mass.
mass. — 動詞
1. to gather into one big group, or to bring people or things together in great num
聚集
大量人或物聚成一大群
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.
數千名抗議者在黎明時聚集在皇宮大門外。
intransitive: people mass somewhere
Dark storm clouds massed over the valley before the heavy rain fell.
大雨落下前，烏黑的暴風雲聚集在山谷上方。
intransitive: clouds mass
The general massed his troops along the border before the attack.
將軍在進攻前把他的部隊集結在邊境沿線。
Reporters massed at the airport gate, hoping to question the young pop star.
記者們聚集在機場登機口，希望能向那位年輕的流行歌星提問。
Owen watched the bees mass around the open jar of honey.
Owen 看著蜜蜂聚集在那罐打開的蜂蜜周圍。
- 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. — 名詞
1. a large quantity of a material pushed or piled together so that it has no clear
一團
成堆且無固定形狀的大量物質
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.
暴風雨前，一大團灰雲在港口上方翻滾移動。
a mass of + uncountable noun
Élise pulled a tangled mass of wet hair away from her tired face.
Élise 把一團糾結的濕髮從她疲憊的臉上撥開。
After the flood, a brown mass of mud covered the village streets.
洪水過後，一團棕色的泥巴覆蓋了村裡的街道。
The baker shaped the soft mass of dough into a round loaf.
麵包師傅把那團柔軟的麵團塑造成圓形的麵包。
A sticky mass of melted plastic stuck to the bottom of the pan.
一團黏黏的融化塑膠黏在了平底鍋的底部。
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
大量；許多
數量非常多，常多到超出所需
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.
Shanti 生日時收到了許多老同學寄來的卡片。
masses of + countable noun (informal)
A mass of paperwork waited on Christopher's desk during his first week.
Christopher 上班的第一週，桌上就堆著大量的文書工作。
The reporter collected masses of evidence about the factory's safety problems.
記者蒐集了大量關於那家工廠安全問題的證據。
Manuela had masses of food left over after her sister's wedding party.
她妹妹的婚宴結束後，Manuela 還剩下許多食物。
Shirin found a mass of old letters hidden inside her grandmother's wooden box.
Shirin 在她祖母的木盒裡發現了一大疊舊信。
- 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
大部分
群體或事物中佔最多的那部分
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.
在那座小礦業鎮，大部分的選民仍然支持那位較年長的候選人。
the mass of + plural noun
For the mass of workers, the new pay rise made little real difference.
對大多數工人來說，這次加薪幾乎沒有實質差別。
Tamar spends the mass of her free time helping at the animal shelter.
Tamar 把她大部分的空閒時間都用在動物收容所幫忙。
The mass of the iceberg lies hidden far below the cold water.
冰山的主要部分隱藏在冰冷的水面之下。
Quan invests the mass of his savings in a safe, low-risk fund.
Quan 把他大部分的存款投入一個安全、低風險的基金。
- 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
塊狀物
凝結成一體、外形不規則的固體
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.
潛水員在那艘舊沉船上發現了一塊堅硬的珊瑚。
a mass of + solid material
Isabela pressed the warm wax into a single solid mass with her hands.
Isabela 用雙手把溫熱的蠟壓成一個固體塊狀物。
A grey mass of cooled metal sat at the bottom of the furnace.
一塊灰色、冷卻後的金屬塊躺在熔爐的底部。
The doctor pointed to a small mass on the X-ray of Lan's lung.
醫生指著 Lan 肺部 X 光片上的一個小腫塊。
Workers broke the frozen mass of ice apart with heavy iron bars.
工人用沉重的鐵棒把那塊結冰的冰塊敲開。
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
民眾；大眾
社會中人數最多的普通百姓
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.
那位老國王過著奢華的生活，民眾卻每年冬天都挨餓。
the masses (always plural, with 'the')
Cheap newspapers were once the main way of reaching the masses.
廉價報紙曾經是接觸廣大民眾的主要方式。
Baraka believes good art should speak to the masses, not just rich critics.
Baraka 認為好的藝術應該打動大眾，而不只是有錢的評論家。
The new leader promised to share the country's wealth with the masses.
新領導人承諾要把國家的財富分享給廣大民眾。
Television brought cheap entertainment to the masses for the first time.
電視首次把廉價的娛樂帶給了普羅大眾。
- 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
質量
物體所含物質的量，決定其輕重
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.
在月球上你的重量會改變，但你的質量完全不變。
physics: mass is constant, weight is not
The science teacher measured the mass of each rock using a balance.
自然科老師用天平量出每一塊石頭的質量。
A truck has far more mass than a bicycle, so it is harder to stop.
卡車的質量遠大於腳踏車，所以更難停下來。
Gabriela calculated the mass of the planet from the speed of its moon.
