mash

/mæʃ/

/mæʃ/

Other forms: mashed; mashing; mashes

When you mash something, you crush it. You might, for example, mash a marshmallow by stepping on it.

Recipes for banana bread almost always include an instruction to mash some bananas — in other words, you need to squish and press on them until they no longer look like bananas. A bully might mash your carefully constructed sandcastle, crushing it down to the beach. The word mash seems to be related to mix, both probably rooted in the Proto-Indo-European meik, "to mix."

Definitions of mash

1. verb

   compress with force, out of natural shape or condition
   synonyms: crush, squash, squeeze, squelch

   types:

   wring

   twist, squeeze, or compress in order to extract liquid

   stamp

   crush or grind with a heavy instrument

   steamroller

   crush with a steamroller as if to level

   tread

   crush as if by treading on

   telescope

   crush together or collapse

   type of:

   press

   exert pressure or force to or upon
2. verb

   reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading
   “mash the garlic”

   synonyms: bray, comminute, crunch, grind

   types:

   pulp

   reduce to pulp

   pestle

   grind, mash or pulverize in a mortar

   mill

   grind with a mill

   type of:

   break up, fragment, fragmentise, fragmentize

   break or cause to break into pieces
3. noun

   a mixture of mashed malt grains and hot water; used in brewing
   types:

   sour mash

   a mash with optimum acidity for yeast fermentation; a mixture of old and new mash; used in distilling some whiskeys

   type of:

   suspension

   a mixture in which fine particles are suspended in a fluid where they are supported by buoyancy
4. noun

   mixture of ground animal feeds
   types:

   chicken feed, scratch

   dry mash for poultry

   type of:

   feed, provender

   food for domestic livestock
5. verb

   talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions
   synonyms: butterfly, chat up, coquet, coquette, dally, flirt, philander, romance

   types:

   wanton

   engage in amorous play

   vamp

   act seductively with (someone)

   type of:

   speak, talk

   exchange thoughts; talk with