mess

plural messes

1. countableuncountableA thing or group of things in a disagreeable, disorganised, or dirty state; hence a bad situation.

   He made a mess of it.

   2 more examples

   No, look, I know that the place looks like a bit of a mess but it's actually a very delicate ecosystem. Everything is connected. It's like the rainforest. You change one thing, even the tiniest bit, and the whooole rainforest dies. You don't want the rainforest to die, do ya?

   2006 Feb. 3, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 1, Episode 4

   My bedroom is such a mess; I need to tidy up.

   Synonyms: disorder, bedlam, car crash, chaos, confusion, disarray, disorder, disorganization

2. colloquialcountableuncountableA large quantity or number.

   She brought back a mess of fish to fix for supper.

   2 more examples

   Messerschmidts! A whole mess of Messerschmidts!

   1943 November 20, Daffy the Commando, spoken by Daffy Duck

   My boss dumped a whole mess of projects on my desk today.

3. countableeuphemisticuncountableExcrement.

   There was dog mess all along the street.

   1 more example

   Did you hear that? It scared the mess out of me.

4. countablefigurativelyuncountableA person in a state of (especially emotional) turmoil or disarray; an emotional wreck.

   Between the pain and the depression, I'm a mess.

   2 more examples

   He's been a mess and a half ever since you excommunicated him.

   I'm a mess in a dress, can't show up on time even if it would save my life. According to you.

   2009, Andrew Frampton, Steve Diamond, “According to You”, in Believe, performed by Orianthi

present singular third person messes · participle present messing · participle past messed · past messed

1. To make untidy or dirty.
   1. oftentransitiveTo make soiled by defecating.

      It seems like all you do is cry, eat, and mess your diapers!

      2000 March 12, Tom Armstrong, Marvin (comic)

   2. oftentransitiveTo make soiled by ejaculating.
2. oftentransitiveTo throw into disorder or to ruin.

   Charles Dickens, quoted in: 1875, John Forster, The Life of Charles Dickens Yet I was not sorry that the creature found the loophole for escape. The officers had taken him illegally without any warrant; and really they messed it all through, quite facetiously.

   1 more example

   But it wasn't right to be messing another man's sleep with tidal waves that didn't belong to the other man.

   1905, Arthur Colton, The Belted Seas, page 76

3. intransitiveTo interfere.

   This doesn't concern you. Don't mess.

plural messes

1. obsoleteMass; a church service.
2. archaicA quantity of food set on a table at one time; provision of food for a person or party for one meal; also, the food given to an animal at one time.

   c. 1555, Hugh Latimer, letter to one in prison for the profession of the Gospel a mess of pottage

   3 more examples

   At their savoury dinner set / Of herbs and other country messes.

   a. 1645, John Milton, “L’Allegro”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC

   They neither ate flesh nor fish, but lived on milk diet, made up into messes with saffron.

   1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume II, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 191

   [Curry] consists of meat, fish, fruit, or vegetables, cooked with a quantity of bruised spices and turmeric […]; and a little of this gives a flavour to a large mess of rice.

   1903, Henry Yule, Arthur Burnell, Hobson-Jobson

3. collectiveA number of persons who eat together, and for whom food is prepared in common, especially military personnel who eat at the same table.

   the wardroom mess

   1 more example

   But that our Feaſts / In euery Meſſe, haue folly; and the Feeders / Digeſt with a Cuſtome,

   c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], page 291

4. A building or room in which mess is eaten.

   The police mess had formerly been a maternity home for the wives of the Sultans of the state. Faded and tatty, peeling, floorboards eaten and unpolished, its philoprogenitive glory was a memory only.

   1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 20

5. Indiaa type of restaurant characterized by homely-style cooking and food.
6. A set of four (from the old practice of dividing companies into sets of four at dinner).
7. USThe milk given by a cow at one milking.
8. collectiveA group of iguanas.

   Love how green iguanas look like dinosaurs. Saw a 'mess' of iguanas on Little Conch Key in the Florida Keys. So cool!

   2026 June 13, nictatinglens, Threads

   2 more examples

   A Florida high school swimming pool has been shut down indefinitely after a mess of iguanas has claimed it for themselves.

   2024 December 31, Service Industry News

   But as NPR reported in 2018, one man got an even greater surprise after he'd picked up a mess of iguanas and loaded them into his car.

   2024 February 14, Vanessa Romo, “Brumation and torpor: How animals survive cold snaps by playing dead-ish”, in Wyoming Public Media

   Synonyms: slaughter

9. cookingA dessert of fruit and cream, similar to a fool.

   Similar desserts [to Eton Mess] include Lancing Mess (made with bananas), served at Lancing College in Sussex, and Clare College Mush[…]

   2015, Darra Goldstein, Sidney Mintz, Michael Krondl, Laura Mason, The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, Oxford University Press, USA, →ISBN, page 243

   4 more examples

   Eton is renowned for its "messes," and "strawberry mess" is Empress of them all, with raspberry mess as a very good second. It does not at all convey the joys of a "mess" to say that it consists of iced fruit and cream, and somewhat resembles a "fool." It is a thing apart, and should be approached with bated breath and unimpaired capacity.

   1913, Pearson's Magazine, volume 36, part 2, page 373

   "I'll stand you both strawberry mess." It was perfectly impossible for David not to feel elated at sitting down to strawberry-mess with two members of the eleven, in the full light of day, and in sight of the school generally […]

   1916, Edward Frederic Benson, David Blaize, page 284

   Eton mess, for example, which is another name for strawberry fool, links the name of a famous public school with disorder or the army slang for a meal, [...] One friend remembered a banana mess of mashed banana with two scoops of ice cream and loads of cream, and thought the strawberry version something that might be served at the 4th June College picnic, [...]

   2014, Lindsey Bareham, Just One Pot

   One Old Etonian rages that at school the dessert was simply called 'strawberry mess' and was very popular in the tuck shop. It is only outside Eton that the school's name has been added. A similar 'banana mess' is credited to School in Sussex, […]

   2020, Nigel Napier-Andrews, Gentleman's Portion: The Cookbook

present singular third person messes · participle present messing · participle past messed · past messed

1. intransitiveTo take meals with a mess.
2. intransitiveTo belong to a mess.
3. intransitiveTo eat (with others).

   I mess with the wardroom officers.

   1 more example

   Resolved 18. That no Guide or Interpreter whether at the Factory Depot or Inland be permitted to mess with Commissioned Gentlemen or Clerks in charge of Posts; but while at the Depot they will be allowed per Week 4 days ordinary rations...

   1836, George Simpson & al., HBC Standing Rules and Regulations, §18

4. transitiveTo supply with a mess.

plural Messes

1. A surname from German.