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messe

Mass (church service)

noun MESS Less Common

Origin: Latin missa, from mittere 'to send'

Usage Note

Messe refers to the Roman Catholic Mass; it is always feminine and typically capitalized when meaning the specific liturgy (la messe de minuit, 'midnight Mass'). Aller à la messe is the standard phrase. Outside religion, messe is rare, unlike English 'mess'.

Examples

"Ils vont à la messe tous les dimanches."

Natural Translation

They go to Mass every Sunday.

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