message
    n 1: a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken
         or signaled; "he sent a three-word message"
    2: what a communication that is about something is about [syn:
       message, content, subject matter, substance]
    v 1: send a message to; "She messaged the committee"
    2: send as a message; "She messaged the final report by fax"
    3: send a message; "There is no messaging service at this
       company"

Message \Mes"sage\, v. t.
   To bear as a message. [Obs.]
   [1913 Webster]

Message \Mes"sage\, n. [OE., fr. OF. message, fr. LL.
   missaticus. See 1st Message.]
   A messenger. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
   [1913 Webster]

Message \Mes"sage\ (?; 48), n. [F., fr. LL. missaticum, fr. L.
   mittere, missum, to send. See Mission, and cf.
   Messenger.]
   1. Any notice, word, or communication, written or verbal,
      sent from one person to another.
      [1913 Webster]

            Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee.
                                                  --Judg. iii.
                                                  20.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Hence, specifically, an official communication, not made
      in person, but delivered by a messenger; as, the
      President's message.
      [1913 Webster]

   Message shell. See Shell.
      [1913 Webster]

message

   In object-oriented programming sending a message to an
   object (to invoke a method) is equivalent to calling a
   procedure in traditional programming languages, except that
   the actual code executed may only be selected at run time
   depending on the class of the object.  Thus, in response to
   the message "drawSelf", the method code invoked would be
   different if the target object were a circle or a square.

   (1995-02-16)