The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word PEOPLE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
P
E
O
P
L
E
More clues leading to the result PEOPLE
- US writer in recording backing European nation
- After extremes of pace, pole positions altered in race
- Folk and pop feel contrived without force
- Gym precedes work on Latin and English subjects
- Public abuse of Pope Paul IV
- Race former footballer after invasive surgery
- Masses of work occupied footballer
- Folk music genre encapsulating English language’s extremes
- Folk band turned into premier ethnographic exhibit, for starters
- Folk exercise by pole dancing
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Masses" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case masses = people.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PEOPLE mean?
PEOPLE noun- Used as plural of person; a body of human beings considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons.
- Persons forming or belonging to a particular group, such as a nation, class, ethnic group, country, family, etc.
- A group of persons regarded as being employees, followers, companions or subjects of a ruler.
- One's colleagues or employees.
- A person's ancestors, relatives or family.
- The mass of a community as distinguished from a special class (elite); the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd; the citizens.
- To stock with people or inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate.
- To become populous or populated.
- To inhabit; to occupy; to populate.
- To interact with people; to socialize.
- An individual; usually a human being.
- The physical body of a being seen as distinct from the mind, character, etc.
- Any individual or formal organization with standing before the courts.
- The human genitalia; specifically, the penis.
- (grammar) A linguistic category used to distinguish between the speaker of an utterance and those to whom or about whom he or she is speaking. See grammatical person.
- A shoot or bud of a plant; a polyp or zooid of the compound Hydrozoa, Anthozoa, etc.; also, an individual, in the narrowest sense, among the higher animals.