noun
mass
A Christian Eucharistic service, especially in Catholic worship.
Our family attends mass at the parish church every Sunday.
Etymology
The service name derives from Latin missa, associated with dismissal at the close of worship. The closing formula supplied the name for the Eucharistic service as a whole.
More examples
- The priest celebrates mass in the hospital chapel.
- Two masses are scheduled for Sunday morning.
- We arrive early for midnight mass on Christmas Eve.
Forms
mass · masses
Similar words
- Eucharist
- Names the sacrament itself as well as its celebration.
- Communion
- Often emphasizes receiving consecrated bread and wine during worship.