mass
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++mass1 /mæs/ ●●○ S3 W3 noun 1 large amount 大量 a) [countable]HPLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a large amount of a substance which does not have a definite or regular shape 团，块，堆 The food had congealed into a sticky mass. 那食物结成了黏糊糊的一团。mass of a high mass of rock 一块高大的岩石 b) [countable usually singular]LOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a large amount or quantity of something 大量，大宗mass of a huge mass of data 大量资料 c) masses of something British English informalLOT/LARGE NUMBER OR AMOUNT a large amount of something, or a lot of people or things 许多的某物，大量的人［物］ Masses of books covered every surface in the room. 许多许多的书摊满了整个房间。2 crowd 人群 [singular]CROWD a large crowd 一大群mass of There was a mass of people around the club entrance. 俱乐部门口聚集着一大群人。 The road was blocked by a solid mass of protesters. 道路被密密麻麻的抗议者阻塞了。► see thesaurus at group3 the masses PERSON/PEOPLEall the ordinary people in society who do not have power or influence 民众，平民 The trains provided cheap travel for the masses. 火车为大众提供了廉价的出行方式。4 the mass of people/the population/workers etc PERSON/PEOPLEmost of the people in a group or society 人民/人口/工人等中的大多数 SYN the majority The war is strongly supported by the mass of the population. 这场战争得到了大多数人的有力支持。5 church ceremony 教堂仪式 (also Mass) a) [countable, uncountable] the main ceremony in some Christian churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church, which celebrates the last meal that Jesus Christ ate 〔尤指天主教的〕弥撒 What time do you go to mass? 你什么时间去望弥撒？morning/evening/midnight etc Mass Will I see you at morning Mass? 我能在早上做弥撒时见到你吗？say/celebrate Mass (=perform this ceremony as a priest) 主持弥撒 → High Mass b) [countable] a piece of music written to be performed at the ceremony of mass 弥撒曲 Mozart’s Mass in C minor 莫扎特的《C小调弥撒曲》6 science 科学 [uncountable] technicalHP the amount of material in something 质量 The Sun makes up 99.9% of the mass of our solar system. 太阳占太阳系质量的99.9%。 → critical mass
Examples from the Corpus
mass• A mass of people stood before the courthouse.• A mass of bodies scrambled over the shelves, everybody was shouting at one another and books were being thrown in all directions.• Aerobic exercise and reduced-calorie diets produce weight loss, but reduce the resting metabolic rate because they do not maintain muscle mass.• The bus station was a seething mass of people.• Balustraded verandas surmounted each level, and a succession of towers projected from the mass of the building.• What would he say of the masses of modern art that you have to plug in in order to fully appreciate?• The mass is apparently about right, and the Z o has appeared at just the right frequency.• Soon afterwards, as in the Western Middle Ages, there were masses of peasant serfs, and great feudal States.solid mass• The drained curd, now a solid mass, is turned out of the muslin and the really hard work of milling begins.• To the Gaijin rear Jotan's five hundred were a solid mass cutting off the line of retreat.• The hygroscopic mixture got damp; when the humidity went down again it caked into an intractable solid mass.• Walls can be cut half-way down or at either side to form dividing slabs rather than solid masses.• It was wild, looking at the solid mass of people and then looking.say/celebrate Mass• Having made that decision, he found he could once again say Mass.• Ask him to be so kind as to come here and say Mass tomorrow morning.• One such male priest conducted a ritual of purification of a church after a woman priest had celebrated Mass there.• Why tear the church apart sO you can see the priest say Mass?• Catholic community that celebrated Mass each Sunday in a chapel on the campus of Georgetown University.• I wasn't able to say Mass.• From about the twelfth century and until the Council, every priest was expected to say Mass separately each day.mass2 ●●○ W3 adjective [only before noun] PERSON/PEOPLEinvolving or intended for a very large number of people 民众的，群众的；大量的 a mass protest 大规模的抗议 weapons of mass destruction 大规模杀伤性武器 the problem of mass unemployment 大批人失业的问题mass marketing/entertainment etc a mass marketing campaign 大规模营销活动 Email has made mass mailings possible at the touch of a button. 有了电子邮件，点击一个按钮就可以群发邮件。Examples from the Corpus
mass• Annie has a degree in mass communications.• mass destruction• Frankish soldiers commit a terrible mass execution of defiant Saxons at Verden.• a mass grave• Today, just a few years after musical compact discs hit the mass market, the long box is history.• Daily newspapers are now becoming popular, providing the first phase of what will later become known as the mass media.• The mass payback continues to improve with each additional mission.• In spite of local differences, modern mass society was beginning to appear.• Air travel was growing rapidly, while the role of mass transit on the ground was shrinking almost everywhere.• At the Pavilion in Bournemouth there was a mass walk out of about 200 disgusted people.mass marketing/entertainment etc• What had arrived now really was mass entertainment.• It provided a vocabulary for the mass marketing of hippies.• In the process it invented mass entertainment, the 10-lane freeway and smog.mass3 verb [intransitive, transitive] TOGETHERto come together, or to make people or things come together, in a large group （使）聚集，（使）集结，（使）集中 SYN gathermass (something) behind/along/in etc something Western reports say that troops have been massing in the region since December. 西方的报道说自12月起军队就在这个地区集结了。 grey clouds massing behind the mountains 在群山之后积聚的灰色云团 Both countries have massed troops along the border. 两国都在边界一带集结了军队。→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
mass• The animals which fought there gave little heed to defence; they massed around them and tried to engulf them.• Large numbers of women massed behind a single women's rights issue.• Most of our archers were massing in the gatehouse, shooting at those trying to force an entry.• According to some reports both countries then began massing troops in the region.Origin mass1 1. (1300-1400) French masse, from Latin massa, from Greek maza2. (800-900) Vulgar Latin missa “sending away at the end of a religious service”, from Latin mittere “to send”of a large Corpus which amount a substance not have does
mass
mass1 W2 /mæs/ 
noun
Language: French
Origin: masse, from Latin massa, from Greek maza
Language: Vulgar Latin
Origin: missa 'sending away at the end of a religious service', from Latin mittere 'to send'1. LARGE AMOUNT
a. [countable] a large amount of a substance which does not have a definite or regular shape:
The food had congealed into a sticky mass.
