The Collaborative International Dictionary
Mass \Mass\ (m[.a]s), n. [OE. masse, messe, AS. m[ae]sse. LL. missa, from L. mittere, missum, to send, dismiss: cf. F. messe. In the ancient churches, the public services at which the catechumens were permitted to be present were called missa catechumenorum, ending with the reading of the Gospel. Then they were dismissed with these words : ``Ite, missa est'' [sc. ecclesia], the congregation is dismissed. After that the sacrifice proper began. At its close the same words were said to those who remained. So the word gave the name of Mass to the sacrifice in the Catholic Church. See Missile, and cf. Christmas, Lammas, Mess a dish, Missal.]
(R. C. Ch.) The sacrifice in the sacrament of the Eucharist, or the consecration and oblation of the host.
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(Mus.) The portions of the Mass usually set to music, considered as a musical composition; -- namely, the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Credo, the Sanctus, and the Agnus Dei, besides sometimes an Offertory and the Benedictus.
Canon of the Mass. See Canon.
High Mass, Mass with incense, music, the assistance of a deacon, subdeacon, etc.
Low Mass, Mass which is said by the priest throughout, without music.
Mass bell, the sanctus bell. See Sanctus.
Mass book, the missal or Roman Catholic service book.
Usage examples of "mass book".
I never thought I would learn to read, for my mother said it was not suitable, but when I came here, they told me I must be able to read in the mass book, and so now I can read in Latin!
Only a few months after Hitler came to power, the Nazis organised a mass book-burning in German cities - not only communist literature, but works by writers such as Einstein, Thomas Mann and H.