A Dictionary of Cont..

ent meaning. That is, a saving means an economy,
and in this sense we may speak of many
savings. But when savings means money that has
been put aside, it is a mass word and we speak of
much savings. Similarly, a moral is an edifying
generalization and we may speak of many morals.
But morals, meaning moral habits or principles,
is now a mass noun and we cannot say he
hasn’t many morals. Usually, though not always,
a plural noun that does not have a singular form
with exactly the same sense is a mass noun and
cannot be treated as a true plural.
A few mass nouns, such as ash and ashes, sand
and sands, have both a singular and a plural
form. This is very convenient, grammatically,
since such words can be used in any kind of construction
we like. But it should be noticed that
there is not the usual difference in meaning between
the singular and the plural form. The
plural form does not mean more of the substance
than the singular does.
Names of foods are usually mass nouns. The
names of meats-fish, Aesh, or fowl-have the
singular form, as in we ute cod all winter or we
ate goose every Sunday. The names of grainswheat,
barley, rice, and so on-are also treated
as singulars. The only exceptions are oats and
grits, which are treated grammatically as if they
were names of vegetables. The names of most
vegetables and fruits, when the plant is ready to
eat, may be treated as true plurals, as in there
are a few beans left but not many peas, or as
mass words with plural form, as in there is a
little beans left but not much peas. There are a
few exceptions. Potato is sometimes, and cabbage
is always, treated as a singular mass noun,
as in a little potato but not much cabbage.
Lettuce is a singular mass noun, even before the
plant reaches the table.
master. See boss.
matchwood. See kindling wood.
materialize, as a transitive verb, means to give
material form to, to make physically perceptible
(The medium materialized the apparition by
means of magical words). Used intransitively, to
materialize means to assume material or bodily
form, to come into perceptible existence (Mephistopheles
materialized as a black poodle). Used
loosely as a synonym for appear or come into
existence, especially when used of things that do
not have a physical being anyway (as in There
was a good deal of grumbling but the mutiny
never materialized), it is incorrect and often
borders on the silly, as in Time’s assurance (November
22, 1954) that despite the promises in
various headlines of startling disclosures in a
famous murder trial no new angles materialized.
materially; greatly. Materially means substantially,
to an important degree, considerably (He
contributed materially to the success of the undertaking).
Where something material, such as
money or equipment, is contributed to a cause
or enterprise of some kind, the word has a slightly
different meaning (Though he insisted that he
was unfit to advise us, he assisted materially with
money and ammunition). and in such fairly rare
293 matter
instances there is no doubt that it is the proper
word. But much of the time greatly would be a
better word. It is more common, less pretentious,
and less likely to be ambiguous.
matins. In speaking of the church service, only
the plural form matins is used and this is now
regularly followed by a plural verb, as in the
matins were sung. The singular form matin is
used only in an extended or figurative sense, as
in the lark’s shrill matin. Both forms are found
in compounds, as in matin time and matins book.
There is not as much variation in the use of
the word matins as there is in the use of the word
vespers. Perhaps this is because the great lay
public hears vespers while matins are chiefly
attended by the clergy, who are more conservative
in their use of words.
matrimonial; marital; nuptial; conjugal; connubial.
All of these words mean of or pertaining
to the married state, but there are some differences
in their meanings that have to be observed
and others that the careful speaker or writer will
want to observe.
Nuptial refers to the wedding or to events
immediately succeeding the wedding (the nuptial
day, the nuptial feast) that are related to it. In
describing the marriage itself the word, used as
a noun, is always used in the plural (Their nuptials
were solemnized amid a blaze of beauty).
Save for certain legal and quasi-legal uses (the
nuptial contract, pre-nuptial experiences), nuptial
is forced and stilted. It is dear to the pens
of tired society editors.
Mutrimoniol is now the most common term
for anything concerned with the marriage relation
(matrimonial problems, matrimonial dif,Eculties).
Marital comes next, with the attraction
of being a shorter word (Marital troubles often
have in them something comic: the couple have
made their bed and must lie on it), but it has, in
addition to its general meaning, a specific meaning
of pertaining to a husband (A husband may
exercise his marital authority so far as to give
his wife moderate correction).
Conjugal and connubial are used interchangeably,
though both are a little ponderous and are
employed, chiefly, in heavy-handed jocosity.
Conjugal relates, strictly, to the married persons
(Their conjugal affection was touching to behold),
connubial to the married state (connubial
rites, ‘connubial bliss).
matrix. The plural is matrixes or matrices.
matter. For mutter used as a verb, as in nothing
matters, see mind.
matter; material; stuff. Matter and material both
refer to that of which physical objects are composed.
Matter, as distinct from mind and spirit,
is by far the broader term. It applies to anything
perceived or known to be occupying space (The
molecular theory of matter . . . supposes that all
visible forms of matter are collocations of simpler
and smaller portions. All we know about
matter is that it is the hypothetical substance of
physical phenomena). Material usually means
some definite kind, quality, or quantity of matter,
especially as intended for use (It was hard to