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Ration vs Mess - What's the difference?

ration | mess |

As nouns the difference between ration and mess

is that ration is 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.

ration

English

(wikipedia ration)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A portion designated to a person or group.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To supply with a ration; to limit (someone) to a specific allowance of something.
    • We rationed ourselves to three sips of water a day until we were rescued.
  • To portion out (especially during a shortage of supply); to limit access to.
    • By the third day on the raft, we had to ration our water.
  • To restrict (an activity etc.)
    • Our present health care system is rationed only to those who can afford it because of unnecessary high cost, lack of insurance coverage by 47 million people, and exorbitant prescription prices.

    Anagrams

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    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
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    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

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    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

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    References

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    Anagrams

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