French word

masse

Pronunciation

IPA/mas/

Meaning

  • feminine nounlump

Example

Regarde cette masse de pierre.

Look at this lump of stone.

Illustration for masse (lump)

More examples

Une masse de neige bloque la route.

A mass of snow blocks the road.

Core concept

A tightly gathered heap whose separate parts are perceived as one solid whole.

Common phrases

  • une masse de neige

    a mass of snow

  • une masse de gens

    a crowd of people

Similar words

tas: A heap of things piled up into a mound.
morceau: A piece or fragment cut from a larger object.
bloc: A large, solid block with a clearly defined shape.
amas: An irregular mass formed from gathered particles or fragments.

Definition in French

Amas compact de matière ou d'objets formant une seule unité.

Word origin

The French noun masse comes from Latin massa, meaning a lump or mass, through Old French.

Usage tips

  • In the fixed expression en masse, masse means together or in large numbers, as in des départs en masse.

Other meanings

  • massnoun
  • massesnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word