mass of
a high mass of rock
b. [countable usually singular] a large amount or quantity of something
mass of
a huge mass of data
c. masses of something British English informal a large amount of something, or a lot of people or things:
Masses of books covered every surface in the room.
2. CROWD [singular] a large crowd
mass of
There was a mass of people around the club entrance.
The road was blocked by a solid mass of protesters.
3. the masses all the ordinary people in society who do not have power or influence:
The trains provided cheap travel for the masses.
4. the mass of people/the population/workers etc most of the people in a group or society
SYN the majority:
The war is strongly supported by the mass of the population.
5. CHURCH CEREMONY (also Mass)
a. [uncountable and countable] the main ceremony in some Christian churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church, which celebrates the last meal that Jesus Christ ate:
What time do you go to mass?
morning/evening/midnight etc Mass
Will I see you at morning Mass?
say/celebrate Mass (=perform this ceremony as a priest) ⇨ High Mass
b. [countable] a piece of music written to be performed at the ceremony of mass:
Mozart’s Mass in C minor
6. SCIENCE [uncountable] technical the amount of material in something:
The Sun makes up 99.9% of the mass of our solar system.
⇨ critical mass
mass2 W3 adjective [only before noun]
involving or intended for a very large number of people:
a mass protest
weapons of mass destruction
the problem of mass unemployment
mass marketing/entertainment etc
a mass marketing campaign
Email has made mass mailings possible at the touch of a button.
mass3 verb [intransitive and transitive]
to come together, or to make people or things come together, in a large group
SYN gather
mass (something) behind/along/in etc something
Western reports say that troops have been massing in the region since December.
grey clouds massing behind the mountains
Both countries have massed troops along the border.
| I |
noun Sense 1-2,5-6
Date: 1300-1400Language: French
Origin: masse, from Latin massa, from Greek maza
Sense 3-4
Date: 800-900Language: Vulgar Latin
Origin: missa 'sending away at the end of a religious service', from Latin mittere 'to send'
a. [countable] a large amount of a substance which does not have a definite or regular shape:
mass of
b. [countable usually singular] a large amount or quantity of something
mass of
c. masses of something British English informal a large amount of something, or a lot of people or things:
2. CROWD [singular] a large crowd
mass of
3. the masses all the ordinary people in society who do not have power or influence:
4. the mass of people/the population/workers etc most of the people in a group or society
SYN the majority:
5. CHURCH CEREMONY (also Mass)
a. [uncountable and countable] the main ceremony in some Christian churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church, which celebrates the last meal that Jesus Christ ate:
morning/evening/midnight etc Mass
say/celebrate Mass (=perform this ceremony as a priest) ⇨ High Mass
b. [countable] a piece of music written to be performed at the ceremony of mass:
6. SCIENCE [uncountable] technical the amount of material in something:
⇨ critical mass
| II |
adjective [only before noun]involving or intended for a very large number of people:
mass marketing/entertainment etc
| III |
verb [intransitive and transitive]to come together, or to make people or things come together, in a large group
SYN gather
mass (something) behind/along/in etc something
Mass
Mas‧sa‧chu‧setts /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsəts, ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɪts/ written abbreviation, MA, or Mass
a state in the northeast of the US which has Boston as its capital city, and was the place where the Pilgrim Fathers first landed in America. It was one of the 13 original states of the US, and is known for its universities, especially Harvard and MIT, and for its coast which is popular with tourists in the summer.
Mas‧sa‧chu‧setts /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsəts, ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɪts/
written abbreviation, MA, or Massa state in the northeast of the US which has Boston as its capital city, and was the place where the Pilgrim Fathers first landed in America. It was one of the 13 original states of the US, and is known for its universities, especially Harvard and MIT, and for its coast which is popular with tourists in the summer.
sometimes