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Mayhem vs Mess - What's the difference?

mayhem | mess |

As nouns the difference between mayhem and mess

is that mayhem is a state or situation of great confusion, disorder, trouble or destruction; chaos while mess is (obsolete) mass; church service or mess can be a disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; a disorder.

As a verb mess is

(label) to take meals with a mess or mess can be (label) to make a mess of.

mayhem

English

Alternative forms

* maihem

Noun

(en-noun)
  • A state or situation of great confusion, disorder, trouble or destruction; chaos.
    • What if the legendary hero Robin Hood had been born into the mayhem of the 20th century ?
    In all the mayhem , some children were separated from their partners.
    She waded into the mayhem , elbowing between taller men to work her way to the front of the crowd.
    The clowns would dart into the crowd and pull another unsuspecting victim into the mayhem of the ring
  • Infliction of violent injury on a person or thing.
    • The fighting dogs created mayhem in the flower beds.
  • (legal) The maiming of a person by depriving him of the use of any of his limbs which are necessary for defense or protection.
  • (legal) The crime of damaging things or harming people on purpose.

    • Synonyms

    * (chaos) * (infliction of violent injury on a person or thing) * (legal) * See ,

    References

    mess

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), partly from (etyl) . More at (m); see also (m).

    Noun

    (es)
  • (obsolete) Mass; church service.
  • A quantity of food set on a table at one time; provision of food for a person or party for one meal; also, the food given to an animal at one time.
    • A mess of pottage.
  • * Milton
    • At their savoury dinner set / Of herbs and other country messes .
  • A number of persons who eat together, and for whom food is prepared in common; especially, persons in the military or naval service who eat at the same table.
    • the wardroom mess
  • * 1610 , , IV. iv. 11:
    • But that our feasts / In every mess have folly, and the feeders / Digest it with accustom,
  • A set of four (from the old practice of dividing companies into sets of four at dinner).
    • (Latimer)
  • (US) The milk given by a cow at one milking.
    • Derived terms
    * Eton mess * lose the number of one's mess * mess hall * mess up * Mills Mess
    External links
    *

    Verb

  • (label) To take meals with a mess.
  • (label) To belong to a mess.
  • (label) To eat (with others).
  • (label) To supply with a mess.

    • External links

    *

    Etymology 2

    Perhaps a corruption of (etyl) , compare (muss), or derived from Etymology 1 "mixed foods, as for animals".

    Noun

    (-)
  • A disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; a disorder.
  • (label) A large quantity or number.
  • (label) Excrement.
    • Quotations
    * (English Citations of "mess")
    Synonyms
    * see also

    Verb

    (es)
  • (label) To make a mess of.
  • (label) To throw into confusion.
  • (label) To interfere.
    • Derived terms
    (terms derived from "mess") * messy * mess around * mess up * mess with

    External links

    *

    References

    *

    Anagrams

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