tissue (usually by hand)
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈmæsɑː(d)ʒ/ / /məˈsɑː(d)ʒ/ / /məˈsɑ(d)ʒ/
noun
Etymology: From French massage (noun), from masser (“to massage”) (borrowed around the end of the 18th century from Arabic مَسَّ (massa, “feel, touch”), or from Portuguese amassar) + -age. Cognate to German massieren.
- The action of rubbing, kneading or hitting someone's body, to help the person relax, prepare for muscular action (as in contact sports) or to relieve aches.
“Having a massage can have many beneficial effects.”
“During the long lapses in work common with on-location productions, Marilyn would silently meditate as Roberts provided a shoulder massage.”
- The action of rubbing or kneading anything.
“The baker gave the dough one final massage.”
verb
Etymology: From French massage (noun), from masser (“to massage”) (borrowed around the end of the 18th century from Arabic مَسَّ (massa, “feel, touch”), or from Portuguese amassar) + -age. Cognate to German massieren.
- To rub and knead (someone's body or body part), to perform a massage on (somebody).
“My neck doesn't hurt as much as it did last night since my wife massaged me after I got back from the concert.”
“So after massaging a nude woman while being nude or nearly nude myself, sex is a natural way to end things.”
- To rub or knead anything.
“Massage the kale to soften it before making the salad.”
- To manipulate (data, a document etc.) to make it more presentable or more convenient to work with.
“News relating to public disturbances was systematically massaged [...].”
“The Conservatives have massaged expectations down by saying they would be delighted with a majority of 1,000 […]”
- To falsify (data or accounts).