0 ❖ a back massage W        0 to give sb a massage

o massage oils

■ verb [VN] 1 to rub and press a person’s body with the hands to reduce pain in the muscles and joints 0; ft#: He massaged the aching muscles in her feet. MSif WlSo 0 {figurative) to massage sb’s ego

(= to make sb feel better, more confident, attractive, etc.) ig jM % A (ft i ft 'l> 2 to rub a substance into the skin, hair, etc. H       ) : Massage the

cream into your skin. A$c±0 3 (disap­

proving) to change facts, figures, etc. in order to make them seem better than they really are Hit (        ) ;

^ jft ( ffc M ) ;        : The government was accused of

massaging the unemployment figures.

'massage parlour {BrE) (NAmE mas sage parlor) noun 1 a place where you can pay to have a massage

^        1% 2 a place that is supposed to offer the

service of massage, but is also where men go to pay for sex with prostitutes ( masse o en masse

mas seur /mae's3:(r)/ noun a person whose job is giving people massage gcllW

mas seuse /mae's3iz; NAmE ma'suis/ noun a woman whose job is giving people massage mas sif /mae'siif/ noun {technical A i§) a group of mountains that form a large mass ill®; #Li| mas sive Onw /'maesiv/ adj.

1 very large, heavy and solid SAW; A rffffi Aj: a massive rock          A (ft©© 0 the massive walls

of the castle       2 extremely large or

serious g A (ft ; A It (ft : The explosion made a massive hole in the ground.

ffti/t0 0 a massive increase in spending AWA'tiiSi^ jjp 0 He suffered a massive heart attack, itfe Af^To o {BrE, informal) Their house is massive. (Ml (ft ^ AAMTo 0 They have a massive great house. fMl4f ^ji##A(ft£lA0 ► mas-sive-ly adv.

, mass-' market adj. [only before noun] (of goods etc. j§ftfp ^) produced for very large numbers of people M |ft A

AM; iisixmw

the .mass 'media noun [pi.] sources of information and news such as newspapers, magazines, radio and television, that reach and influence large numbers of people AAftSt

mass noun noun {grammar ng i&) 1 an uncountable noun          SJ 2 a noun that is usually uncountable

but can be made plural or used with a or an when you are talking about different types of sth. For example, bread is used as a mass noun in the shop sells several different breads.

M -s, $| #P The shop sells several different breads A (ft bread )

mass number noun {chemistry ft) the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom (

, mass-pro'duce verb [VN] to produce goods in large quantities, using machinery (         ) JttiiA/A AH

A/* ► , mass-pro' duced adj. ■. mass-produced goods #t 11A ^ (ft qp .mass pro duction noun [U]: the mass production of consumer goods mast /ma:st; NAmE maest/ noun 1 a tall pole on a boat or ship that supports the sails Hlf;     —picture o

page R.4 2 a tall metal tower with an aerial that sends and receives radio or television signals      3 a tall

pole that is used for holding a flag © — see also HALF MAST IEEE1 See NAIL V.

mast-ec-tomy /mas'stektami/ noun {pi. -ies) a medical operation to remove a person’s breast mas ter 0-w /'ma:st0(r); NAmE ‘maes-/ noun, verb, adj. a noun

►                 OF SERVANTS fPA 1 (old-fashioned) a man who has people working for him, often as servants in his home

( j§ ) A A, fii A: They lived in fear of their master.

ifiliiaiA,

PERSON IN CONTROL AA 2 ~ of sth a person who is able to control sth A A; A A; AjSr&JAWA: She was no

longer master of her own future. life B AfEU § B (ft

AAo

►                 SKILLED PERSON ©©fgftA 3 ~ (of sth) a person who is skilled at sth fg A; #-£•••#: a master of disguise 3|# TttiWA 0 a master of the serve-and-volley game iScAWiSj?- — see also past master

►                 DOG OWNER $j(ft A A 4 the male owner of a dog $JfftJ§

A A: The dog saved its master’s life.    (ft A

Ao — compare mistress(4)

►                 TEACHER W 5 {BrE, old-fashioned) a male teacher at a

school, especially a private school (        ) f§

IStW: the physics master    — compare school­

master, mistress(2)

►                 UNIVERSITY DEGREE A A A f\L 6 master’s (also master’s degree) a second university degree, or, in Scotland, a first university degree, such as an MA ®( A

He has a

Master’s in Business Administration.

. — see also MA, MB(1), MBA, MSc 7 (usually Master) a person who has a master’s degree fijji ±; ^ ®±Afi(ftA: a Master of Arts/Science

►                 CAPTAIN OF SHIP -fc 8 the captain of a ship that transports goods (

►                 FAMOUS PAINTER I A 1® % 9 a famous painter who lived

in the past ( S#C )         ^HAff: an exhibition

of work by the French master, Monet

— see also old master(I)

►                 ORIGINAL RECORD/TAPE/MOVIE A fig A ft/ i$ ft?/ r|i $

10 (often used as an adjective        ) a version

of a record, tape, film/movie, etc. from which copies are made    : the master copy Mtfc

WH

►                 TITLE 11 Master {old-fashioned) a title used when

speaking to or about a boy who is too young to be called Mr (also used in front of the name on an envelope, etc.) (       “5fcA” WH3£W

ffcifi;        ©12 Master

(in Britain) the title of the head of some schools and university colleges ( US )  the Master of

Wolfson College 13 Master a title

used for speaking to or about some religious teachers or leaders (     ) AW, Wit

I5HI3 There are many other compounds ending in master. You will find them at their place in the alphabet. U master

A W iS ^ fi S $ M o iraai be your own 'master/ mistress to be free to make your own decisions rather than being told what to do by sb else A § A — more at serve v.

■ verb [VN]

►                 LEARN/UNDERSTAND ■? £ : J®p 1 to learn or under­stand sth completely fi# j§ ; ^ ti : to master new skills/techniques # i! §r W fg / A 0 French was a language he had never mastered. ^Ai©4lfe—

►                 CONTROL 2 to manage to control an emotion

( 'If it ) : She struggled hard to master her temper.

AI4A, Piffle 3 to gain control of an animal or a person ]$$i] (        )

madj. [only before noun]

►                 SKILLED BA 1 ~ baker/chef/mason, etc. used to des­cribe a person who is very skilled at the job mentioned

( tt&Hf-A»UkWA )    ©SfgW

►                 MOST IMPORTANT M fi 1 2 the largest and/or most

important M. A W;         W: the master bedroom A

o a masterfile/switch AAI4;

.master .chief petty officer noun an officer of middle rank in the US navy (

mas ter class /‘mccstaklais; NAmE ’maesterklaes/ noun a lesson, especially in music, given by a famous expert to very skilled students ( AWSifW )

mm

.master 'corporal noun a member of one of the lower ranks of the Canadian army or air force ( jjp# A®^

) -&T±

masterful /'maistafl; NAmE 'maestarfl/ adj. 1 (of a person, especially a man A, A#!I! A) able to control people or situations in a way that shows confidence as a leader WgfcJfgAftl;         2 = masterly &

■£ff?&l$; jffUS&IKJ;      a masterful performance &