“massing” is a form of
mass
/mæs/ noun, verb, adjective
Forms masses massing massed masser massest
- noun 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.
- noun (obsolete) Precious metal, especially gold or silver.
- noun (physics) A measure of the inertia of a mass of matter, one of four fundamental properties of matter. SI unit of mass: kilogram.
- noun (pharmacology) A medicinal substance made into a cohesive, homogeneous lump, of consistency suitable for making pills. “blue mass”
- noun (medicine) A palpable or visible abnormal globular structure.
- noun (bodybuilding) Excess body mass, especially in the form of muscle hypertrophy.
- noun A large quantity; a sum.
- noun Bulk; magnitude; body; size.
- verb (ergative) To form or collect into a mass; to form into a collective body; to assemble.
- adjective Involving a mass of things; concerning a large quantity or number. “There is evidence of mass extinctions in the distant past.”
- adjective Involving a mass of people; of, for, or by the masses. “Mass unemployment resulted from the financial collapse.”
- noun (Christianity) The Eucharist, now especially in Roman Catholicism.
- noun (Christianity) Celebration of the Eucharist.
- noun (Christianity, by extension) The main kind of church service, in some denominations. “She went to mass every Sunday for many years, and when she retired, she took to going on some weekdays, too.”
- noun (Christianity, usually as the Mass) The sacrament of the Eucharist.
- noun A musical setting of parts of the mass.
- verb (intransitive, obsolete) To celebrate mass.
- noun (Roman Catholicism) The principal liturgical service of the Church, encompassing both a scripture service (Liturgy of the Word) and a eucharistic service (Liturgy of the Eucharist), which includes the consecration and oblation (offering) of the host and wine.
- noun A similar ceremony offered by a number of Christian churches.
- noun (music) A musical composition set to portions, or all, of the Mass.
Synonyms
lump round up weigh batch deal flock good deal great deal hatful heap lot mess mickle mint mountain muckle passel peck pile plenty pot quite a little raft sight slew spate stack tidy sum wad multitude
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.
From Middle English messe, masse, from Old English mæsse (“the mass, church festival”) and Old French messe, from Vulgar Latin *messa (“Eucharist, dismissal”), from Late Latin missa, noun use of feminine past participle of classical Latin mittere (“to send”), from ite, missa est (“go, (the assembly) is dismissed”), reanalyzed as "go, [that] is the missa", last words of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.
Compare Dutch mis (“mass”), German Messe (“mass”), Danish messe (“mass”), Swedish mässa (“mass; expo”), Icelandic messa (“mass”). More at mission.
From Middle English messe, from Old English mæsse and Old French messe, both from Late Latin missa, from Latin mittō (“to send, dismiss”), compare French 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 the words: "Ite, missa est", 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. Compare Christmas, Lammas, missal. Doublet of missa.
Short forms.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The sacrifice in the sacrament of the Eucharist, or the consecration and oblation of the host.
- noun 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.
- verb To celebrate Mass. [Obs.] Hooker.
- noun 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.
Etymology [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]
Etymology [OE. masse, F. masse, L. massa; akin to Gr. Macerate.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “mass”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details