A mass noun is a noun that does not have a plural form. This illustrates one of the rules with mass nouns. three wise men, five BRICS countries.) Hurford, James R. "Grammar: A Student's Guide." If you want to speak about a particular part of the lyrics of a song it is better to say: Information and translations of MASS NOUN in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. : A Troubleshooter's Guide to English Style and Usage." ThoughtCo. A mass noun is a type of noun not typically quantified into individual units and pluralized, but can refer to one or more things that are not actually counted. Sloan, Robin. That is when speakers use count nouns to refer to things they implicitly have something in mind that they are trying to communicate that is common across all uses of count nouns. ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/what-is-a-mass-noun-1691370. (e.g. 2. countable noun In some descriptions of grammar, a mass noun is the same as an uncount noun. A noun denoting something that cannot be counted (e.g., a substance or quality), in English usually a noun that lacks a plural in ordinary usage and is not used with the indefinite article, e.g., luggage, china, happiness. The definition of a mass noun is a noun that names something that cannot be counted. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Another word for ‘a person who travels to an area of warmth and sun, especially in winter’ is a. ", "Is there a conceptual basis for the grammatical distinction between count nouns and mass nouns? https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-mass-noun-1691370 (accessed February 9, 2021). Of course, of course. Hence, mass nouns are a subset of uncountable. water, milk, wood, furniture, information, etc.). You explain how much of a mass noun exists by placing a describing word in front of it. Meaning of MASS NOUN. Definition of MASS NOUN in the Definitions.net dictionary. So, book, villages, dwarfs, apostles, men and countries are Count Nouns. They are a mass or distinct group that cannot be easily divided into individual pieces. --CopperKettle 14:29, 14 July 2013 (UTC) As I understand the terms, a "mass noun" and an "uncountable noun" are just synonyms to what I call a "non-count" noun. Harper Perennial, November 21, 2006. A mass noun is a noun such as ' wine ' which is usually uncount but is used with 'a' or 'an' or used in the plural when it refers to types of that substance, as in 'a range of Australian wines'. The same goes with “sand.” There are beaches filled with sand, but you can’t find one sand. Define mass noun. Distinguishing between countable nouns (unit nouns) and uncountable nouns (mass nouns) can be very difficult. (word indicating quantity, mass) (gramática) sustantivo incontable nm nombre masculino: Sustantivo de género exclusivamente masculino, que lleva los artículos el o un en singular, y los o unos en plural. Unit nouns have two forms, singular and plural: e.g. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'? "On Using Count Nouns, Mass Nouns, and Pluralia Tantum: What Counts?" 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? Nouns that can’t be counted are difficult to separate from their group. a noun, as sunshine,electricity, or happiness, that typically refers to an indefinitely divisible substance or an abstract notion, and that in English cannot be used, in such a sense, with the indefinite article or in the plural. That noun will also be a count noun. ", "English nouns denoting things that cannot be counted, such as wine, coffee, and intelligence, do not easily form plurals in their central senses. Nordquist, Richard. The contrasting term is known as a … A mass noun (also known as a noncount noun) is generally used only in the singular. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021. What does MASS NOUN mean? Post the Definition of mass noun to Facebook, Share the Definition of mass noun on Twitter, A Talk on 'Pronounce,' 'Articulate,' and 'Enunciate'. You should not overuse such unusual plurals, however, since they can easily become pretentious, as they do in those silly signs announcing ice creams and hair stylings. Things and Stuff: Mass Terms and Generics (New Directions in Cognitive Science), Oxford University Press, 2010. Nouns that cannot be divided or counted as individual elements or separate parts are called uncountable nouns . It's easy to find a needle in a haystack! : a noun that denotes a homogeneous substance or a concept without subdivisions and that in English is preceded in indefinite singular constructions by some rather than a or an "sand" and "water" are mass nouns — compare count noun. a shape or three-dimensional volume that has or gives the illusion of having weight, density, and bulk. And I also wonder what happens when you have a noun that doesn't need a determiner at all, for example mass nouns such as water, or plural nouns. A mass noun is a noun (such as advice, bread, knowledge, luck, and work) that names things that, when used in English, cannot usually be counted. mass noun synonyms, mass noun pronunciation, mass noun translation, English dictionary definition of mass noun. Another answer is that the grammatical distinction between count and mass nouns is to a very large degree conceptually based. The mass noun is the opposite of the count nouns. In general, people learn which nouns are typically used as count nouns and which are typically used as mass nouns without any understanding of why these differences in syntax occur. : What these two would-be grammar gurus are talking about here is mass nouns, not collective nouns. china, happiness. a chair, chairs. 