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massage
9 dictionary results for: massage
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
mas·sage       [muh-sahzh, -sahj or, especially Brit., mas-ahzh] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, -saged, -sag·ing.
–noun
1.the act or art of treating the body by rubbing, kneading, patting, or the like, to stimulate circulation, increase suppleness, relieve tension, etc.
2.Slang. attentive or indulgent treatment; pampering: ego massage.
–verb (used with object)
3.to treat by massage.
4.Slang. to treat with special care and attention; coddle or pamper: The store massages its regular customers with gifts and private sales.
5.Informal.
a.to manipulate, maneuver, or handle skillfully: to massage a bill through the Senate.
b.to manipulate, organize, or rearrange (data, figures, or the like) to produce a specific result, esp. a favorable one: The auditors discovered that the company had massaged the books.

[Origin: 1875–80; < F, equiv. to mass(er) to massage (< Ar massa to handle) + -age -age]

mas·sag·er, mas·sag·ist, noun
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
mas·sage       (mə-säzh', -säj')  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. The rubbing or kneading of parts of the body especially to aid circulation, relax the muscles, or provide sensual stimulation.
  2. An act or instance of such rubbing or kneading.

tr.v.   mas·saged, mas·sag·ing, mas·sag·es
  1. To give a massage to.
  2. To treat by means of a massage.
  3. To coddle or cajole.
  4. To manipulate (data, for example): Pollsters massaged the numbers to favor their candidate.


[French, from masser, to massage, from Arabic masaḥa, to stroke, anoint; see mšḥ in Semitic roots or massa, to touch; see mšš in Semitic roots.]

mas·sag'er n.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
massage  (n.)
1876, from Fr. massage "friction of kneading," from masser "to massage," possibly from Ar. massa "to touch, feel, handle;" if so, probably picked up in Egypt during the Napoleonic campaign there. Other possibility is that Fr. got it in colonial India from Port. amassar "knead," a verb from L. massa "mass, dough" (see mass (1)). The verb is attested from 1887. Masseur, fem. masseuse, both dating to 1876, are from Fr. masser. Massage parlor first attested 1913, from the start a euphemism for "house of prostitution."

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
massage

noun
1. kneading and rubbing parts of the body to increase circulation and promote relaxation 

verb
1. manually manipulate (someone's body), usually for medicinal or relaxation purposes; "She rubbed down her child with a sponge" 
2. give a massage to; "She massaged his sore back" 

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

massage mas·sage (mə-säzh' -säj')
n.
The rubbing or kneading of parts of the body for therapeutic purposes. v. mas·saged, mas·sag·ing, mas·sag·es

  1. To give a massage to.
  2. To treat by means of a massage.

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

massage
Vague term used to describe "smooth" transformations of a data set into a different form, especially transformations that do not lose information. Connotes less pain than munch or crunch. "He wrote a program that massages X bitmap files into GIF format." Compare slurp.
[The Jargon File]

Jargon File - Cite This Source - Share This

massage

vt. [common] Vague term used to describe `smooth' transformations of a data set into a different form, esp. transformations that do not lose information. Connotes less pain than munch or crunch. "He wrote a program that massages X bitmap files into GIF format." Compare slurp.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Massage

Mas"sage\, n. [F.] A rubbing or kneading of the body, especially when performed as a hygienic or remedial measure.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Massage

Mas"sage\, v. t. (Med.) To treat by means of massage; to rub or knead; as, to massage a patient with ointment.

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