Gabriela 從一顆衛星的運行速度算出了那顆行星的質量。
A black hole packs a huge mass into a tiny region of space.
黑洞把巨大的質量壓縮進極小的空間裡。
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
質量數
原子內質子與中子數目的總和
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.
碳的質量數通常是十二，由它的六個質子和六個中子相加而成。
physics: protons plus neutrons
The chemistry teacher asked Daichi to find the mass of an oxygen atom.
化學老師請 Daichi 找出一個氧原子的質量數。
Two forms of the same metal can share a charge but differ in mass.
同一種金屬的兩種形式可能帶相同電荷，但質量數不同。
Hari wrote the atom's mass next to its symbol on the whiteboard.
Hari 把那個原子的質量數寫在白板上它的符號旁邊。
Heavier atoms have a higher mass because they hold more neutrons.
較重的原子因為含有更多中子，所以質量數較高。
- 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
質量虧損
原子核與其組成粒子間的微小重量差
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.
氦原子核的質量略小於它六個分開部分的總和。
physics: whole is lighter than the sum of parts
Mira explained that this missing mass turns into the energy that binds the atom.
Mira 解釋說這部分消失的質量會變成束縛原子的能量。
A larger mass means the nucleus is held together more strongly.
質量虧損越大，代表原子核結合得越牢固。
Elena measures the tiny mass to work out the energy stored in an atom.
Elena 測量這微小的質量差，以算出原子內儲存的能量。
Obi used the famous equation to turn the lost mass into energy.
Obi 用那條著名的方程式把消失的質量換算成能量。
- 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
彌撒
天主教紀念耶穌最後晚餐的禮拜或其音樂
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.
Dario 的祖母每個星期天早上都到那座小石頭教堂望彌撒。
go to Mass (often capitalised)
The priest said Mass quietly while the candles flickered in the dark chapel.
神父在燭光於昏暗禮拜堂中閃爍時，靜靜地主持彌撒。
say Mass (the priest leads the service)
On Christmas Eve, the whole village gathered for midnight Mass together.
在聖誕夜，全村的人一起參加午夜彌撒。
The choir sang a famous Mass written by Mozart for the old cathedral.
唱詩班為這座古老的大教堂唱了一首莫札特寫的著名彌撒曲。
Ziad attended his Catholic friend's wedding Mass to show his support.
Ziad 參加了他天主教朋友的婚禮彌撒，以表示他的支持。
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
一大群
聚在一起、常顯雜亂的一大群人或物
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.
樂團一出現，一大群吵鬧的粉絲就朝舞台擠了過去。
a mass of + plural people
Dahlia stared at the mass of commuters crowding the narrow station platform.
Dahlia 盯著擠滿狹窄月台的那一大群通勤族。
A confused mass of cyclists filled the road during the morning protest.
在早晨的抗議中，一大群混亂的單車騎士擠滿了道路。
The shop window showed a tangled mass of cables and old phones.
那家店的櫥窗裡擺著一大堆纏在一起的電線和舊手機。
Zuri waited as a mass of tourists slowly squeezed through the museum gate.
Zuri 等著一大群觀光客慢慢擠過博物館的入口。
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. — 形容詞
1. involving or affecting very many people at once, or done on a huge scale
大規模的
牽涉眾多人或大量進行的
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.
那家工廠關閉，導致全鎮大規模的失業。
mass + noun (large-scale)
Cheap flights have made mass tourism possible for ordinary families.
廉價機票讓大眾旅遊對一般家庭來說變得可行。
The drought forced the mass movement of farmers toward the southern cities.
乾旱迫使農民大規模地往南方的城市遷移。
Soraya studies how mass communication changed the way people share news.
Soraya 研究大眾傳播如何改變了人們分享新聞的方式。
The new vaccine allowed the mass treatment of the whole region in weeks.
這款新疫苗讓整個地區能在數週內接受大規模治療。
- 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. — 縮寫
1. the shortened written form of Massachusetts, a state in the northeastern United
麻州縮寫
美國麻薩諸塞州的書面縮寫
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.
那封舊信寄往麻州 (Mass.) 春田市的一座小農場。
written after a city name in an address
Niran read 'Boston, Mass.' printed on the front of the dusty postcard.
Niran 讀到那張滿是灰塵的明信片正面印著「Boston，Mass.」。
used in postal addresses
The history book listed 'Salem, Mass.' as the site of the famous trials.
那本歷史書把「Salem，Mass.」列為那場著名審判的發生地。
On the map key, 'Mass.' marked the state just south of New Hampshire.
在地圖圖例上，「Mass.」標示出位於新罕布夏州正南方的那一州。
Meera filed the report under 'Cambridge, Mass.' in the office records.
Meera 把那份報告歸檔在辦公室紀錄中的「Cambridge，Mass.」項下。
- 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.