'Let me ask you a question.' The word “water,” for example, is such a noun since it can be used to refer to a particular thing, but is not typically pluralized as “waters” and an indefinite article such as “a” or “an” is not used before it. A noun that normally cannot be counted.. mass noun synonyms: non-count noun, uncountable noun. What made you want to look up mass noun? COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Definition of mass noun. Cambridge University Press, November 25, 1994. Contrasted with count noun COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Definition of mass noun written for English Language Learners from the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary with audio pronunciations, usage examples, and count/noncount noun … milk) is a mass noun, you will put the complement (eg. What does mass-noun mean? Lyrics is a countable noun. A similar view applies to the use of mass nouns. Nordquist, Richard. "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel." Based on Oxford, this refers to nouns that cannot be counter. a milk carton), your complement will appear in the basic … This is why unit nouns are also called countable nouns.… Meanwhile, there are mass nouns that can be counted if added with certain words. Mass nouns as the subject of a complement sentence. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Paperback, Picador, September 24, 2013. (2020, August 27). Some exceptions do not seem to have a clear explanation, but others may occur because of competing communicative functions of language. mass noun n a noun that refers to an extended substance rather than to each of a set of isolable objects, as, for example, water as opposed to lake. As a mass noun is means "Lyric poetry as a literary genre". Why "uncountable nouns" is mentioned as a synonym to "mass nouns"? mass noun pronunciation. Count nouns are nouns that can be pluralized, or counted with a number (one tomato, two tomatoes).. To quantify a count or mass noun, we can use quantifiers, amount words (such as numbers), or … Learn more. James R. Hurford, "Grammar: A Student's Guide", "Some nouns can serve as both count and mass nouns. Nouns can be divided into two categories: count nouns and mass nouns, depending on what kinds of modifiers a noun can occur with. These mass nouns (which are sometimes called noncount nouns) usually have only singular forms— spaghetti, rice, and gold, for example. Nordquist, Richard. A mass noun is a noun such as 'wine' which is usually uncount but is used with 'a' or 'an' or used in the plural when it refers to types of that substance, as in 'a range of Australian wines.' In 'war is ghastly," war is a mass noun, whereas in 'the wars between Rome and Carthage were ruinous,' war is used as a count noun. Many abstract nouns are uncountable, but not all uncountable nouns are abstract. cold) in the partitive case (#1). : *a water *a furniture generally mass nouns which can sometimes be pluralised in special (often poetic) senses: the waters of the Thames the wines of France the peoples of the Americas; It is sometimes stated that the use of the indefinite article, a/an, with mass nouns is always prohibited in English so you cannot have, e.g. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-mass-noun-1691370. "The first-grader pauses, pensive, tugging on the green yarn around her neck. "What Is a Mass Noun?" A similar ceremony offered by a number of Christian sects. Some of them, however, can be pluralized when they have transferred senses, such as varieties (Rhone wines), measures (four coffees), or embodiments (alien intelligences). Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! Tiny gears are turning; she's twisting her fingers together, pondering. Many abstract nouns are uncountable, but not all uncountable nouns are abstract. Mass nouns, also called non-countable nouns, are singular. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Winter has returned along with cold weather. How to pronounce, definition by Wiktionary dictionary. mass noun n noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc. 1 a noun such as ‘ soap ’ that is usually uncountable but is also used with ‘a’ or ‘an’, or in the plural, to talk about different types of something. This area is the source of many mistakes. The contrasting term is known as a count noun. In this situation it doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about “the milk” or “milk in general”. However, you can dig your hand into the ground and come up with grains of sand. This name can help you better visualize this idea. 100 Key Terms Used in the Study of Grammar, Definition and Examples of Agreement in English Grammar, Definition and Examples of Associative Meaning, Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York, "I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the. In some descriptions of grammar, a mass noun is the same as an uncount noun . Delivered to your inbox! A mass noun is a noun (such as advice, bread, knowledge, luck, and work) that names things that, when used in English, cannot usually be counted. 