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

• slightingly
• slightish
• slightly
• slightness
• slightnesses
• slight off
• slight over
• slights
• slily
• slim
• slim down
• slime
• slimeball
• slimeballs
• slimed
• slime fungus
• slime mould
• slime moulds
• slime pit
• slime pits
• slimes
• slimier
• slimiest
• slimily
• sliminess