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noun
1.
a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition: The room was in a mess.
2.
a person or thing that is dirty, untidy, or disordered.
3.
a state of embarrassing confusion: My affairs are in a mess.
4.
an unpleasant or difficult situation: She got into a mess driving without a license.
5.
EXPANDa dirty or untidy mass, litter, or jumble: a mess of papers.
6.
a group regularly taking their meals together.
7.
the meal so taken.
9.
Naval. messroom.
10.
a quantity of food sufficient for a dish or a single occasion: to pick a mess of sweet corn for dinner.
11.
a sloppy or unappetizing preparation of food.
12.
a dish or quantity of soft or liquid food: to cook up a nice mess of pottage.
13.
COLLAPSEa person whose life or affairs are in a state of confusion, especially a person with a confused or disorganized moral or psychological outlook.
verb (used with object)
14.
to make dirty or untidy (often followed by up): Don't mess the room.
15.
to make a mess or muddle of (affairs, responsibilities, etc.) (often followed by up): They messed the deal.
16.
to supply with meals, as military personnel.
17.
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Mess around
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
verb (used without object)
Verb phrases18.
to eat in company, especially as a member of a mess.
19.
to make a dirty or untidy mess.
20.
mess around/about,
a.
Informal. to busy oneself without purpose or plan; work aimlessly or halfheartedly; putter.
b.
Informal. to waste time; loaf.
c.
Informal. to meddle or interfere.
d.
Informal. to involve or associate oneself, especially for immoral or unethical purposes: His wife accused him of messing around with gamblers.
e.
Slang. to trifle sexually; philander.
21.
mess in/with, to intervene officiously; meddle: You'll get no thanks for messing in the affairs of others.
22.
mess up,
a.
to make dirty, untidy, or disordered.
b.
to make muddled, confused, etc.; make a mess of; spoil; botch.
c.
to perform poorly; bungle: She messed up on the final exam.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English mes < Old French: a course at a meal < Late Latin missus what is sent (i.e., put on the table), noun use of past participle of Latin mittere to send
1250–1300; Middle English mes < Old French: a course at a meal < Late Latin missus what is sent (i.e., put on the table), noun use of past participle of Latin mittere to send
Synonyms
3. muddle, farrago, hodgepodge. 4. predicament, plight, muddle, pickle. 15. confuse, mix up.
3. muddle, farrago, hodgepodge. 4. predicament, plight, muddle, pickle. 15. confuse, mix up.
Antonyms
1. tidiness. 3. order. 15. arrange.
1. tidiness. 3. order. 15. arrange.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To mess around
Collins
World English Dictionary
| mess about or mess around | |
| —vb (when intr, | |
| 1. | (intr) to occupy oneself trivially; potter |
| 2. | to interfere or meddle (with) |
| 3. | chiefly (US) to engage in adultery |
| mess around or mess around | |
| —vb | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
mess
c.1300, "food for one meal, pottage," from O.Fr. mes "portion of food, course at dinner," from L.L. missus "course at dinner," lit. "placing, putting (on a table, etc.)," from mittere "to put, place," from L. mittere "to send, let go" (see mission). Sense of "mixed food"
EXPANDled to contemptuous use for "jumble, mixed mass" (1828), and figurative sense of "state of confusion" (1834), as well as "condition of untidiness" (1851). Meaning "communal eating place"(esp. a military one) is first attested 1530s, from earlier sense of "company of persons eating together" (early 15c.), originally a group of four. To mess with "interfere, get involved" is from 1903; mess up "make a mistake, get in trouble" is from 1933, both originally Amer.Eng. colloquial.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
mess definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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mess around (with (so)) definitionand mess about (with (so)); monkey around (with (so)) |
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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mess around (with (sth)) definitionand mess about (with (sth)); monkey around (with (sth))
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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