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Mess vs Melee - What's the difference?

mess | melee |

As nouns the difference between mess and melee

is that mess is mass; church service while melee is hand-to-hand combat; mano a mano.

As verbs the difference between mess and melee

is that mess is to take meals with a mess while melee is to physically hit, as opposed to shooting or blowing up.

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

    * ----

    melee

    English

    Alternative forms

    * *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Hand-to-hand combat; .
  • A naval or armor battle at an abnormally close range, extending even to disorganized crowds of people or traffic jams, using no ammunition.
  • A noisy or heated fight, argument or scrap
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=April 15 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Tottenham 1-5 Chelsea , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=The ball did not appear to cross the line, a view supported by television replays as Blues captain John Terry also joined the melee , but referee Atkinson awarded the goal - to the obvious anger of Spurs and their management team.}}

    Verb

    (d)
  • (video games, slang) to physically hit, as opposed to shooting or blowing up.