▪ I. † ˈmasser1
[OE. mæssere, f. mæssian, mass v.1: see -er1.]
One who celebrates mass; a mass-priest; also, one who attends mass. (After OE. only as a Protestant term of derision.)
| a 1000 Azarias 149 Bletsien þe þine sacerdos, soðfæst cyning, milde mæsseras mærne dryhten. 1543 Bale Yet a Course, etc. 38 A good mattenser, masser, and so forth: but no true gospell preacher. 1579 J. Stubbes Gaping Gulf A viij, The Spanish massers had theyr customers more then ynough. |
▪ II. † masser2 Obs. rare—1.
attrib. masser-scourer, said to mean ‘gong-farmer’ or scavenger.
| c 1515 Cocke Lorell's B. 3 Than came a gonge fermourer, Other wyse called a masser scourer. |
▪ III. masser3, -or
(ˈmæsə(r))
[f. F. mass-er (see massage n.) + -er1, -or.]
One who practises massage; a masseur or masseuse.
| 1888 D. Maguire Art of Massage (ed. 4) 32 The masser. [Perh. a misprint for masseur, which occurs twice on the same page.] 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 158 A successful massor (if I may coin a word we stand in need of) of either sex must have gentle manners, and a delicate touch. 1902 Encycl. Brit. XXX. 573 A single masser should have strength enough to do the work without too obvious exhaustion. |
▪ IV. masser
obs. form of macer1, mazer.