Massacre, mas′a-kėr, n. indiscriminate slaughter, esp. with cruelty: carnage.—v.t. to kill with violence and cruelty: to slaughter. [Fr.; from the Teut., as in Low Ger. matsken, to cut; cf. Ger. metz-ger, a butcher.]
Massage, ma-säzh′, n. in medicine, a system of treatment in which the manipulation and exercise of parts (passive movement) are employed for the relief of morbid conditions—by stroking, pressing, tapping, kneading, friction with kneading, &c.—v.t. to subject to massage.—ns. Massa′gist, Masseur′:—fem. Masseuse′. [Fr., from Gr. massein, to knead.]
Masse, ma-sā′, n. in billiards, a sharp stroke made with the cue perpendicular or nearly so. [Fr.]
Masseter, mas-ē′tėr, n. a muscle which raises the under jaw, and thus closes the mouth. [Gr. masētēr—masasthai, to chew.]
Massicot, mas′i-kot, n. protoxide of lead or yellow oxide of lead. [Fr.]
Massif, ma-sēf, n. a central mountain-mass; an orographic fault-block. [Fr.]
Massorah, Masora, mas′ō-rä, n. the tradition by which Jewish scholars tried to preserve the text of the Old Testament—a collection of critical notes on the text of the Old Testament, first committed to writing in Tiberias between the 6th and 9th cent. A.D.—the Great Massorah was finally arranged about the 11th century; the Small Massorah is an extract therefrom.—ns. Mass′orete, Mass′orite.—adjs. Massoret′ic, Masoret′ic.—Massoretic points and accents, the vowel-points in Hebrew furnished by the Massorah. [Heb., 'tradition.']
Mast, mast, n. a long upright pole for bearing the yards, rigging, &c. in a ship.—v.t. to supply with a mast or masts.—adj. Mast′ed.—n. Mast′-head, the head or top of the mast of a ship.—v.t. to raise to the mast-head: to punish by sending a sailor to the mast-head for a certain time.—n. Mast′-house, the place in dockyards where masts are made.—adj. Mast′less, having no mast. [A.S. mæst, the stem of a tree; Ger. mast.]
Mast, mast, n. the fruit of the oak, beech, chestnut, and other forest trees, on which swine feed: nuts, acorns.—adjs. Mast′ful; Mast′less; Mast′y. [A.S. mæst; Ger. mast, whence mästen, to feed.]
Master, mas′tėr, n. one who commands: a lord or owner: a leader or ruler: a teacher: an employer: the commander of a merchant-ship: formerly the navigator or sailing-master of a ship-of-war: one eminently skilled in anything: the common title of address to a young gentleman, &c.: a title of dignity or office—a degree conferred by universities, as Master of Arts, &c., the title of the eldest son of a Scotch viscount or baron, the head of some corporations, as Balliol College, &c., of a lodge of freemasons, &c.: a husband.—adj. the chief, predominant: belonging to a master, chief, principal, as in Master-builder, &c.—v.t. to become master of: to overcome: to become skilful in: to execute with skill.—ns. Mas′ter-build′er, a chief builder, one who directs or employs others; Mas′terdom, power of control.—adj. Mas′terful, exercising the authority or power of a master: imperious: having the skill of a master.—adv. Mas′terfully, in a masterful or imperious manner.—ns. Mas′terfulness; Mas′ter-hand, the hand of a master: a person highly skilled; Mas′terhood; Mas′ter-joint, the most marked system of joints or divisional planes by which a rock is intersected; Mas′terkey, a key that opens many locks: a clue fitted to guide one out of many difficulties.—adj. Mas′terless, without a master or owner: ungoverned: unsubdued: beyond control.—n. Mas′terliness, quality of being masterly: masterly skill.—adj. Mas′terly, like a master: with the skill of a master: skilful: excellent: overbearing.—adv. with the skill of a master.—ns. Mas′ter-mar′iner, the captain of a merchant-vessel or fishing-vessel; Mas′ter-mā′son, a freemason who has attained the third degree; Mas′ter-mind; Mas′ter-pass′ion; Mas′terpiece, a piece of work worthy of a master: a work of superior skill: chief excellence; Mas′tership, the office of master: rule or dominion: superiority; Mas′terstroke, a stroke or performance worthy of a master: superior performance; Mas′ter-wheel, the wheel in a machine which imparts motion to other parts; Mas′ter-work, work worthy of a master: masterpiece; Mas′terwort, a perennial umbelliferous herb, native to northern Europe, its root reputed as a stomachic, sudorific, diuretic, &c.; Mas′tery, the power or authority of a master: dominion: victory: superiority: the attainment of superior power or skill.—Master of ceremonies, of the Rolls, &c. (see Ceremonies, Rolls, &c.); Master of the horse, the Roman Magister Equitum, an official appointed by the dictator to act next under himself: an equerry, esp. the exalted official bearing this name at the British court; Master of the Temple, the preacher of the Temple Church in London; Masters of the schools, at Oxford, the conductors of the first examination (Responsions) for the degree of B.A.—Masterly inactivity, the position or part of a neutral or a Fabian combatant, carried out with diplomatic skill, so as to preserve a predominant influence without risking anything.—Passed, or Past, master, one who has occupied the office of master, esp. among freemasons—hence any one known to possess ample knowledge of some subject; The little masters, a 16th-17th cent. group of followers of Dürer, notable for fine work on wood and copper; The old masters, a term applied collectively to the great painters about the time of the Renaissance, esp. the Italians.—Be master of one's self, to have one's passions or emotions under control. [O. Fr. maistre (Fr. maître)—L. magister, from root of magnus, great.]