v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Amassed p. pr. & vb. n. Amassing. ] [ F. ambusher, LL. amassare; L. ad + massa lump, mass. See Mass. ] To collect into a mass or heap; to gather a great quantity of; to accumulate; as, to amass a treasure or a fortune; to amass words or phrases. [ 1913 Webster ]

The life of Homer has been written by amassing all the traditions and hints the writers could meet with. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To accumulate; heap up; pile. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. amasse, fr. ambusher. ] A mass; a heap. [ Obs. ] Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being amassed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who amasses. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. See Amass. ] An instrument of horn used for collecting painters' colors on the stone in the process of grinding. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. amassement. ] An amassing; a heap collected; a large quantity or number brought together; an accumulation. [ 1913 Webster ]

An amassment of imaginary conceptions. Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ American Indian name. ] (Bot.) any of several plants of the genus Camassia of North and South America, especially the blue-flowered liliaceous plant (Camassia esculenta) of northwestern America, the bulbs of which were collected for food by the Indians. [ Written also camas, cammas, and quamash. ]
Syn. -- camass, quamash, camosh, camash. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The Eastern cammass is Camassia Fraseri. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Origin uncert. ] A small prairie in a forest; a small grassy plain among hills. [ Western U. S. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a genus of scapose herbs of North and South America having large edible bulbs.
Syn. -- genus Camassia, Quamassia, genus Quamassia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ F. damassé, fr. damas. See Damask. ] Woven like damask. -- n. A damassé fabric, esp. one of linen. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. damas. See Damask. ] A kind of modified damask or brocade. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a large continuous extent of land; as, the Eurasian landmass. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖pos>n. [ F. ] See Levy in mass, under Levy, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. masse, messe, AS. maesse. 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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (R. C. Ch.) The sacrifice in the sacrament of the Eucharist, or the consecration and oblation of the host. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Massed p. pr. & vb. n. Massing. ] To celebrate Mass. [ Obs. ] Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. masse, F. masse, L. massa; akin to Gr. &unr_; a barley cake, fr. &unr_; to knead. Cf. Macerate. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

A deep mass of continual sea is slower stirred
To rage. Savile. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Phar.) A medicinal substance made into a cohesive, homogeneous lump, of consistency suitable for making pills; as, blue mass. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A large quantity; a sum. [ 1913 Webster ]

All the mass of gold that comes into Spain. Sir W. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

He had spent a huge mass of treasure. Sir J. Davies. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Bulk; magnitude; body; size. [ 1913 Webster ]

This army of such mass and charge. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The principal part; the main body. [ 1913 Webster ]

Night closed upon the pursuit, and aided the mass of the fugitives in their escape. Jowett (Thucyd.). [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Physics) The quantity of matter which a body contains, irrespective of its bulk or volume. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To form or collect into a mass; to form into a collective body; to bring together into masses; to assemble. [ 1913 Webster ]

But mass them together and they are terrible indeed. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. LL. mazacrium; cf. Prov. G. metzgern, metzgen, to kill cattle, G. metzger a butcher, and LG. matsken to cut, hew, OHG. meizan to cut, Goth. máitan. ] 1. The killing of a considerable number of human beings under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the usages of civilized people; as, the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day; the St. Valentine's Day massacre; the Amritsar massacre; the Wounded Knee massacre. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. Murder. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Massacre, Butchery, Carnage. Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance. Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts. Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain. [ 1913 Webster ]

I'll find a day to massacre them all,
And raze their faction and their family. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds,
Brhold this pattern of thy butcheries. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such a scent I draw
Of carnage, prey innumerable! Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Massacred p. pr. & vb. n. Massacring ] [ Cf. F. massacrer. See Massacre, n. ] To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the usages of nations; to butcher; to slaughter; -- limited to the killing of human beings. [ 1913 Webster ]

