miss-, mis-, -miss, -mis, mit-, mitt-, -mit, -mitt

1. To allow to enter; grant entry to.
2. To cause or to permit to enter; to introduce or to admit.

1. Public celebration of the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic Church and some Protestant churches.
2. The sacrament of the Eucharist.
3. A musical setting of certain parts of the Mass; especially, the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

From Ecclesiastical Latin missa, past participle of mittere, "to send" (away); so called from the words of dismissal at the end of the service: Ite, missa est, "Go, (the congregation) is dismissed" or "Go, it (the prayer) has been sent." The phrase in Latin has also been interpreted to mean: "Go, it is the dismissal" or "Go, dismissed."

To repeat, the phrase ite, missa est refers to the dismissal of the congregation at the end of the Mass with this literal translation: "Go, it has been sent on its way" or "Go, the mass is ended."

1. A dirty or untidy condition: "Our apartment was left in a terrible mess after the party."
2. A chaotic, confused, or troublesome state or situation: "The government plan turned out to be a complete mess."
3. Someone, or something, in a confused, dirty, or untidy condition.
4. A place where, or a time when, a group of people; especially, members of the military forces, have meals together.
5. A serving, or quantity, of food; especially, of soft or soggy food.
6. Etymology: "food for one meal, pottage", from Old French mes, "portion of food, course at dinner"; from Late Latin missus, "course at dinner"; literally, "placing, putting (on a table, etc.)"; from mittere, "to put, to place"; from Latin mittere. "to send, to let go".

The sense of "mixed food" led to the contemptuous use for "jumble, mixed mass" (1828), and the figurative sense of "the state of confusion" (1834), as well as "a condition of untidiness" (1851).

The meaning "communal eating place"; especially, a military one, is first known in 1536, from an earlier sense of "company of people eating together" (c.1420); originally, a group of four.

Messy or "untidy" is from 1843. To mess with, "to interfere, to get involved" is from 1903; mess up, "make a mistake, get in trouble" is from 1933, both originally, colloquial American English.

1. A usually short communication transmitted by words, signals, or other means from one person, station, or group to another.
2. The substance of such a communication; the point or points conveyed; such as, "He gestured to a waiter, who got the message and brought the bill."
3. A statement made or read before a gathering: "A retiring coach's farewell message."
4. A basic thesis or lesson; a moral: a play with a message.

1. In the Roman Catholic Church, a book containing all the prayers and responses necessary for celebrating the Mass throughout the year.
2. A prayer book.

1. An object or weapon that is fired, thrown, dropped, or otherwise projected at a target; a projectile.
2. A guided missile.
3. A ballistic missile.

1. A special task given to a person or group to carry out.
2. An objective or task that somebody believes it is his or her duty to carry out or to which he or she attaches special importance and devotes special care.
3. A single flight or voyage of a military aircraft or a spacecraft.
4. A group of people sent to a country to represent their government, a business, or other organization.
5. A permanent diplomatic delegation in another country.
6. A body of people sent by a church to another part of the country or to a foreign country to spread their faith or do medical and social work.
7. A campaign of religious work, often including community aid at home or abroad, carried out by a church.
8. A building or group of buildings belonging to a missionary organization>
9. A center run by a religious or charitable organization offering food, shelter, aid, and spiritual comfort to needy people.
10. A body of persons sent to a foreign land by a religious organization, especially a Christian organization, to spread its faith or provide educational, medical, and other assistance.

1. Someone who is sent to do religious or charitable work in a territory or a foreign country.
2. Someone who attempts to persuade or to convert others to a particular program, doctrine, or set of principles; a propagandist.
3. Tending to propagandize or to use insistent persuasion.

A letter or other written communication that is usually a formal or legal message: Cara received a long missive from her grandparents congratulating her about her graduation from the university. © ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

Characterized by tolerance, undogmatic, undogmatical; "although favoring European unity he was noncommital about the form it should take".

Something that has not been included or done: There is still an omission of Grant's name from the list of those who will be invited to meet with the special committee.

There was an important omission in the special report and, because it was so significant, the other staff members wanted to know why it wasn't there.

It was a serious omission that the military newspaper forgot to add an article about General Oliver's new rank as the base commander.

1. To fail to include or mention someone or something, either deliberately or accidentally; as to omit a word.
2. To fail to do something, either deliberately or accidentally.
3. To pass over; neglect.
4. To desist or fail in doing; to forbear.