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   mass

   /mas/

   noun

   • 1. a large body of matter with no definite shape: "the sun broke out from behind a mass of clouds" Similar pileheapstackclumpcloudbunchbundlelumpconcentrationconglomerationaccumulationaggregationconcretionaccretionassemblagecollectionstockpilebuild-uprare:amassment
   • ▪ any of the main portions in a painting or drawing that each have some unity in colour, lighting, or some other quality: "the masterly distribution of masses"
   • 2. a large number of people or objects crowded together: "a mass of cyclists" Similar large numberabundanceprofusionmultitudegroupcrowdmobrabblehordebarragethronghuddlehosttrooparmyherdflockdroveswarmpackpresscrushmountainflood
   • ▪ a large amount of material: "a mass of conflicting evidence"
   • ▪ a large quantity or amount of something: informal "we get masses of homework"
   • 3. the majority of: "the great mass of the population had little interest in the project" Similar majoritylarger part/numbergreater part/numberbest/better partmajor partmostbulkmain bodypreponderancealmost alllion's share
   • ▪ the ordinary people: "seaside towns that catered for the masses" Similar the common peoplethe populacethe publicthe peoplethe multitudethe rank and filethe crowdthe commonaltythe commonalitythe third estatethe plebeiansderogatory:the hoi polloithe mobthe proletariatthe common herdthe rabblethe riff-raffthe canaillethe great unwashedthe ragtag (and bobtail)the prolesthe plebsOpposite eliteoligarchy
   • 4. the quantity of matter which a body contains, as measured by its acceleration under a given force or by the force exerted on it by a gravitational field: "stellar objects of intermediate mass"
   • ▪ (in general use) weight: "multiply the mass of the payload by the distance travelled" Similar weightsizemagnitudebulkdimensionscapacitydensityextentscopegreatnessbignesshugenessamountmatter

   adjective

   • 1. involving or affecting large numbers of people or things: "the film has mass appeal"

   verb

   • 1. assemble or cause to assemble into a single body or mass: "both countries began massing troops in the region"

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Old French masse, from Latin massa, from Greek maza ‘barley cake’; perhaps related to massein ‘knead’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. massless adjective

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • M

     3

   • A

     1

   • S

     1

   • S

     1

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