mass.
mass. — verb
1. to gather into one big group, or to bring people or things together in great num
to gather into one big group, or to bring people or things together in great numbers
Thousands of protesters massed outside the palace gates at dawn.
intransitive: people mass somewhere
Dark storm clouds massed over the valley before the heavy rain fell.
intransitive: clouds mass
The general massed his troops along the border before the attack.
Reporters massed at the airport gate, hoping to question the young pop star.
Owen watched the bees mass around the open jar of honey.
- disperse
to break up and move apart
文法句型
mass + somewhere
mass + troops
用法筆記
Used both with and without an object: people or clouds 'mass' on their own, while a leader can 'mass' troops or forces. Often suggests a large group forming quickly.
mass. — noun
1. a large quantity of a material pushed or piled together so that it has no clear
a large quantity of a material pushed or piled together so that it has no clear edges or fixed form
A thick mass of grey cloud rolled over the harbour before the storm.
a mass of + uncountable noun
Élise pulled a tangled mass of wet hair away from her tired face.
After the flood, a brown mass of mud covered the village streets.
The baker shaped the soft mass of dough into a round loaf.
A sticky mass of melted plastic stuck to the bottom of the pan.
文法句型
a mass of + noun
用法筆記
Subject or object is usually an uncountable material (cloud, hair, mud, dough). Distinguish from sense 4, which is a single firm lump rather than a soft, spreading quantity.
2. a very large quantity of things, often far more than you actually need
a very large quantity of things, often far more than you actually need
Shanti received masses of cards on her birthday from old school friends.
masses of + countable noun (informal)
A mass of paperwork waited on Christopher's desk during his first week.
The reporter collected masses of evidence about the factory's safety problems.
Manuela had masses of food left over after her sister's wedding party.
Shirin found a mass of old letters hidden inside her grandmother's wooden box.
- shortage
too little of something
文法句型
masses of + noun
a mass of + noun
用法筆記
Frequently appears as the plural 'masses of' in everyday British speech meaning 'plenty of'. Unlike sense 1, the focus is on quantity, not a shapeless physical lump.
3. the largest part of a group or thing, with the rest being only a small share
the largest part of a group or thing, with the rest being only a small share
In the small mining town, the mass of voters still backs the older candidate.
the mass of + plural noun
For the mass of workers, the new pay rise made little real difference.
Tamar spends the mass of her free time helping at the animal shelter.
The mass of the iceberg lies hidden far below the cold water.
Quan invests the mass of his savings in a safe, low-risk fund.
- minority
the smaller part of a group
文法句型
the mass of + plural noun
用法筆記
Always 'the mass of' + a defined group or whole. Distinguish from sense 2 (great quantity): this sense means the majority share, not just 'a lot'.
4. a firm piece of a substance that has joined together as one body and has no neat
a firm piece of a substance that has joined together as one body and has no neat or regular form
The diver found a hard mass of coral growing on the old shipwreck.
a mass of + solid material
Isabela pressed the warm wax into a single solid mass with her hands.
A grey mass of cooled metal sat at the bottom of the furnace.
The doctor pointed to a small mass on the X-ray of Lan's lung.
Workers broke the frozen mass of ice apart with heavy iron bars.
文法句型
a mass of + material
用法筆記
Often used in medical contexts for an abnormal solid lump found in the body. Unlike sense 1, the substance here is firm and holds together as one piece.
5. the huge body of everyday citizens in a country who hold little wealth or power
the huge body of everyday citizens in a country who hold little wealth or power
The old king lived in luxury while the masses went hungry each winter.
the masses (always plural, with 'the')
Cheap newspapers were once the main way of reaching the masses.
Baraka believes good art should speak to the masses, not just rich critics.
The new leader promised to share the country's wealth with the masses.
Television brought cheap entertainment to the masses for the first time.
- the public
neutral; ordinary people in general
- the populace
formal; the people of a country
- the elite
the small, powerful, wealthy group
文法句型
the masses
用法筆記
Always plural and used with 'the'. Often carries a slightly distant or political tone, contrasting ordinary people with the rich and powerful elite.
常見錯誤
6. the measure of how much material an object holds, which decides how heavy it fee
the measure of how much material an object holds, which decides how heavy it feels and how hard it is to move
On the Moon your weight changes, but your mass stays exactly the same.
physics: mass is constant, weight is not
The science teacher measured the mass of each rock using a balance.
A truck has far more mass than a bicycle, so it is harder to stop.
Gabriela calculated the mass of the planet from the speed of its moon.
