Abbreviation for manuscripts, referring to handwritten or typed documents, especially original texts before publication. Used in academic and publishing contexts.
Abbreviation of 'manuscripts,' which comes from Latin 'manuscriptum' meaning 'written by hand,' from 'manus' (hand) and 'scriptum' (written). The abbreviation became standard in scholarly and library contexts.
Medieval manuscripts were so valuable that they were sometimes chained to library shelves to prevent theft. The abbreviation 'MSS' (plural) versus 'MS' (singular) helps scholars quickly identify whether they're discussing one document or multiple texts.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.