mass

 
Pronunciation: /mas/

noun

  • 1a large body of matter with no definite shape: the sun broke out from behind a mass of clouds
  • any of the main portions in a painting or drawing that each have some unity in colour, lighting, or some other quality: the masterly distribution of masses
  • 2a large number of people or objects crowded together: a mass of cyclists
  • a large amount of material: a mass of conflicting evidence
  • (masses) informal a large quantity or amount of something: we get masses of homework
  • 3 (the mass of) the majority of: the mass of the people think that the problems are caused by government inefficiency
  • (the masses) the ordinary people: seaside towns that catered for the masses
  • 4 [mass noun] Physics the quantity of matter which a body contains, as measured by its acceleration under a given force or by the force exerted on it by a gravitational field: stellar objects of intermediate mass
  • (in general use) weight: multiply the mass of the payload by the distance travelled

adjective

[attributive]
  • involving or affecting large numbers of people or things: the film has mass appeal a mass exodus of refugees

verb

  • assemble or cause to assemble into a single body or mass: [with object]: both countries began massing troops in the region [no object]: clouds massed heavily on the horizon

Phrases

be a mass of

be completely covered with: his face was a mass of bruises

in mass

as a body: men advancing in mass

in the mass

as a whole: her affection for humanity in the mass

Derivatives

massless

adjective

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French masse, from Latin massa, from Greek maza 'barley cake'; perhaps related to massein 'knead'