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, from Ancient Greek μᾶζα.

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.

• IPA: /mæs/
• (HK) IPA: /mɑs/

mass

1. (physical) Matter, material.
   1. A quantity of matter cohering together so as to make one body, or an aggregation of particles or things which collectively make one body or quantity, usually of considerable size.
   2. (obsolete) Precious metal, especially gold or silver.
   3. (physics) A measure of the inertia of a mass of matter, one of four fundamental properties of matter. SI unit of mass: kilogram.
   4. (pharmaceutical drug) A medicinal substance made into a cohesive, homogeneous lump, of consistency suitable for making pills; as, blue mass.
   5. (medicine) A palpable or visible abnormal globular structure; a tumor.
   6. (bodybuilding) Excess body mass, especially in the form of muscle hypertrophy.
2. A large quantity; a sum.
   1. Bulk; magnitude; body; size.
   2. The principal part; the main body.
   3. A large body of individuals, especially persons.

      The mass of spectators didn't see the infraction on the field.

      A mass of ships converged on the beaches of Dunkirk.

   4. (in the plural) The lower classes of persons.

      The masses are revolting.

• German: Masse
• Italian: massa
• Portuguese: massa
• Russian: ма́сса
• Spanish: masa

• German: Masse
• Italian: massa
• Portuguese: monte
• Russian: ма́сса

• Italian: massa
• Russian: ма́сса

• Portuguese: grosso
• Russian: ма́сса

• French: masse
• German: Masse
• Italian: massa
• Portuguese: massa
• Russian: ма́сса
• Spanish: masa

• Russian: ма́сса

• French: masse
• Italian: massa
• Portuguese: massa
• Spanish: masa

• Russian: ма́сса

• Russian: ма́ссы

• Portuguese: massas, plebe
• Russian: ма́ссы

mass (masses, present participle massing; simple past and past participle massed)

1. (transitive) To form or collect into a mass; to form into a collective body; to bring together into masses; to assemble.
2. (intransitive) To assemble in a mass

• (to form into a mass) See also Thesaurus:assemble
• (to collect into a mass) See also Thesaurus:coalesce or Thesaurus:round up
• (to have a certain mass) weigh

mass (not comparable)

1. Involving a mass of things; concerning a large quantity or number.

   There is evidence of mass extinctions in the distant past.

2. Involving a mass of people; of, for, or by the masses.

   Mass unemployment resulted from the financial collapse.

• Russian: ма́ссовый
• Spanish: másico

• Italian: di massa
• Russian: ма́ссовый
• Spanish: multitudinario, masivo, de masa, en masa

From Middle English messe, masse, from Old English mæsse and Old French messe, from Vulgar Latin *messa, from Late Latin missa, noun use of feminine past participle of classical Latin mittere, 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.

• (America) IPA: /mæs/
• (British) IPA: /mæs/, /mɑːs/

mass (plural masses)

1. (Christianity) The Eucharist, now especially in Roman Catholicism.
2. (Christianity) Celebration of the Eucharist.
3. (Christianity, usually as the Mass) The sacrament of the Eucharist.
4. A musical setting of parts of the mass.

• French: messe
• German: Messe
• Italian: messa
• Portuguese: eucaristia
• Russian: ме́сса
• Spanish: misa

• French: messe
• German: Messe
• Italian: messa
• Portuguese: missa
• Russian: ме́сса
• Spanish: misa

• German: Messe
• Portuguese: comunhão

• German: Messe
• Portuguese: missa

mass (masses, present participle massing; simple past and past participle massed)

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To celebrate mass.
   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC ↗, (please specify the page):

     massing priests

• Portuguese: missar
• Spanish: misar (colloquial)

• IPA: /ˈmæs/

From Middle English messe, from Old English mæsse and Old French messe, both from Late Latin missa, from Latin mittō, 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.

mass

1. (Roman Catholic Church) 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.
2. A similar ceremony offered by a number of Christian churches.
3. (music) A musical composition set to portions, or all, of the Mass.

• Divine Liturgy

• French: messe
• German: Messe
• Italian: messa
• Portuguese: missa
• Russian: ме́сса
• Spanish: misa

• German: Messe

Short forms.

1. Abbr of Massachusetts

   the Massachusetts Turnpike

2. Alternative form of Mas