massage

noun mas·sage \ mə-ˈsäzh , -ˈsäj \

Definition of massage

:manipulation of tissues (as by rubbing, kneading, or tapping) with the hand or an instrument for relaxation or therapeutic purposes

gave him a neck massage

See massage defined for English-language learners

See massage defined for kids

Examples of massage in a Sentence

She gave him a neck massage.
using massage to help relax

Recent Examples of massage from the Web

Best Massage: Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa | 4000 Grand Ave.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Shop & Splurge: the results of 2017 Best of Birmingham," 28 Aug. 2017
Jimmy Connors had hit balls for a few minutes, had a massage, took a shower, used a hair dryer and put on his usual tennis clothes with the blue-and-red stripes across the shoulders of his white shirt.

— dave anderson, New York Times, "The U.S. Open’s Last Day at Forest Hills," 26 Aug. 2017
Adam Popescu visited the terminal for VF.com and actually used it before a flight to Bali, then reported back on the many perks, which range from pre-flight massages to a BMW that takes you directly to the plane.

— rebecca keegan, vanityfair.com, "Daniel Craig Is Back in Black," 16 Aug. 2017
Also, try to give yourself a daily massage, since Pitta oriented people have a tendency to store the intensity in their neck and shoulders.

— alexandria bordas, miamiherald, "Worried about school’s start? Try these foods to curb anxiety, tap your inner dosha," 4 Aug. 2017
The salon will offer manicures, massages, waxing and spray tanning among other things.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Bluemercury to move into old Starbucks, luxury salon planned for Water Street," 3 Aug. 2017
Physical therapists from the hospital will provide an introduction to infant massage and answer questions about the first year of development.

— Post-Tribune, "Community news," 20 July 2017
Features a spaghetti dinner, entertainment by Rockin’ Ricky and silent auction of items from the TV show Shark Tank (massages, restaurant certificates, shopping excursions and more).

— The Courier-Journal, "50+ fun things for week of July 13-19," 12 July 2017
Lavender oil massage of painful joints also appears to be useful (Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, November 2016).

— teresa graedon, The Seattle Times, "Instead of counting sheep, try Sea-Bands for sleeplessness," 9 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'massage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of massage

French, from masser to massage, from Arabic massa to stroke

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1860

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

massage

verb

Definition of massage

massaged; massaging

transitive verb

1 :to subject to massage

2 a :to treat flatteringly :blandish

b :manipulate, doctor

massaged the data to help his cause

—

massager

noun

See massage defined for English-language learners

Examples of massage in a Sentence

She massaged her leg until the numbness was gone.
a candidate who knows that you have to massage the voters if you want to get elected

Recent Examples of massage from the Web

A video of the incident shows the rescuer nipping, massaging, shaking, and repeatedly plunging the victim into water.

— elin kelsey, Smithsonian, "What Humpback Whales Can Teach Us About Compassion," 18 Aug. 2017
Massage the salt into the rack of ribs first, then the rub.

— noelle carter, sacbee, "Don’t try to ad lib when you cook ribs," 15 Aug. 2017
But he’s shown an impressive dexterity in managing and massaging a roster, along with a keen understanding of on-field chemistry.

— brian straus, SI.com, "Gold Cup Trophy Builds Confidence for U.S., but Work Still Remains," 27 July 2017
Massage the salt into the rack of ribs first, then the rub.

— noelle carter, charlotteobserver, "These tips will help you cook ribs like a pro," 25 July 2017
Pour the Caesar dressing over the kale and firmly massage the dressing into the kale using your clean hands to coat and tenderize the kale, about 30 seconds.

— maya wilson, Alaska Dispatch News, "Smoking your salmon this year? Set some aside for this seafood Caesar salad," 21 July 2017
Apply mask to hair working up from your ends and making sure to massage into your scalp to stimulate circulation.

— lori keong, Marie Claire, "4 Amazing Homemade Hair Masks for Healthier Looking Strands," 19 July 2017
Trained staff members, working in pairs, are touching, massaging and cuddling a calf all day and all night as part of its recuperation.

— dan joling, The Seattle Times, "Rx for orphan walrus calf: touch, massage, cuddle, repeat," 7 July 2017
But GAMs can also handle trickier relationships by finding multiple operations that together can massage data to fit on a regression line: squaring a set of numbers while taking the logarithm for another group of variables, for example.

— paul voosen, Science | AAAS, "How AI detectives are cracking open the black box of deep learning," 6 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of massage

see ¹massage

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1887

See Words from the same year

massage Synonyms

MASSAGE Defined for English Language Learners

massage

noun

Definition of massage for English Language Learners

: the action of rubbing or pressing someone's body in a way that helps muscles to relax or reduces pain in muscles and joints

massage

verb

Definition of massage for English Language Learners

: to rub or press (someone's body) in a way that helps muscles to relax or reduces pain in muscles and joints : to give a massage to (someone or a part of someone's body)
: to change (numbers, data, etc.) in a dishonest way in order to deceive people