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MASH

(măsh)

abbr.

Mobile Army Surgical Hospital

mash

(măsh)

1. A mixture of malt or other ingredients with water, heated to convert starches into fermentable sugars for use in brewing or distilling.

2. A mixture of ground grain and nutrients fed to livestock and fowl.

3. A soft pulpy mixture or mass.

4. Chiefly British Mashed potatoes.

5. A crushing or grinding.

6. Slang An infatuation or act of flirtation.

tr.v. mashed, mash·ing, mash·es

1. To convert (malt or grain) into mash.

2. To convert into a soft pulpy mass by pounding or crushing: mash potatoes. See Synonyms at crush.

3. Chiefly Southern & South Midland US To apply pressure to; press.

4. Slang To flirt with or make sexual advances to.

Phrasal Verb:

mash up

To combine (two or more audio or video recordings) to produce a composite recording.

[Middle English mash- (as in mashfat, mash tub), from Old English *māsc, *mǣsc, māx- (in māxwyrt, wort); see meik- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots. V., sense 4, perhaps from Romani mash, to entice.]

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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