massage

[ muh-sahzh, -sahj or, esp. British, mas-ahzh ]

/ məˈsɑʒ, -ˈsɑdʒ or, esp. British, ˈmæs ɑʒ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR massage ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or art of treating the body by rubbing, kneading, patting, or the like, to stimulate circulation, increase suppleness, relieve tension, etc.

Slang. attentive or indulgent treatment; pampering: ego massage.

verb (used with object), mas·saged, mas·sag·ing.

to treat by massage.

Slang. to treat with special care and attention; coddle or pamper: The store massages its regular customers with gifts and private sales.

Informal.

to manipulate, maneuver, or handle skillfully: to massage a bill through the Senate.
to manipulate, organize, or rearrange (data, figures, or the like) to produce a specific result, especially a favorable one: The auditors discovered that the company had massaged the books.

Nearby words

massachusetts bay, massachusetts bay company, massachusetts institute of technology, massacre, massacre of the innocents, massage, massage parlor, massage parlour, massapequa, massapequa park, massasauga

Origin of massage

1875–80; < French, equivalent to mass(er) to massage (< Arabic massa to handle) + -age -age

Related formsmas·sag·er, mas·sag·ist, noun

Can be confusedmassage message

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for massage

Women are not taught to get a massage or do anything for ourselves because it makes us feel extraordinarily guilty.
Q&A With Designer Rachel Roy|Cynthia Allum|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Massage techniques are also a far cry from the Thai or Swedish variety found in most vacation destinations.
How the French Do Detox: Inside France’s Most Star-Studded Wellness Retreat|Brandon Presser|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I thought I could feel something, but it was hard to tell if it was residual tingling from the massage or magic on the path.
The Crazy Medieval Island of Sark|Liza Foreman|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ordinarily, a medical team might massage the heart an hour before giving up.
The Day the Fairytale Died|Marilyn Johnson|July 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Among the others are massage schools, paralegal programs and auto repair academies.
‘Degree Mills’ Are Exploiting Veterans and Making Millions Off the GI Bill|Aaron Glantz|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Do you remember the first hospital bed you ever made, the first bed-bath you gave, the first massage?
Applied Psychology for Nurses|Mary F. Porter
The red robot pushed a button on the wall before beginning the massage.
Manners of the Age|Horace Brown Fyfe
In the ankle, for example, massage should be commenced at once, the part being gently stroked upwards.
Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities--Head--Neck. Sixth Edition.|Alexander Miles
If the patient is unable to lie up, massage should be systematically employed, and a firm elastic bandage worn.
Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities--Head--Neck. Sixth Edition.|Alexander Miles
I have frequently seen these strangely cold parts rise, under an hour's massage, six to ten degrees F.
Fat and Blood|S. Weir Mitchell

British Dictionary definitions for massage

massage

/ (ˈmæsɑːʒ, -sɑːdʒ) /

noun

the act of kneading, rubbing, etc, parts of the body to promote circulation, suppleness, or relaxation

verb (tr)

to give a massage to

to treat (stiffness, aches, etc) by a massage

to manipulate (statistics, data, etc) so that they appear to support a particular interpretation or to be better than they are; doctor

massage someone's ego to boost someone's sense of self-esteem by flattery

Derived Formsmassager or massagist, noun

Word Origin for massage

C19: from French, from masser to rub; see mass

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for massage (1 of 2)

massage

1874, from French massage "friction of kneading," from masser "to massage," possibly from Arabic massa "to touch, feel, handle;" if so, probably picked up in Egypt during the Napoleonic campaign there. Other possibility is that French got it in colonial India from Portuguese amassar "knead," a verb from Latin massa "mass, dough" (see mass (n.1)). Massage parlor first attested 1894, from the start a euphemism for "house of prostitution."

Word Origin and History for massage (1 of 2)

massage

1874, from massage (n.). Related: Massaged; massaging.

Medicine definitions for massage

massage

[ mə-säzh′ -säj′ ]

n.

The rubbing or kneading of parts of the body especially to aid circulation, relax the muscles, or provide sensual stimulation.

An act or instance of such rubbing or kneading.

v.

To give a massage to.

To treat by means of a massage.

massage

noun

verb (used with object), mas·saged, mas·sag·ing.

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Nearby words

Origin of massage

Examples from the Web for massage

British Dictionary definitions for massage

massage

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for massage

Word Origin and History for massage (1 of 2)

massage

Word Origin and History for massage (1 of 2)

massage

Medicine definitions for massage

massage

n.

v.