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a·mass

(ə-măs)

v. a·massed, a·mass·ing, a·mass·es

v.tr.

1. To gather together or accumulate a large quantity of (something): amass evidence; amass a fortune.

2. To be the site of (an increasing mass), especially as a result of neglect: How long has the desk been amassing bills?

v.intr.

To come together; collect: troops amassing on the border. See Synonyms at gather.

[Middle English, to accumulate, from Old French amasser, to assemble : a-, to (from Latin ad-; see AD-) + masser, to gather together (from Latin massa, lump, mass; see MASS).]

a·massa·ble adj.

a·masser n.

a·massment n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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