- Mess
- Mess Mess (m[e^]s), n. [OE. mes, OF. mets, LL. missum, p. p.
of mittere to put, place (e. g., on the table), L. mittere to
send. See {Mission}, and cf. {Mass} religious service.]
1. A quantity of food set on a table at one time; provision
of food for a person or party for one meal; as, a mess of
pottage; also, the food given to a beast at one time.
[1913 Webster]
At their savory dinner set Of herbs and other country messes. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
2. A number of persons who eat together, and for whom food is prepared in common; especially, persons in the military or naval service who eat at the same table; as, the wardroom mess. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
3. A set of four; -- from the old practice of dividing companies into sets of four at dinner. [Obs.] --Latimer. [1913 Webster]
4. The milk given by a cow at one milking. [U.S.] [1913 Webster]
5. [Perh. corrupt. fr. OE. mesh for mash: cf. muss.] A disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; as, he made a mess of it. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
