masses

Mass also mass  (ms)

n.

1.

a. Public celebration of the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic Church and some Protestant churches.

b. The sacrament of the Eucharist.

2. A musical setting of certain parts of the Mass, especially the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

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[Middle English masse, from Old English mæsse, from Vulgar Latin *messa, from Late Latin missa, from Latin, feminine past participle of mittere, to send away, dismiss.]

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mass  (ms)

n.

1. A unified body of matter with no specific shape: a mass of clay.

2. 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).

3. A large but nonspecific amount or number: a mass of bruises.

4. A lump or aggregate of coherent material: a cancerous mass.

5. The principal part; the majority: the mass of the continent.

6. The physical volume or bulk of a solid body.

7. 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.

8. An area of unified light, shade, or color in a painting.

9. Pharmacology A thick, pasty mixture containing drugs from which pills are formed.

10. 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.

adj.

1. Of, relating to, characteristic of, directed at, or attended by a large number of people: mass education; mass communication.

2. Done or carried out on a large scale: mass production.

3. Total; complete: The mass result is impressive.

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[Middle English masse, from Old French, from Latin massa, from Greek mza, maza; see mag- in Indo-European roots.]

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masses [ˈmæsɪz]

pl n

1. (preceded by the) the body of common people

2. (often foll by of) Informal chiefly Brit great numbers or quantities masses of food

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

masses - the common people generally; "separate the warriors from the mass"; "power to the people" hoi polloi, the great unwashed, multitude, people, mass group, grouping - any number of entities (members) considered as a unit laity, temporalty - in Christianity, members of a religious community that do not have the priestly responsibilities of ordained clergy audience - the part of the general public interested in a source of information or entertainment; "every artist needs an audience"; "the broadcast reached an audience of millions" followers, following - a group of followers or enthusiasts