mash
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to crush.
He mashed his thumb with a hammer.
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to reduce to a soft, pulpy mass, as by beating or pressure, especially in the preparation of food.
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to mix (crushed malt or meal of grain) with hot water to form wort.
noun
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a soft, pulpy mass.
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a pulpy condition.
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a mixture of boiled grain, bran, meal, etc., fed warm to horses and cattle.
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crushed malt or meal of grain mixed with hot water to form wort.
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British Slang. mashed potatoes.
noun
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a flirtation or infatuation.
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a person who seeks another's affection or who is the object of affection.
verb (used with object)
noun
noun
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a soft pulpy mass or consistency
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agriculture a feed of bran, meal, or malt mixed with water and fed to horses, cattle, or poultry
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(esp in brewing) a mixture of mashed malt grains and hot water, from which malt is extracted
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informal mashed potatoes
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dialect a brew of tea
verb
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to beat or crush into a mash
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to steep (malt grains) in hot water in order to extract malt, esp for making malt liquors
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dialect to brew (tea)
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archaic to flirt with
acronym
Other Word Forms
- mashed adjective
- masher noun
Etymology
Origin of mash1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English mash- and Old English mǣsc-, noun used in compounds, as in Middle English mashfat and Old English mǣscfat “mash-vat,” and mǣscwyrt “mash wort”; cognate with German Maische
Origin of mash2
First recorded in 1870–75; originally theatrical argot; further origin uncertain; flirt ( def. ), sweetheart, lover
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Taking one of the traps, he mashed the spring down with his hands.
From Literature
We landed in a pile of potatoes—mashed potatoes now—in the castle kitchen.
From Literature
Soups, stews, cheesy casseroles and creamy mashed potatoes are just a few popular options that come to mind.
From Salon
The traditional split-pea soup and vegetable mash have been staples of the Dutch diet for decades, served at winter markets or enjoyed by families after a long day of skating.
From Barron's
Folded into shepherd’s pie under a blanket of mashed potatoes.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
