- mossgrown adj. 2. Old-fashioned; antiquated: mossgrown
ideas about family life.
- mossy adj. 3. Old-fashioned; antiquated.
- mostaccioli n. Pasta in short tubes with slanted ends.
- mot n. A witty or incisive remark.
- mote1 n. A very small particle; a speck: "Dust motes hung in a slant of
sunlight" (Anne Tyler).
- mothball n. 1. A marble-sized ball, originally of camphor but now of
naphthalene, stored with clothes to repel moths. 2. mothballs a. A condition
of long storage for possible future use: put the battleship into mothballs. b.
A condition of being set aside or discarded: have put the plan into mothballs.
-tr.v. 1. To remove (a ship, e.g.) from active service or use and put into
protective storage. 2. To defer indefinitely; shelve: mothball a project.
- moth-eaten adj. 1. Eaten away by moth larvae: a moth-eaten sweater. 2. Old and
timeworn: a moth-eaten phrase. 3. Shabby; decrepit.
- motherese n. Child-directed speech.
- mother wit n. Innate intelligence or common sense.
- motif n. 1a. A recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work. b.
A dominant theme or central idea. 2. Music A short rhythmic or melodic passage
that is repeated or evoked in various parts of a composition. 3. A repeated
figure or design in architecture or decoration.
- motivational research n. Systematic analysis of the motives behind consumer
decisions, used especially by advertisers and marketers to assess attitudes
toward products and services. Also called motivation research.
- mot juste n. Exactly the right word or expression.
- motor mouth n. Slang An incessant talker.
- Motrin A trademark used for the drug ibuprofen. [WebMD: Is Tylenol the same
thing as ibuprofen? They act differently in the body, though. Acetaminophen,
which is packaged as Tylenol, relieves pain and reduces fever. Ibuprofen,
popularly packaged as Advil or Motrin, is an anti-inflammatory medication that
is used to treat moderate pain from conditions like arthritis and menstrual
cramps.]
- motte1 also mott n. Texas A copse or small stand of trees on a prairie.
- motte2 also mott n. Upper Southern U.S. A tuft of human or animal hair
standing up on the head or body.
- mottled adj. Spotted or blotched with different shades or colors.
- mountain dew n. Illegally distilled corn liquor.
- mourners' bench n. A bench for mourners or repentant sinners placed at the
front in a revival meeting: "That night I was escorted to the front row and
placed on the mourners' bench with all other young sinners" (Langston Hughes).
- mouser n. An animal, especially a cat, that catches mice.
- mousy also mousey adj. 1. Resembling a mouse, especially: a. Having a drab,
pale brown color: mousy hair. b. Having small sharp features: a mousy face. c.
Quiet; timid; shy. 2. Infested with mice.
- mouth v. -tr. 1. To speak or pronounce, especially: a. To declare in a pompous
manner: declaim: mouthing his opinions of the candidates. b. To utter without
conviction or understanding: mouthing empty compliments. c. To form
soundlessly: I mouthed the words as the others sang. d. To utter indistinctly;
mumble. 2. To take or move around in the mouth.
- mouthful n. 3. A long word, name, or phrase that is difficult to pronounce. 4.
An important or perceptive remark: You said a mouthful!
- mouthing n. A bombastic or empty phrase or speech. Often used in the plural:
mouthings about sin and morality.
- mouthy adj. 1. Annoyingly talkative. 2. Given to ranting or bombast.
- movable feast n. A religious holiday, such as Easter, that changes in date
from year to year.
- moving sidewalk n. A conveyor for transporting pedestrians along a level
passageway.
- moxie n. Slang 1. The ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage. 2.
Aggressive energy; initiative: "His prose has moxie, though it rushes and
stumbles from a pent-up surge." (P. Hampl). 3. Skill; know-how.
- mozo n. Southwestern U.S. 1. A man who helps with a pack train or services as
a porter. 2. An assistant.
- mozzarella n. A mild white Italian cheese that has a rubbery texture and is
often eaten melted, as on pizza.
- [idiom] as much Almost the same: I thought as much. She said as much.
- much as conj. However much: Much as she needed the job, she had to refuse.
- much less conj. And certainly not: "Happiness is an emotion not often spoken
of at the magazine, much less experienced" (B. Gill).
- muckrake -intr.v. To search for and expose misconduct in public life.
- mud dauber n. Midland & Western U.S. Any of various wasps that build nests of
mud with cellular compartments for eggs and paralyzed prey. Also called
regionally dirt dauber, mud wasp.
- mudder n. A racehorse that runs well on a wet or muddy track.
- muddle through To push on to a favorable outcome in a disorganized way.
- mud hen n. Any of various birds, such as the coot or rail, inhabiting marshy
or coastal regions.
- mudra n. A series of symbolic body postures and hand movements used in East
Indian classical dancing.
- mudslinger n. One who makes malicious charges and otherwise attempts to
discredit an opponent, as in a political campaign. --mudslinging n.
- muff1 v. -tr. 1. To perform or handle clumsily; bungle. 2. Sports To fail to
make (a catch). -intr. n.
- muff2 n. 1. A small cylindrical fur or cloth cover, open at both ends, in
which the hands are placed for warmth.
- muffuletta n. New Orleans A sandwich made with a round loaf of Italian bread
split in half and filled with layers of hard salami, ham, provolone, and olive
salad.
- mug2 n. 1. Informal a. The human face. b. The area of the human mouth, chin,
and jaw. c. A grimace. d. A mug shot. 2. A thug; a hoodlum. 3. Chiefly British
Slang A victim or dupe. v. -tr. 1. Informal To photograph (a person's face)
for police files. 2. To threaten or assault (a person) with the intent to rob:
arrested the thief who mugged the tourists. -intr. To make exaggerated facial
expressions, especially for humorous effect: The partygoers mugged for the
camera.
- mugger1 n. 1. One who commits a mugging. 2. One who makes exaggerated faces,
as in performing.
- muggy adj.
- mug shot n. Informal A photo of a person's face, esp. one made for police files.
- mulatto n. 1. A person having one white and one Black parent. 2. A person of
mixed white and Black ancestry.
- mulch n. A protective covering, usually of organic matter such as leaves,
straw, or peat, placed around plants to prevent the evaporation and moisture,
the freezing of roots, and the growth of weeds. -tr.v.
- mule1 n. 6. Slang A person who serves as a courier of illegal drugs.
- mule2 n. A slipper or shoe that has no counter or strap to fit around the heel.
- muliebrity n. 1. The state of being a woman. 2. Femininity.
- muller n. An implement of stone or other hard substance used as a pestle to
grind paints or drugs.
- mullion n. A vertical member, as of stone or wood, dividing a window or other
openings.
