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• massa
  massa

  noun

  (used in representation of Southern Black speech, especially in the era of slavery) master.
• Massa
  Massa

  noun

  a city in W Italy, near the Ligurian Sea: important marble industry.

massa

¹ American  

[mas-uh] / ˈmæs ə /

Also mars,

noun

Southern U.S.

1. (used in representation of Southern Black speech, especially in the era of slavery) master.

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Massa ² American  

[mahs-sah] / ˈmɑs sɑ /

noun

1. a city in W Italy, near the Ligurian Sea: important marble industry.

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Massa British  

/ ˈmassa /

noun

1. a town in W Italy, in NW Tuscany. Pop: 66 769 (2001)

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Etymology

Origin of massa

First recorded in 1570–80 as mas; marse was first recorded in 1765–75; shortening and alteration of master ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

massa Massa

The two thalami touch in the center in most brains as the massa intermedia, which is surrounded by the third ventricle.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

And the old massa who lives there fits the movie title too: Nikita Khrushchev, still hale at 70 but "retired" to his rent-free government dacha outside Moscow on a pension of $330 a month.

From Time Magazine Archive

“My massa thought so, ma’am,” she said quietly.

From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper

I's born at Opelousas and my massa and missis was Dr. Bridget and his wife.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume XVI, Texas Narratives, Part 4 by United States. Work Projects Administration

Dere massa give dem supplies and let dem work a piece of land and they give him half de crop.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume XVI, Texas Narratives, Part 4 by United States. Work Projects Administration

“To be a just war it must be a defense against another who actively wages war, which is what the Holy Father actually said,” Massa said in a statement following Vance’s comments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

Verstappen was flirting with the most stunning comeback since Lewis Hamilton reeled in Felipe Massa in 2008, and the McLarens clearly understood that it could have been prevented.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025

Massa was leading the inaugural race in Singapore from pole position when Piquet deliberately crashed at Turn 17 on lap 14 to bring out a safety car.

From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2025

Marie Massa has spent more than three years working mostly alone to transform a weedy strip of public land into a fragrant habitat garden in Lincoln Heights.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2025

Then he tell Massa Charles that once we gets to Buxton, y’all’s army gunn make sure don’t no one come and try to get me back.

From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

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