[mess] n [ME mes, fr. MF, fr. LL missus course at a meal, fr. missus, pp. of mittere to put, fr. L, to send--more at smite] (14c) 1: a quantity of food: a archaic: food set on a table at one time b: a prepared dish of soft food; also: a mixture of ingredients cooked or eaten together c: enough food of a specified kind for a dish or a meal "picked a ~ of peas for dinner"
2. a: a group of persons who regularly take their meals together; also: a meal so taken b: a place where meals are regularly served to a group: mess hall 3 a: a disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant state or condition "your room is in a ~" b: one that is disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant usu. because of blundering, laxity, or misconduct "[the movie] is a ~, as sloppy in concept as it is in execution --Judith Crist" "made a ~ of his life"
[2]mess vt (14c) 1: to provide with meals at a mess
2. a: to make dirty or untidy: disarrange "warned not to ~ up your room" b: to mix up: bungle "really ~ed up my life"
3: to interfere with "magnetic storms that ~ up communications --Time"
4: to rough up: manhandle "~ him up good so he won't double-cross us again" ~ vi 1: to take meals with a mess
2: to make a mess 3 a: putter, trifle "small boys and girls who like to ~ around with paints" b: to handle or play with something esp. carelessly "don't ~ with my camera"--often used with around c: to take an active interest in something or someone "~ing around with new video techniques"; also: interfere, meddle "~ing in other people's affairs" "you'd better not ~ with me"
4: to become confused or make an error--usu. used with up "got another chance and didn't want to ~ up again"