mass noun

noun

: 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

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of mass noun was in 1933

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mass noun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mass%20noun. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

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Kids Definition

mass noun

noun

: a noun (as sand, butter, or accuracy) that indicates something that cannot be counted, that is used in English only in the singular, and that usually has some before it rather than a or an