MESS | English Meaning, Definition, and Pronunciation

Middle English: from Old French mes ‘portion of food’, from late Latin missum ‘something put on the table’, past participle of mittere ‘send, put’. The original sense was ‘a serving of (semi-liquid) food’, later ‘liquid food for an animal’; this gave rise (early 19th century) to the senses ‘unappetizing concoction’ and ‘predicament’, on which sense 1 is based. In late Middle English the term also denoted any of the small groups into which the company at a banquet was divided (who were served from the same dishes); hence, ‘a group who regularly eat together’ (recorded in military use from the mid 16th century)

a dirty or untidy state of things or of a place

dirty or untidy state

• she made a mess of the kitchen
• my hair was a mess

a situation that is confused and full of problems

confused and problematic situation

• the economy is still in a terrible mess

a portion of semi-liquid food

portion of semi-liquid food

• a mess of mashed black beans and rice

a building or room providing meals and recreational facilities for members of the armed forces

place providing meals for armed forces

• the sergeants' mess

a large amount or quantity of

great deal of

• big-time outfits that do a mess of printing

make untidy or dirty

make untidy or dirty

• she scratched her head, messing her hair still further

have one's meals with a particular person, especially as a member of an armed forces' mess

have meals

• I messed at first with Harry, who became a lifelong friend