Mass , v. t. To form or collect into a mass; to form into a collective body; to bring together into masses; to assemble.
But mass
them together and they are
terrible indeed.
Coleridge.
Mass , n. [OE.
masse, F. masse, L.
massa; akin to Gr. &?; a barley cake, fr. &?; to knead. Cf. Macerate.]
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; as, a mass
of ore, metal, sand, or water.
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.
Sir I. Newton. A deep mass of continual sea is slower stirred
To rage.
Savile. 2. (Phar.) A medicinal substance made into a cohesive, homogeneous
lump, of consistency suitable for making pills; as, blue mass.
3. A large quantity; a sum.
All the mass of gold that
comes into Spain.
Sir W. Raleigh.
He had spent a huge
mass of treasure.
Sir
J. Davies. 4. Bulk; magnitude; body; size.
This army of such mass and charge.
Shak.
5. The principal part; the main body.
Night closed upon the pursuit, and aided the mass of the
fugitives in their escape.
Jowett (Thucyd.).
6. (Physics) The quantity of matter which a body
contains, irrespective of
its bulk or
volume.
&fist;
Mass and weight are often used, in a
general way, as interchangeable terms,
since the weight of a
body is proportional to its mass (under the same or equal
gravitative forces), and
the mass is usually ascertained from the weight. Yet the two
ideas, mass and weight, are quite distinct. Mass is the
quantity of matter in a body; weight is the comparative force with which it
tends towards the center of the
earth. A mass of sugar and a
mass of lead are assumed to be
equal when they show an
equal weight by balancing each other in the
scales.
Blue mass. See under Blue. -- Mass center (Geom.),
the center of gravity of
a triangle. -- Mass copper, native copper in a large mass. -- Mass meeting, a large or general assembly of people, usually a meeting having some relation to politics. -- The
masses, the great body of the people, as contrasted with the higher classes; the populace.
Mass (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Massed (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Massing.]
To celebrate Mass. [Obs.]
Hooker.
Mass (?), n. [OE.
masse, messe, AS. mæsse. LL. missa, from L. mittere, missum, to send, dismiss: cf. F. 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 these words : "Ite, missa est" [sc. ecclesia]
, 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. See Missile, and cf. Christmas,
Lammas, Mess a dish, Missal.]
1. (R. C. Ch.) The sacrifice in the sacrament of the Eucharist, or the consecration and oblation of the host.
2. (Mus.) 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.
Canon of the
Mass. See Canon. -- High Mass, Mass with incense, music, the assistance of a deacon, subdeacon, etc. -- Low
Mass, Mass which is said
by the priest throughout, without music. -- Mass bell, the sanctus bell. See Sanctus. -- Mass book, the missal or Roman Catholic service book.
Hear it pronounced