ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mas

n.
US //ˈmɑz// UK //mˈæs// mas
  1. 1 French farmhouse (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a traditional stone farmhouse or country cottage found in southern France.

    a traditional farmhouse or country estate typical of Provence and other Occitan-speaking regions of southern France.

    Example

    They spent their summer holiday at a beautiful stone mas in the French countryside.

    Example

    The architect specialised in the sensitive restoration of eighteenth-century Provencal mas, preserving the original stonework while modernising the interior.
  2. 2 Caribbean carnival (n.)
    C1 Advanced Dialect

    a type of costumed parade or street performance during Carnival in the Caribbean.

    a traditional masquerade or street performance central to Caribbean Carnival, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago.

    Example

    The streets were full of music and colour as the performers began to play mas.

    Example

    The festival reaches its peak on Tuesday when thousands of revellers take to the streets to play mas in elaborate, hand-crafted costumes.
  3. 3 historical title (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Dialect

    an old-fashioned way to say 'Master' when showing respect to someone.

    a historical or dialectal contraction of 'Master', formerly used as a title of respect or for a person of authority.

    Example

    In the old story, the servant always addressed his employer as Mas John.

    Example

    The archival documents refer to the local magistrate as Mas Williams, reflecting the social hierarchy of the period.
Origin

From French mas, from Occitan mas, from Latin mānsum, from mānsus, perfect participle of maneō (“stay, remain, abide”). Doublet of manse.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026