massage
[ muh-sahzh, -sahj or, esp. British, mas-ahzh ]
/ məˈsɑʒ, -ˈsɑdʒ or, esp. British, ˈmæs ɑʒ /
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.
Origin of massage
OTHER WORDS FROM massage
mas·sag·er, mas·sag·ist, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH massage
massage messageWords nearby massage
Example sentences from the Web for massage
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 forms of massage
massager or massagist, nounWord Origin for massage
C19: from French, from
masser to rub; see
mass
Medical 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.