WordofTheDay.US

Added 8 October 2026

mess

/mɛs/ noun

Categories: Describing WordsFood & DrinkUncommon Words

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about mess at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. A thing or group of things in a disagreeable, disorganised, or dirty state; hence a bad situation.
    He made a mess of it.
  2. A large quantity or number.
    My boss dumped a whole mess of projects on my desk today.
  3. Excrement.
    There was dog mess all along the street.

verb

  1. To make untidy or dirty. To make soiled by defecating. To make soiled by ejaculating.
  2. To make soiled by defecating.
  3. To make soiled by ejaculating.

noun

  1. Mass; a church service.
  2. A quantity of food set on a table at one time; provision of food for a person or party for one meal; also, the food given to an animal at one time.
  3. A number of persons who eat together, and for whom food is prepared in common, especially military personnel who eat at the same table.
    the wardroom mess

verb

  1. To take meals with a mess.
  2. To belong to a mess.
  3. To eat (with others).
    I mess with the wardroom officers.

Origin

Perhaps a corruption of Middle English mesh (“mash”), compare muss, or derived from Etymology 2 "mixed foods, as for animals". Compare also Old English mes (“dung, excrement”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: muddlemessinessmussmussinesswadheapmucklemickleplentyslew

Back to today's word