A black hole packs a huge mass into a tiny region of space.
用法筆記
A technical physics term, measured in kilograms and not changing with location. Distinguish from everyday 'weight', which depends on gravity and does change.
常見錯誤
7. the count you get when you add up all the protons and neutrons inside a single a
the count you get when you add up all the protons and neutrons inside a single atom
Carbon usually has a mass of twelve, counting its six protons and six neutrons.
physics: protons plus neutrons
The chemistry teacher asked Daichi to find the mass of an oxygen atom.
Two forms of the same metal can share a charge but differ in mass.
Hari wrote the atom's mass next to its symbol on the whiteboard.
Heavier atoms have a higher mass because they hold more neutrons.
- mass number
the full technical term for this exact meaning
用法筆記
Often called 'mass number' in full. Distinguish from sense 6 (amount of matter in kilograms): this sense is a whole-number count of particles, not a measured weight.
8. the small drop in weight between a whole atomic centre and the separate parts it
the small drop in weight between a whole atomic centre and the separate parts it is built from
The mass of a helium nucleus is slightly less than its six separate parts.
physics: whole is lighter than the sum of parts
Mira explained that this missing mass turns into the energy that binds the atom.
A larger mass means the nucleus is held together more strongly.
Elena measures the tiny mass to work out the energy stored in an atom.
Obi used the famous equation to turn the lost mass into energy.
- mass defect
the full technical term for this exact meaning
用法筆記
Often called 'mass defect' in full. Distinguish from sense 7: this sense is the lost weight that becomes binding energy, not a count of particles.
9. a Christian service, mainly in Catholic churches, that remembers the final suppe
a Christian service, mainly in Catholic churches, that remembers the final supper Jesus shared, or music composed for it
Dario's grandmother goes to Mass at the small stone church every Sunday morning.
go to Mass (often capitalised)
The priest said Mass quietly while the candles flickered in the dark chapel.
say Mass (the priest leads the service)
On Christmas Eve, the whole village gathered for midnight Mass together.
The choir sang a famous Mass written by Mozart for the old cathedral.
Ziad attended his Catholic friend's wedding Mass to show his support.
文法句型
go to Mass
say Mass
用法筆記
Usually written with a capital 'M' when it names the ceremony. Common verbs are 'go to', 'attend', 'say', and 'celebrate' Mass.
10. a tightly packed crowd, often messy, where many people or objects press close to
a tightly packed crowd, often messy, where many people or objects press close together
A noisy mass of fans pushed toward the stage as the band appeared.
a mass of + plural people
Dahlia stared at the mass of commuters crowding the narrow station platform.
A confused mass of cyclists filled the road during the morning protest.
The shop window showed a tangled mass of cables and old phones.
Zuri waited as a mass of tourists slowly squeezed through the museum gate.
文法句型
a mass of + plural noun
用法筆記
Often suggests a disorganised or chaotic group, unlike a neat queue. Distinguish from sense 5 ('the masses'), which means ordinary people as a social class, not a physical crowd.
mass. — adjective
1. involving or affecting very many people at once, or done on a huge scale
involving or affecting very many people at once, or done on a huge scale
The factory closure led to the mass loss of jobs across the whole town.
mass + noun (large-scale)
Cheap flights have made mass tourism possible for ordinary families.
The drought forced the mass movement of farmers toward the southern cities.
Soraya studies how mass communication changed the way people share news.
The new vaccine allowed the mass treatment of the whole region in weeks.
- large-scale
neutral; stresses the wide size of an action
- widespread
stresses how far something spreads, not its size
- small-scale
affecting only a few people or a small area
文法句型
mass + noun
用法筆記
Only used before a noun, never after 'be' — you cannot say 'the protest was mass'. It forms fixed pairs like mass media, mass production, and mass tourism.
常見錯誤
mass. — abbreviation
1. the shortened written form of Massachusetts, a state in the northeastern United
the shortened written form of Massachusetts, a state in the northeastern United States, used in addresses and printed records
The old letter was addressed to a small farm in Springfield, Mass.
written after a city name in an address
Niran read 'Boston, Mass.' printed on the front of the dusty postcard.
used in postal addresses
The history book listed 'Salem, Mass.' as the site of the famous trials.
On the map key, 'Mass.' marked the state just south of New Hampshire.
Meera filed the report under 'Cambridge, Mass.' in the office records.
- MA
the modern two-letter postal code for the same state
用法筆記
Written with a capital 'M' and a period, mainly in addresses, maps, and older printed text. Modern postal writing usually prefers the two-letter code 'MA' instead.