Mass
[mæs]
Definition
(noun.) (Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Churches) the celebration of the Eucharist.
(noun.) the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field.
(noun.) a sequence of prayers constituting the Christian Eucharistic rite; 'the priest said Mass'.
(noun.) a musical setting for a Mass; 'they played a Mass composed by Beethoven'.
(noun.) an ill-structured collection of similar things (objects or people).
(noun.) a body of matter without definite shape; 'a huge ice mass'.
(verb.) join together into a mass or collect or form a mass; 'Crowds were massing outside the palace'.
Typed by Evangeline--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) The sacrifice in the sacrament of the Eucharist, or the consecration and oblation of the host.
(n.) The portions of the Mass usually set to music, considered as a musical composition; -- namely, the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Credo, the Sanctus, and the Agnus Dei, besides sometimes an Offertory and the Benedictus.
(v. i.) To celebrate Mass.
(n.) 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; as, a mass of ore, metal, sand, or water.
(n.) A medicinal substance made into a cohesive, homogeneous lump, of consistency suitable for making pills; as, blue mass.
(n.) A large quantity; a sum.
(n.) Bulk; magnitude; body; size.
(n.) The principal part; the main body.
(n.) The quantity of matter which a body contains, irrespective of its bulk or volume.
(v. t.) To form or collect into a mass; to form into a collective body; to bring together into masses; to assemble.
Edited by Charlene
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. [1]. Lump, heap, collection.[2]. Size, magnitude, bulk, dimension, quantity of matter.[3]. Assemblage, congeries.[4]. Whole, aggregate, totality, body.
n. Communion service (in the Roman Catholic Church), celebration of the Lord's Supper.
Checker: Muriel
Synonyms and Antonyms
SYN:Lump, body, bulk, concretion, magnitude, majority, heap
ANT:Fragment, bit, portion, morsel, section, minority
Editor: Ramon
Definition
n. a lump of matter: a quantity: a collected body: the main body: magnitude: the principal part or main body: quantity of matter in any body weight being proportional to mass: (pl.) the lower classes of the people.—v.t. to form into a mass: to bring together in masses.—v.i. to assemble in masses.—adj. Mass′ive bulky: weighty: not separated into parts or elements: without crystalline form geologically homogeneous.—adv. Mass′ively.—ns. Mass′iveness Mass′iness; Mass′-meeting a public meeting of persons of all classes to discuss some matter of general interest.—adj. Mass′y massive made up of masses.
n. the celebration of the Lord's Supper or Eucharist in R.C. churches also the office for the same: a musical setting of certain parts of the R.C. liturgy: a church festival or feast-day as in Candlemas Christmas Martinmas &c.—ns. Mass′-bell or Sacring-bell a bell rung during the celebration of mass at the elevation of the host; Mass′-book the R.C. missal or service-book; Mass′-priest formerly a R.C. secular priest as distinct from those living under a rule—later a priest retained in chantries &c. to say masses for the dead: a R.C. priest generally.—Mass for the dead a funeral mass for the faithful in Christ to hasten their release from purgatory; Conventual mass a mass for the general community of a religious house: a mass at which special remembrance is made of pious founders and benefactors; Dry mass or service a rite in which there is neither consecration nor communion; High mass a mass celebrated with music ritual ceremonies and incense; Low mass the ordinary mass celebrated without music and incense; Midnight mass that mass which is said at midnight on Christmas-eve; Private mass any mass where only the priest communicates esp. in a private oratory; Solemn mass a mass resembling a high mass but without some of its special ceremonies; Votive mass a special mass over and above those ordinarily said for the day for some particular grace or purpose and provided by some individual.
Editor: Louise
Examples
- Let it suffice h ere to state that Rutherford assumes that the greater mass of the atom consis ts o f negatively charged particles rotating about a positive nucle us. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- When the mass of men emerged from slavish obedience and made democracy inevitable, the taboo entered upon its final illness. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
- His dislike of mankind, of the mass of mankind, amounted almost to an illness. D. H. Lawrence. Women in Love .
- The atom, to be sure, can no longer be consider ed the smallest unit of matter, as the mass of a β particle is approximately one seventeen-hundredths that of an atom of hydrogen. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- In spite of such support, and its strong appeal to national vanity, British imperialism never saturated the mass of the British peoples. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
- The wanderings led to the old ore-milling plant at Edison, now practically a mass of deserted buildings all going to decay. Frank Lewis Dyer. Edison, His Life and Inventions.
- As a great modern philosopher has said, Aristotle press ed his way through the mass of things knowable, and subjected its diversity to the power of his thought. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- Now how did those masses of oyster-shells get there? Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- The vault above became obscured, lightning flashed from the heavy masses, followed instantaneously by crashing thunder; then the big rain fell. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- From the cooling and cont racting masses that were to constitute the planets smaller zones and rings were formed. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
- Nobody knows how many rebellions besides political rebellions ferment in the masses of life which people earth. Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre.
- The holes, which usually are about a foot deep, are made by the crab persistently digging up and carrying away little masses of mud or sand. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- The masses of furze and heath to the right and left were dark as ever; a mere half-moon was powerless to silver such sable features as theirs. Thomas Hardy. The Return of the Native.
- If they come in at all, it is as a concession to the material needs of the masses. John Dewey. Democracy and Education.
- To the left, in Baird's front where Bragg's troops had massed against Sherman, the resistance was more stubborn and the contest lasted longer. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- Perched on its eternal hills, white and domed and solid, massed together and hooped with high gray walls, the venerable city gleamed in the sun. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- Blue-white stones of exceptionally fine color are often massed full of shaggy or jet-black carbon spots. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- He caused his companions to drill for a massed charge. H. G. Wells. The Outline of History_Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind.
- They started from Liverpool, and the people massed along the line cheered and cheered again as they saw the eight trains speed along at the rate of twenty-four miles an hour. Rupert S. Holland. Historic Inventions.
- Lee massed heavily from his left flank on the broken point of his line. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- The reserves of the 9th corps should be massed as much as possible. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
- If you want to understand our life you must see that it is determined by the massing of capital in the hands of a few. Walter Lippmann. A Preface to Politics.
- Instead of massing them in big bunches as our head-gardener does, she had scattered them about loosely, here and there . Edith Wharton. The Age of Innocence.
- Bragg at once commenced massing in the same direction. Ulysses S. Grant. Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant.
Checked by Alfreda