ms


millisecond; milliseconds.

Definition for ms (2 of 10)

MS

Mississippi (approved especially for use with zip code).
multiple sclerosis.

Definition for ms (3 of 10)

M, m
[ em ]
/ ɛm /

noun, plural M's or Ms, m's or ms.

the thirteenth letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
any spoken sound represented by the letter M or m, as in my, summer, or him.
something having the shape of an M.
a written or printed representation of the letter M or m.
a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter M or m.
Printing. em.

Definition for ms (4 of 10)

ms.

plural mss.

Definition for ms (5 of 10)

Ms.
[ miz ]
/ mɪz /

plural Mses. [miz-uh z] /ˈmɪz əz/.

a title of respect prefixed to a woman's name or position: unlike Miss or Mrs., it does not depend upon or indicate her marital status.
a title prefixed to a mock surname that is used to represent possession of a particular attribute, identity, etc., especially in an idealized or excessive way: Ms. Cooperation.

usage note for Ms.

Ms. came into use in the 1950s as a title before a woman's surname when her marital status was unknown or irrelevant. In the early 1970s, the use of Ms. was adopted and encouraged by the women's movement, the reasoning being that since a man's marital status is not revealed by the title Mr., there is no reason that a woman's status should be revealed by her title. Since then Ms. has gained increasing currency, especially in business and professional use. Some women prefer the traditional Miss (still fully standard for a woman whose marital status is unknown and for an unmarried woman) or, when appropriate, Mrs.
Newspaper editors sometimes reject Ms. except in quoted matter. Others use whichever of the three titles a woman prefers if her preference is known. Increasingly, newspapers avoid the use of all three titles by referring to women by their full names in first references ( Sarah Brady; Margaret Bourke-White ) and by surname only, as with men, in subsequent references: Brady, Bourke-White. Since all three titles— Ms., Miss, and Mrs. —remain in use, the preference of the woman being named or addressed or the practice of the organization or publication in which the name is to appear is often followed.

pronunciation note for Ms.

Ms. is pronounced (miz), a pronunciation that is identical with one standard South Midland and Southern U.S. pronunciation of Mrs.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH Ms.

Mrs. Ms.

Definition for ms (6 of 10)

MS.

plural MSS.

Definition for ms (7 of 10)

m.s.

modification of the stem of.
Commerce. months after sight.

Definition for ms (8 of 10)

m/s

meter per second; meters per second.

Definition for ms (9 of 10)

M.S.

mail steamer.
Master of Science.
Master in Surgery.

Definition for ms (10 of 10)

M/S

Commerce. months after sight.

Example sentences from the Web for ms

British Dictionary definitions for ms (1 of 4)

ms

the internet domain name for

Montserrat

British Dictionary definitions for ms (2 of 4)

Ms
/ (mɪz, məs) /

noun

a title substituted for Mrs or Miss before a woman's name to avoid making a distinction between married and unmarried women Compare Miss, Mrs

British Dictionary definitions for ms (3 of 4)

MS

abbreviation for

Master of Surgery
(on gravestones) memoriae sacrum
Mississippi
motor ship
multiple sclerosis
Mauritius (international car registration)

Word Origin for MS

(sense 2) Latin: sacred to the memory of

British Dictionary definitions for ms (4 of 4)

MS.

ms.


abbreviation for plural MSS. mss.

manuscript

Medical definitions for ms (1 of 2)

ms

abbr.

millisecond

Medical definitions for ms (2 of 2)

MS

abbr.

multiple sclerosis
mitral stenosis

Scientific definitions for ms

m

Abbreviation of mass, meter

Cultural definitions for ms

Ms.

A title used before a woman's name, pronounced “Miz” and corresponding to Mr. before a man's.

notes for Ms.

Feminists have urged the use of Ms. because, unlike Miss or Mrs., it does not identify a woman by her marital status. ( See feminism.)