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Glite Dictionary
Mass card

Mass card

1 8.5
A card sent to someone who lost a loved one saying a Mass will be said for them
  • noun
translation icon : tarjeta de misa
  • The priest offered a Mass card to the grieving family as a token of support in their time of loss.

Examples

  • Gilt-edged baptism cards and mass cards were mixed in among stacks of mail.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • I sent a Mass card to show my condolences after her father's passing.

  • During the funeral, I received a Mass card that promised a prayer for my mother.

Synonyms

sympathy card
vsMass card
4 1.6

A card sent to someone to show you are sorry after a death

offers a specific religious service for the dead rather than just emotional support

Surface Forms

Mass card singular
Mass cards plural

Morphology

Mass + card

The compound is compositionally clear: a B1 learner who knows 'Mass' and 'card' can infer it is a card relating to the religious ceremony (i.e., a card about or connected to a Mass). However, the specific funerary/in‑memory use (sent after a death to announce a Mass will be offered) is culturally specific and not fully predictable from the constituents alone, so full understanding may require prior exposure.

Etymology

Mass card comes from a church practice: a small card saying a Mass will be said for someone who has died. So, sending or signing a Mass card became a way to show 'sympathy' and to let a family know prayers are being offered for the dead.