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mass

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The definition of mass is the Liturgy of the Eucharist or a body of matter or a large amount of people or things.

(noun)

An example of mass is a Roman Catholic church service.
An example of mass is a pile of clay.
An example of mass is a gathering of thousands of people.

See mass in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a quantity of matter forming a body of indefinite shape and size, usually of relatively large size; lump
a large quantity or number: a mass of bruises
bulk; size; magnitude
the main or larger part; majority
Painting a large area or form of one color, shade, intensity, etc.
Pharmacy the paste or plastic combination of drugs from which pills are made
Physics the quantity of matter in a body as measured by its inertia; the ratio of force to the acceleration produced by that force: experimentally it is found that the gravitational force on an object is proportional to its mass: abbrev. m

Origin: ME masse < OFr < L massa, a lump, mass < Gr maza, barley cake < massein, to knead < IE base *menk-, to knead > mingle

adjective

1. of a large number of things; large-scale: mass production
2. of a large number of persons: a mass demonstration
of, characteristic of, or for the masses: mass education

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to gather or form into a mass

noun

the Roman Catholic Eucharistic rite consisting of prayers and ceremonies centered on the consecration of bread and wine as a real though mystical reenactment of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross: with differing doctrinal interpretations, the term has sometimes been used of the Eucharistic rite of other Churches
a musical setting for certain parts of this rite

Origin: ME masse < OE mæsse < LL(Ec) missa, mass, lit., dismissal, orig. pp. of L mittere, to dismiss < the words said by the priest ite, missa est (contio), go, (the meeting) is dismissed

Massachusetts

See mass in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A unified body of matter with no specific shape: a mass of clay.
A grouping of individual parts or elements that compose a unified body of unspecified size or quantity: “Take mankind in mass, and for the most part, they seem a mob of unnecessary duplicates” (Herman Melville).
A large but nonspecific amount or number: a mass of bruises.
A lump or aggregate of coherent material: a cancerous mass.
The principal part; the majority: the mass of the continent.
The physical volume or bulk of a solid body.
Abbr. m Physics A property of matter equal to the measure of an object's resistance to changes in either the speed or direction of its motion. The mass of an object is not dependent on gravity and therefore is different from but proportional to its weight.
An area of unified light, shade, or color in a painting.
Pharmacology A thick, pasty mixture containing drugs from which pills are formed.
masses The body of common people or people of low socioeconomic status: “Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” (Emma Lazarus).

tr. & intr.v. massed, mass·ing, mass·es

To gather or be gathered into a mass.

adjective

Of, relating to, characteristic of, directed at, or attended by a large number of people: mass education; mass communication.
Done or carried out on a large scale: mass production.
Total; complete: The mass result is impressive.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English masse

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin massa

Origin: , from Greek māza, maza; see mag- in Indo-European roots

also mass

noun

a. Public celebration of the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic Church and some Protestant churches.
b. The sacrament of the Eucharist.
A musical setting of certain parts of the Mass, especially the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English masse

Origin: , from Old English mǽsse

Origin: , from Vulgar Latin *messa

Origin: , from Late Latin missa

Origin: , from Latin

Origin: , feminine past participle of mittere, to send away, dismiss

abbreviation

Massachusetts

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