Tra từ mass - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

mass [mass masses massed massing] noun, adjective, verb BrE [mæs] NAmE [mæs]
noun
1. countable ~ (of sth) a large amount of a substance that does not have a definite shape or form
•a mass of snow and rocks falling down the mountain
• The hill appeared as a black mass in the distance.
• The sky was full of dark masses of clouds.
2. countable, usually singular ~ of sth a large amount or quantity of sth
•a mass of blonde hair
• I began sifting through the mass of evidence.
3. singular ~ of sth a large number of people or things grouped together, often in a confused way
• I struggled through the mass of people to the exit.
• The page was covered with a mass of figures.
4. massesplural ~ (of sth) (informal)a large number or amount of sth
Syn: ↑lots
• There were masses of people in the shops yesterday.
• I've got masses of work to do.
•Don't give me any more. I've eaten masses!
5. the massesplural the ordinary people in society who are not leaders or who are considered to be not very well educated
•government attempts to suppress dissatisfaction among the masses
•a TV programme that brings science to the masses
6. the mass of sthsingular the most; the majority
•The reforms are unpopular with the mass of teachers and parents.
7. uncountable (technical)the quantity of material that sth contains
•calculating the mass of a planet Weight is used in non-technical language for this meaning.
see also ↑biomass, ↑critical mass, ↑land mass

Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French masse, from Latin massa, from Greek maza ‘barley cake’; perhaps related to massein ‘knead’.

Example Bank:
•Bodybuilders trying to gain muscle mass eat a lot of protein.
•Calcium deficiency can lead to low bone mass in adolescent girls.
•She never failed to attend Sunday Mass.
•The local priest celebrates Mass in the village church.
•The product has to be good enough to achieve a critical mass of customers.
•Their policies appeal to the broad mass of the population.
•There were masses of people at the concert.
•When I washed the jumper, it just turned into a shapeless mass.
•a chaotic mass of ideas
•a dense mass of smoke
•a requiem Mass for the sailors who drowned
•a swirling mass of shadows
•a tangled mass of hair
•the first women to cross Antarctica's land mass on foot
•the image of America with arms open wide to the world's huddled masses
•A mass of snow and rocks was falling down the mountain.
•As a black hole gives off particles and radiation, it will lose mass.
•The hill appeared as a dark mass in the distance.
Idiom: ↑a mass of
Derived Word: ↑massed

adjective only before noun
affecting or involving a large number of people or things
•mass unemployment/production
•weapons of mass destruction
• Their latest product is aimed at the mass market.
see also ↑mass-market

Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French masse, from Latin massa, from Greek maza ‘barley cake’; perhaps related to massein ‘knead’.

Thesaurus:
mass adj. only before noun
•Their latest product is aimed at the mass market.
large-scale • • general • • widespread • • broad • • wide • • wholesale • • extensive •
mass/large-scale/general/widespread/broad/wide/extensive support
mass/general/widespread/broad/wide appeal
mass/large-scale/general/widespread/wholesale/extensive destruction
Mass or large-scale? Mass is used especially when a lot of people are involved, especially all together in one place; large-scale is used especially to talk about business activities that need a lot of resources and affect a wide area
•a mass movement/audience/protest/demonstration
• a large-scale enterprise/project/operation

Example Bank:
•The industrial revolution heralded the start of mass production.
•The play was so awful that there was a mass exodus from the theatre at the interval.
•Their latest product is aimed at the mass market.
•They were aiming to control the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
•a mass movement/audience/protest/demonstration
•a mass murderer/grave
•large-scale/mass production/unemployment
•the mass media/market

verb intransitive, transitive
to come together in large numbers; to gather people or things together in large numbers
•(+ adv./prep.) Demonstrators had massed outside the embassy.
• Dark clouds massed on the horizon.
•~ sb/sth The general massed his troops for a final attack.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French masse, from Latin massa, from Greek maza ‘barley cake’; perhaps related to massein ‘knead’.

Example Bank:
•Dark clouds massed heavily on the horizon.
•Their troops were massing for war.