n. [ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

At their savory dinner set
Of herbs and other country messes. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A set of four; -- from the old practice of dividing companies into sets of four at dinner. [ Obs. ] Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The milk given by a cow at one milking. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

5. [ Perh. corrupt. fr. OE. mesh for mash: cf. muss. ] A disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; as, he made a mess of it. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Messed p. pr. & vb. n. Messing. ] To take meals with a mess; to belong to a mess; to eat (with others); as, I mess with the wardroom officers. Marryat. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To supply with a mess. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make a mess{ 5 } of; to disorder or muddle; to muss; to jumble; to disturb; to mess up. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

It was n't right either to be messing another man's sleep. Scribner's Mag. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. Mass; church service. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. LL. missaticum, fr. L. mittere, missum, to send. See Mission, and cf. Messenger. ] 1. Any notice, word, or communication, written or verbal, sent from one person to another. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. Judg. iii. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, specifically, an official communication, not made in person, but delivered by a messenger; as, the President's message. [ 1913 Webster ]

Message shell. See Shell. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To bear as a message. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE., fr. OF. message, fr. LL. missaticus. See 1st Message. ] A messenger. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. ] A messenger. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

. A stick, carved with lines and dots, used, esp. by Australian aborigines, to convey information. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. Barreled salt beef, packed with about 80 pounds chuck and rump, two flanks, and the rest plates. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]