mess¹ /mes/

1. A mixture disagreeable to the sight or taste
2. A medley
3. (a person in a state of) disorder or confusion
4. Embarrassment
5. A bungle
6. A dish of food, a course or meal (archaic)
7. A set of usually four people served together at a banquet (archaic)
8. A set of four (Shakespeare)
9. A number of people who take their meals together, esp in the armed forces
10. A place where such a group take their meals together
11. A cow's yield at one milking (dialect)
12. A quantity of anything, esp of a specified food (archaic or N Am dialect)
13. A take or haul of fish (US)
14. A dish of soft, pulpy or sloppy food
15. Liquid, pulpy or smeary dirt
16. Excrement, esp of an animal (informal)

1. To make a mess of (usu with up)
2. To subject to a violent physical attack (with up) (US informal)
3. To muddle
4. To make dirty or messy
5. To supply with a meal or food (military)

1. To make a mess
2. To play or trifle (with with)
3. To meddle, involve oneself (with with or in) (informal; esp US)
4. To tangle or come into conflict (with with) (informal; esp US)
5. To eat a meal, to dine (archaic)
6. To eat at a common table
7. To belong to a mess

messˈily adverb

messˈiness noun

messˈy adjective (messˈier; messˈiest)

1. Confused, untidy (also figurative)
2. Involving, or causing, dirt or mess
3. Bungling

mess deck noun (nautical)

1. The crew's living-quarters on board ship
2. The crew's dining-hall (US)

mess jacket noun

A waist-length jacket worn by officers at a formal mess dinner

mess kit noun

1. Formal evening wear for officers
2. A soldier's eating utensils (also mess gear)

messˈmate noun

1. A member of the same mess
2. A commensal

messˈ-room noun

messˈ-tin noun

A soldier's utensil serving as plate, cup and cooking vessel

messˈ-up noun

A mess, muddle, bungle or confusion

mess about or around (informal)

1. To potter about
2. To behave in a foolish or annoying way
3. To meddle or interfere (with with)
4. To treat badly or inconsiderately
5. To upset, put into a state of disorder or confusion
6. To have an adulterous or otherwise illicit sexual relationship (often with with)

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