mass

mass · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A large body of matter with no definite shape; a quantity of material.

  2. 2.

    (Physics) A measure of the amount of matter in an object, typically measured in kilograms.

  3. 3.

    A large number or quantity of something.

  4. 4.

    (Mass, capitalized) The Christian Eucharist, especially in the Roman Catholic Church.

  5. 5.

    (adjective) Done by or affecting large numbers; widespread.

Forms

plural: masses

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    mass media — Television, radio, newspapers, and the internet as means of communication
  • •
    mass production — Manufacturing of large quantities of goods
  • •
    critical mass — The minimum amount needed to start or maintain a reaction
  • •
    the masses — Ordinary people as a whole

Related words

Antonyms: fragment, portion
See also: bulk, masses, massive, weight
Synonyms: bulk, quantity, volume

Etymology

From Latin massa ("lump, dough"), from Greek maza ("barley cake"). The religious sense comes from Late Latin missa, from the dismissal phrase "Ite, missa est" ("Go, it is the dismissal").