Mess (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Messed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Messing.] To take meals with a mess; to belong to a mess;
to eat (with others); as, I mess with the wardroom
officers. Marryat.
Mess, v. t. To make a mess of; to
disorder or muddle; to muss; to jumble; to disturb.
It was n't right either to be messing another
man's sleep.
Scribner's Mag.Mess (?), n. Mass; church
service. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Mess (?), n. [OE. mes, OF.
mets, LL. missum, p. p. of mittere to put, place
(e. g., on the table), L. mittere to send. See
Mission, and cf. Mass religious service.]
1. A quantity of food set on a table at one
time; provision of food for a person or party for one meal; as, a
mess of pottage; also, the food given to a beast at one
time.
At their savory dinner set
Of herbs and other country messes.
Milton.
2. A number of persons who eat together, and
for whom food is prepared in common; especially, persons in the
military or naval service who eat at the same table; as, the wardroom
mess. Shak.
3. A set of four; -- from the old practice of
dividing companies into sets of four at dinner. [Obs.]
Latimer.
4. The milk given by a cow at one
milking. [U.S.]
5. [Perh. corrupt. fr. OE. mesh for
mash: cf. muss.] A disagreeable mixture or
confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or
from misunderstanding; as, he made a mess of it.
[Colloq.]
Mess, v. t. To supply with a
mess.