If James should be pleased to massacre them all, as Maximian had massacred the Theban legion. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who massacres. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ] A rubbing or kneading of the body, especially when performed as a hygienic or remedial measure. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. (Med.) To treat by means of massage; to rub or knead; as, to massage a patient with ointment. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. One who practices massage; a masseur or masseuse. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Zool.) The black rattlesnake (Crotalus tergemina, or Caudisona tergemina), found in the Mississippi Valley. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or , n. (Billiards) A stroke made with the cue held vertically. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A priest who celebrates Mass. [ R. ] Bale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; a chewer, &unr_; a muscle of the lower jaw used in chewing, from &unr_; to chew: cf. F. masséter. ] (Anat.) The large muscle which raises the under jaw, and assists in mastication. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the masseter. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Anat.) Masseteric. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Masseurs /plu>. [ F. See Massage. ] 1. A man who practices massage. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. An instrument used in the performance of massage. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n.; pl. Masseuses /plu>. [ F. ] A woman who practices massage. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ F. massicot; E. masticot is a corruption. ] (Chem.) Lead monoxide (also called Lead protoxide), PbO, obtained as a yellow amorphous powder, the fused and crystalline form of which is called litharge; lead ocher. It is used as a pigment. It is also called lead oxide yellow, as opposed to red lead, which is lead tetroxide Pb3O4. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

☞ Massicot is sometimes used by painters, and also as a drier in the composition of ointments and plasters. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Geol.) A block of the earth's crust bounded by faults and shifted to form peaks of a mountain range. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ From Massy. ] The state or quality of being massy; ponderousness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. massif. ] 1. Forming, or consisting of, a large mass; compacted; weighty; heavy; massy. “Massive armor.” Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Min.) In mass; not necessarily without a crystalline structure, but having no regular form; as, a mineral occurs massive. [ 1913 Webster ]

Massive rock (Geol.), a compact crystalline rock not distinctly schistose, as granite; also, with some authors, an eruptive rock. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a heavy mass. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being massive; massiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

. See Masoola boat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Masora. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Masorite. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To produce on a large scale. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. Produced in large quantity, often by automated or assembly-line techniques. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Physics, Chemistry) An analytical instrument which determines the mass of molecules of a substance or fragments of its molecules. It functions by injecting ionized moecules or molecular gragments into a vacuum chamber subjected to a strong magnetic field, in which charged particles move in a curved trajectory. The mass is determined by observing the path of the molecule after being charged and accelerated in a magnetic field. The path of the ionic fragment depends on the charge, velocity, and mass. Several techniques of charging and detection are employed. The mass information is usually used to infer structure or chemical composition of the substance analyzed. Variants of mass spectrometer called high-resolution mass spectrometer permit determination of the mass of a molecule or molecular fragment with sufficient precision to unambiguously determine the atomic composition. [ PJC ]

adj. of or pertaining to mass spectrometry; determined by mass spectrometry. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. (Physics, Chemistry) A method for identifying chemical composition of substances by use of a mass spectrometer. [ PJC ]

a. [ Compar. Massier superl. Massiest. ] Compacted into, or consisting of, a mass; having bulk and weight or substance; ponderous; bulky and heavy; weighty; heavy; as, a massy shield; a massy rock. [ 1913 Webster ]

Your swords are now too massy for your strengths,
And will not be uplifted. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Yawning rocks in massy fragments fly. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. plumasseau. ] A plume or collection of ornamental feathers. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] One who prepares or deals in ornamental plumes or feathers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (physics) an equation expressing the mass of an object as a function of its velocity: as the velocity v of an object increases, its mass m increases from its rest mass m₀ according to the equation: m = m₀/1 - v2/c2 where c is the speed of light in a vacuum. If the speed of an object were to become equal to that of light, it can be seen that the mass would be infinite, from which it follows that nothing can accelerate up to or beyond the speed of light. [ PJC ]

☞ The theoretical possibility that there are particles which always move faster than light cannot at present be disproved and is not denied by this equation; in such a case, the relativistic mass equation asserts that such particles can never decelerate to or below the speed of light. Such hypothetical particles are referred to as
tachyons. [ PJC ]