mass
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /mæs/
note: Hong Kong, Indic
ipa: /mɑːs/
Forms: form: masses
Etymology: 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 (“lump, dough”), from Ancient Greek μᾶζα (mâza, “barley-cake, lump (of dough)”). The Greek noun may be derived from the verb μάσσω (mássō, “to knead”), ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European *maǵ- (“to oil, knead”), although this is uncertain. Doublet of masa.
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.
Senses: examples: text: And if it were not for theſe Principles the Bodies of the Earth, Planets, Comets, Sun, and all things in them would grow cold and freeze, and become inactive Maſſes ; […].
ref: 1718 [1704], Isaac Newton, Opticks, 2nd edition:
text: […] and because a deep mass of continual sea is slower stirred to rage.
ref: 1821 [1582], George Buchanan, The History of Scotland, from the Earliest Accounts of that Nation, to the Reign of King James VI, volume 1 (in English), translation of Rerum Scoticarum Historia by an unnamed translator, page 133:
glosses: Matter, material.
A quantity of matter cohering so as to make one body, or an aggregation of particles or things which collectively make one body or quantity, usually of considerable size.
examples: text: Right in the midst the Goddesse selfe did stand / Upon an altar of some costly masse […].
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.10:
glosses: Matter, material.
Precious metal, especially gold or silver.
topics: natural-sciences
physical-sciences
physics
glosses: Matter, material.
A measure of the inertia of a mass of matter, one of four fundamental properties of matter. SI unit of mass: kilogram.
examples: text: blue mass
topics: medicine
pharmacology
sciences
glosses: Matter, material.
A medicinal substance made into a cohesive, homogeneous lump, of consistency suitable for making pills.
topics: medicine
sciences
glosses: Matter, material.
A palpable or visible abnormal globular structure; a tumor.
examples: text: After all, muscle maniacs go "ga ga" over mass no matter how it's presented.
ref: 1988, Steve Holman, “Christian Conquers Columbus”, in Ironman, volume 47, number 6, pages 28–34:
topics: bodybuilding
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: Matter, material.
Excess body mass, especially in the form of muscle hypertrophy.
examples: text: […]he hath discovered to me the way to five or six of the richest mines which the Spaniard hath, and whence all the mass of gold that comes into Spain in effect is drawn.
ref: 1829, Sir Walter Raleigh, The Works of Sir Walter Ralegh, Kt, volume VIII:
text: For though he had spent a huge mass of treasure in transporting his army, […].
ref: 1869, Alexander George Richey, Lectures on the History of Ireland: Down to A. D. 1534, page 204:
glosses: A large quantity; a sum.
examples: text: Witness this army of such mass and charge / Led by a delicate and tender prince,
ref: c. 1599-1601, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, act 4, scene 4:
glosses: A large quantity; a sum.
Bulk; magnitude; body; size.
examples: text: Night closed upon the pursuit, and aided the mass of the fugitives in their escape.
ref: 1881, Thucydides, translated by Benjamin Jowett, Thucydides translated into English, volume 1, page 310:
glosses: A large quantity; a sum.
The principal part; the main body.
examples: text: The mass of spectators didn't see the infraction on the field.
text: A mass of ships converged on the beaches of Dunkirk.
text: Generals gathered in their masses / Just like witches at black masses
ref: 1970, “War Pigs”, in Paranoid, performed by Black Sabbath:
glosses: A large quantity; a sum.
A large body of individuals, especially persons.
examples: text: The masses are revolting.
glosses: A large quantity; a sum.
The lower classes of persons.
Coordinate terms: weight
Derived terms: word: active gravitational mass
word: admass
word: airmass
word: air mass
word: atomic mass
word: biomass
word: blue mass
word: bodymass
word: center of mass
word: centre of mass
word: comass
word: conservation of mass
word: coronal mass ejection
word: critical mass
word: dendromass
word: downmass
word: dry mass
word: Earth mass
word: eggmass
word: eigenmass
word: gravitational mass
word: groundmass
word: inertial mass
word: isomass
word: Jupiter mass
word: landmass
word: land mass
word: law of conservation of mass
word: low mass star
word: mascon
word: maskin
word: mass balance
word: mass center
word: masscom
word: mass copper
word: masscult
word: mass defect
word: mass density
word: mass distribution
word: mass driver
word: mass effect
word: mass-energy
word: mass energy
word: mass finishing
word: mass flow
word: mass fraction
word: massful
word: mass gainer
word: massic
word: massification
word: massifier
word: massify
word: massless
word: masslike
word: mass line
word: massly
word: mass man
word: mass monster
word: massness
word: mass noun
word: mass number
word: mass of maneuver
word: mass shift
word: mass shooter
word: mass spec
word: mass spectrograph
word: mass spectrometer
word: mass spectrometry
word: mass spectrum
word: masstige
word: mass transfer
word: mass wasting
word: massy
word: micromass
word: mineralomass
word: molar mass
word: molecular mass
word: mulberry mass
word: necromass
word: paraphrase mass
word: gravitational mass
word: phytomass
word: Planck mass
word: point mass
word: pseudomass
word: reaction mass
word: reduced mass
word: relativistic mass
word: rest mass
word: rockmass
word: sociomass
word: solar mass
word: subcritical mass
word: submass
word: supercritical mass
word: the masses
word: thermal mass
word: thermomass
word: upmass
word: very low mass star
word: wet mass
word: working mass
word: zoomass
Related terms: sense: Customary units
word: slug
sense: Customary units
word: pound
sense: Customary units
word: ounce
sense: Customary units
word: long ton (1.12 short tons)
sense: Customary units
english: commonly used
translation: commonly used
word: short ton
sense: Metric units
alt: g
word: gram
sense: Metric units
alt: kg
word: kilogram
sense: Metric units
word: metric ton