an untidy, disordered, dirty, or generally unpleasant state or condition
euphem the excrement of a domestic animal
a prepared dish of soft or liquid food
a usu unappetizing mixture of ingredients eaten together
a disorganized situation resulting from misunderstanding, blundering, or misconduct
a person whose appearance is untidy or whose life and affairs are in disorder
a place where services personnel eat their meals
make a mess of
informal to perform (a task, etc) incompetently
Middle English mes via Old French from late Latin missus course at a meal, from missus, past part. of mittere to put, send. The word originally signified a portion of food, then mixed food, especially for an animal and so, ultimately, an untidy state. Another early meaning was a small group of people sitting together at a banquet and being served from the same dishes. This gave rise to the ‘mess’ in which soldiers eat