Category:Mess

Mess, n.

Defn: Mass; church service. [Obs.] Chaucer.

mess Mess, n. Etym: [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. At their savory dinner set Of herbs and other country messes. Milton.

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.

3. A set of four; -- from the old practice of dividing companies into sets of four at dinner. [Obs.] Latimer.

4. The milk given by a cow at one milking. [U.S.]

5. Etym: [Perh. corrupt. fr. OE. mesh for mash: cf. muss.]

Defn: A disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; as, he made a mess of it. [Colloq.]

mess Mess, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Messed; p. pr. & vb. n. Messing.]

Defn: To take meals with a mess; to belong to a mess; to eat (with others); as, I mess with the wardroom officers. Marryat.

mess Mess, v. t.

Defn: To supply with a mess.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Mess - A portion of food given to a guest (Genesis 43:34; 2 Samuel 11:8).