massage

Etymology

From French massage (noun), from masser (“to massage”) (borrowed around the end of the 18th century from Arabic مَسَّ (massa, “feel, touch”), or from Portuguese amassar) + -age. Cognate to German massieren.

noun

1. The action of rubbing, kneading or hitting someone's body, to help the person relax, prepare for muscular action (as in contact sports) or to relieve aches.
   Having a massage can have many beneficial effects.
   During the long lapses in work common with on-location productions, Marilyn would silently meditate as Roberts provided a shoulder massage. 2014, Gary Vitacco-Robles, Icon: The Life, Times and Films of Marilyn Monroe Volume 2 1956-1962 AND Beyond

verb

1. (transitive) To rub and knead (someone's body or a part of a body), to perform a massage on (somebody).
   So after massaging a nude woman while being nude or nearly nude myself, sex is a natural way to end things. January 11 2010, Julian Kaye, Massage Therapy
2. (transitive) To manipulate (data, a document etc.) to make it more presentable or more convenient to work with.
   News relating to public disturbances was systematically massaged …. 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 118
   The Conservatives have massaged expectations down by saying they would be delighted with a majority of 1,000 … May 22 2008, Patrick Wintour, Steven Morris, The Guardian, page 3
3. (transitive) To falsify (data or accounts).