2.2. A third answer and the one that I propose is that the count-mass noun distinction is to a very large degree conceptually based, but there are exceptions. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Count Nouns. What Is a Mass Noun? Thus, it is a mass noun. Mass nouns are normally not used after the words a or an or after a number. Mass Nouns. Understanding the Types of Nouns in English Grammar, A List of 130 Mass Nouns (Or Noncount Nouns) in English, Overview of Noncount Nouns in English Grammar. They have only one form and are used with singular verb forms, as in " Portuguese is one of the languages they speak," and "The information was unclear." These are names of uncountable things...of things we look upon as one big mass (e.g. It's cute. In sentences where the subject (eg. One of the seven sacraments. a substance or quality), in English usually a noun which lacks a plural in ordinary usage and is not used with the indefinite article, e.g. Some nouns are not count or mass nouns. An uncountable noun is also known as a mass noun. A mass noun (or noncount noun) refers to something that cannot be counted. Then she makes a quiet banshee whine and bounces away on one foot... "It's so simple. In comparison, a mass noun is a non-countable noun. Count nouns in the singular can follow an indefinite article (or another determiner): a plate, a bag, one diamond. mass noun meaning. A noun denoting something that cannot be counted (e.g. 'How would you find a needle in a haystack?'. Trask, R. L. "Mind the Gaffe! You can say 1 chair, 2 chairs, 3 chairs etc. As well as any, a few and enough, plus the phrase number of for the plural count noun. mass definition: 1. having an effect on or involving a large number of people or forming a large amount: 2. a large…. As a plural noun is most often means "The words of a song". A mass noun (also known as a noncount noun) is generally used only in the singular. She's really thinking this over. The noun war is an example. Finally, she looks up and says gravely, 'I would ask the hays to find it.' : In the last chapter I largely overlooked the conceptual differences between count and mass nouns. What Is the Purpose of the Zero Article in English Grammar? When the subject is countable (eg. ", Edward J. Wisniewski, ""On Using Count Nouns, Mass Nouns, and Pluralia Tantum: What Counts? In English when used indefinitely they are … ; As a singular noun is mostly means "A short poem that expresses the personal thoughts and feelings of the person who wrote it". This might sound confusing, considering that you’re talking about something concerning a mass of something — surely, that means there’s more of it, therefore plural. She giggles and nods. ", Robin Sloan, "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore", "'Hi there,' I say. Learn a new word every day. “Mass noun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mass%20noun. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Distinctions Between Count Nouns and Mass Nouns. In other words, mass nouns refer to things that cannot be counted (e.g., oxygen, air, food). the main body, bulk, or greater part of anything: the great mass of … Wisniewski, Edward J. Mass (Roman Catholic Church) The principal liturgical service of the Church, including a scripture service and a eucharistic service, which includes the consecration and oblation (offering) of the host and wine. Some abstract nouns are not mass nouns and yet are uncountable too. "What Is a Mass Noun?" Ask the hays to find it!". The first-grader is right. Another answer is that the grammatical distinction between count nouns by a number What Counts? mass Terms and (!... `` it 's easy to find it. be easily divided into individual pieces ceremony offered a. Say: 2.2 known as a synonym to `` mass nouns and mass nouns and mass nouns '' is as. University Press, 2010 author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks or 'all and. 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In the partitive case ( # 1 ) chapter I largely overlooked the conceptual between! That ( literally ) drives some pe... Winter has returned along with weather. Has returned along with cold weather, 2 chairs, 3 chairs etc. ) 's her... Group that can not be counted Oxford, this refers to nouns that can not easily! This illustrates one of the count nouns, and Pluralia Tantum: these... Noun pronunciation, mass nouns after a number of Christian sects, pondering non-countable.! Your hand into the ground and come up with grains of sand with a great user experience has... Much of a mass noun Winter has returned along with cold weather twisting fingers... Applies to the use of mass noun is the Purpose of the rules with mass nouns gives the illusion having!, one diamond one sand twisting her fingers together, pondering are not mass nouns as subject! Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the of... Not collective nouns a furniture Lyrics is a non-countable noun # 1.. `` '' on Using count nouns, also called non-countable nouns, and Tantum. It 's easy to find it. chair, 2 chairs, 3 etc... A conceptual basis for the plural count noun this situation it doesn ’ be. Noun pronunciation, mass nouns are uncountable, but not all uncountable nouns are not... Conceptually based is that the grammatical distinction between count nouns and yet are uncountable, but all... Nouns in the singular can follow an indefinite article ( or another )...