Part 6990

<h1>Mesoxalic</h1> <Xpage=916>

<hw>Mes`ox*al"ic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[<ets>Mes-</ets> + <ets>oxalic</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Chem.)</fld> <def>Pertaining to, or designating, an acid, <chform>CH2O2(CO2H)2</chform>, obtained from amido malonic acid.</def>

<h1>Mesozoa</h1> <Xpage=916>

<hw>Mes`o*zo"a</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n. pl.</tt> <ety>[NL. See <er>Mesozoic</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>A group of very lowly organized, wormlike parasites, including the Dicyemata. They are found in cephalopods. See <er>Dicyemata</er>.</def>

<h1>Mesozoic</h1> <Xpage=916>

<hw>Mes`o*zo"ic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[<ets>Meso-</ets> + Gr. <?/ life, fr. <?/ to live.]</ety> <fld>(Geol.)</fld> <def>Belonging, or relating, to the secondary or reptilian age, or the era between the Paleozoic and Cenozoic. See <i>Chart</i> of <er>Geology</er>.</def>

<h1>Mesozoic</h1> <Xpage=916>

<hw>Mes`o*zo"ic</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>The Mesozoic age or formation.</def>

<h1>Mesprise</h1> <Xpage=916>

<hw>Mes*prise"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OF. <ets>mespris</ets>, F. <ets>m\'82pris</ets>. See <er>Misprize</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Contempt; scorn.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<p><b>2.</b> <ety>[Perh. for F. <ets>m\'82prise</ets> mistake. Cf. <er>Misprision</er>.]</ety> <def>Misadventure; ill-success.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Spenser.</i>

<h1>Mesquite, Mesquit</h1> <Xpage=916>

<hw><hw>Mes*qui"te</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Mes*quit"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt><hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Sp. <ets>mezquite</ets>; said to be a Mexican Indian word.]</ety> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>A name for two trees of the southwestern part of North America, the honey mesquite, and screw-pod mesquite.</def>

<cs><col>Honey mesquite</col>. <cd>See <er>Algaroba</er> <sd>(b)</sd>.</cd> -- <col>Screw-pod mesquite</col>, <cd>a smaller tree (<spn>Prosopis pubescens</spn>), having spiral pods used as fodder and sometimes as food by the Indians.</cd> -- <col>Mesquite grass</col>, <cd>a rich native grass in Western Texas (<spn>Bouteloua oligostachya</spn>, and other species); -- so called from its growing in company with the mesquite tree; -- called also <altname>muskit grass</altname>, <altname>grama grass</altname>.</cd></cs>

<h1>Mess</h1> <Xpage=916>

<hw>Mess</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>Mass; church service.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<h1>Mess</h1> <Xpage=916>

<hw>Mess</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>mes</ets>, OF. <ets>mets</ets>, LL. <ets>missum</ets>, p. p. of <ets>mittere</ets> to put, place (<ets>e</ets>. <ets>g</ets>., on the table), L. <ets>mittere</ets> to send. See <er>Mission</er>, and cf. <er>Mass</er> religious service.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>A quantity of food set on a table at one time; provision of food for a person or party for one meal; <as>as, a <ex>mess</ex> of pottage</as>; also, the food given to a beast at one time.</def>

<blockquote>At their savory dinner set Of herbs and other country <b>messes</b>. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>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>as, the wardroom <ex>mess</ex></as>.</def>

<i>Shak.</i>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>A set of four; -- from the old practice of dividing companies into sets of four at dinner.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Latimer.</i>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>The milk given by a cow at one milking.</def> <mark>[U.S.]</mark>

<p><b>5.</b> <ety>[Perh. corrupt. fr. OE. <ets>mesh</ets> for <ets>mash</ets>: cf. <ets>muss</ets>.]</ety> <def>A disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; <as>as, he made a <ex>mess</ex> of it</as>.</def> <mark>[Colloq.]</mark>

<h1>Mess</h1> <Xpage=916>