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; as, a mess of pottage; also, the food given to a beast at one time.-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; as, the wardroom mess.-a set of four; -- from the old practice of dividing companies into sets of four at dinner.-the milk given by a cow at one milking.-a disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; hence, a situation resulting from blundering or from misunderstanding; as, he made a mess of it.-to take meals with a mess; to belong to a mess; to eat (with others); as, i mess with the wardroom officers.-to supply with a mess.