mu ['myü, 'mü] -n

  1. the 12th letter of the Greek alphabet

muc- -comb form

  1. mucus
    • muco protein
  2. mucous and
    • muco cutaneous

much ['məch] -adj

  1. great in quantity, amount, extent, or degree
    • there is much truth in what you say
    • taken too much time
  2. great in importance or significance
    • nothing much happened
  3. many in number
  4. more than is expected or acceptable : more than enough
    • the large pizza is a bit much for one person
  5. to a great degree or extent : considerably
    • much happier
  6. very
    • much gratified
  7. frequently, often
  8. by or for a long time
    • didn't get to work much before noon
  9. by far
    • was much the brightest student
  10. nearly, approximately
    • looks much the way his father did
  11. a great quantity, amount, extent, or degree
    • gave away much
  12. something considerable or impressive

mu·cha·cho [mü-'chä-(,)chō] -n

  1. a male servant
  2. a young man

much as -conj

  1. however much : even though

much less -conj

  1. not to mention used esp. in negative contexts to add to one item another denoting something less likely
    • had trouble paying for a car, much less a high-definition TV

much·ness ['məch-nəs] -n

  1. the quality or state of being great in quantity, extent, or degree

mu·ci·lage ['myü-s(ə-)lij] -n

  1. a gelatinous substance of various plants (as legumes or seaweeds) that contains protein and polysaccharides and is similar to plant gums
  2. an aqueous usu. viscid solution (as of a gum) used esp. as an adhesive

mu·ci·lag·i·nous [,myü-sə-'la-jə-nəs] -adj, adv

  1. sticky, viscid
  2. of, relating to, full of, or secreting mucilage

mu·cin ['myü-sᵊn] -n, adj

  1. any of various mucoproteins that occur esp. in secretions of mucous membranes

muck ['mək] -n, adj

  1. soft moist farmyard manure
  2. slimy dirt or filth
  3. defamatory remarks or writings
  4. rubbish, nonsense
    • mindless muck
  5. dark highly organic soil
  6. mire, mud
  7. something resembling muck : gunk
  8. material removed in the process of excavating or mining
  9. to clean up
  10. to clear of manure or filth usu. used with out
  11. to clear of muck
  12. to dress (as soil) with muck
  13. to dirty with or as if with muck : soil
  14. to move or load muck (as in a mine)
  15. to engage in aimless activity usu. used with about or around
  16. putter, tinker usu. used with about or around
    • muck ing around with his computer
  17. interfere, meddle usu. used with about or around

muck·etymuck ['mə-kə-tē-,mək] -n

  1. an important and often arrogant person

muck·rake ['mək-,rāk] -vi, n

  1. to search out and publicly expose real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business

muck up -vt

  1. to make a mess of : bungle, spoil

mu·co·cu·ta·ne·ous [,myü-kō-kyü-'tā-nē-əs] -adj

  1. made up of or involving both typical skin and mucous membrane

mu·coid ['myü-,kȯid] -adj

  1. resembling mucus

mucoid -n

  1. mucoprotein

mu·co·lyt·ic [,myü-kə-'li-tik] -adj

  1. hydrolyzing glycosaminoglycans : tending to break down or lower the viscosity of mucin-containing body secretions or components
    • mucolytic enzymes

mu·co·pep·tide [,myü-kō-'pep-,tīd] -n

  1. peptidoglycan

mu·co·poly·sac·cha·ride ['myü-kō-,pä-li-'sa-kə-,rīd] -n

  1. glycosaminoglycan

mu·co·pro·tein [,myü-kə-'prō-,tēn also -'prō-tē-ən] -n

  1. any of various complex conjugated proteins (as mucins) that contain polysaccharides and occur in body fluids and tissues

mu·co·sa [myü-'kō-zə] -n, adj

  1. mucous membrane

mu·cous ['myü-kəs] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or resembling mucus
  2. secreting or containing mucus
  3. covered with or as if with mucus : slimy

mucous membrane -n

  1. a membrane rich in mucous glands
  2. one that lines body passages and cavities which communicate directly or indirectly with the exterior

mu·cro ['myü-,krō] -n, adj

  1. an abrupt sharp terminal point or tip or process (as of a leaf)

mu·cus ['myü-kəs] -n

  1. a viscid slippery secretion that is usu. rich in mucins and is produced by mucous membranes which it moistens and protects

mud ['məd] -n

  1. a slimy sticky mixture of solid material with a liquid and esp. water
  2. soft wet earth
  3. abusive and malicious remarks or charges
    • political campaigners slinging mud at each other
  4. anathema usu. used in the phrase one's name is mud
  5. a mixture of water, clay, and chemicals used in oil-well drilling and having various functions (as lubrication and cooling of the bit and flushing of rock particles to the surface)
  6. to make muddy or turbid
  7. to treat or plaster with mud

mud·bug ['məd-,bəg] -n

  1. crayfish

mud dauber -n

  1. any of various wasps (esp. family Sphecidae) that construct mud cells in which the female places an egg with spiders or insects paralyzed by a sting to serve as food for the larva

mud·dle ['mə-dᵊl] -vb, n

  1. to make turbid or muddy
  2. to befog or stupefy esp. with liquor
  3. to mix confusedly
  4. to make a mess of : bungle
  5. to think or act in a confused aimless way

muddle ['məd-lē, 'mə-dᵊl-ē] -n, adj

  1. a state of esp. mental confusion
  2. a confused mess

mud·dle·head·ed [,mə-dᵊl-'he-dəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. mentally confused
  2. inept, bungling

muddle through -vi

  1. to achieve a degree of success without much planning or effort

mud·dy ['mə-dē] -adj, adv, n

  1. morally impure : base
  2. full of or covered with mud
  3. characteristic or suggestive of mud
    • a muddy flavor
    • muddy colors
  4. turbid with sediment
  5. lacking in clarity or brightness : cloudy, dull
    • a muddy recording
    • eyes muddy with sleep
  6. obscure in meaning : muddled, confused
    • muddy thinking

muddy -vt

  1. to soil or stain with or as if with mud
  2. to make turbid
  3. to make cloudy or dull
  4. confuse

Mu·de·jar [mü-'the-,här, -,k̲är] -n, adj

  1. a Muslim living under a Christian king esp. during the 8th to 11th centuries

mud flap -n

  1. splash guard

mud·flat ['məd-,flat] -n

  1. a level tract lying at little depth below the surface of water or alternately covered and left bare by the tide

mud·flow [-,flō] -n

  1. a moving mass of soil made fluid by rain or melting snow
  2. lahar

mud·guard [-,gärd] -n

  1. fender
  2. splash guard
  3. a strip of material applied to a shoe upper just above the sole for protection against dampness or as an ornament

mud puppy -n

  1. a large No. American salamander ( Necturus maculosus) that has external gills and is gray to rusty brown usu. with bluish-black spots

mu·dra [mə-'drä] -n

  1. one of the symbolic hand gestures used in religious ceremonies and dances of India and in yoga

mud·room ['məd-,rüm, -,ru̇m] -n

  1. a room in a house designed esp. for the shedding of dirty or wet footwear and clothing and located typically off the kitchen or in the basement

mud·sill [-,sil] -n

  1. a supporting sill (as of a building or bridge) resting directly on a base and esp. the earth
  2. a person of the lowest social level

mud·skip·per [-,ski-pər] -n

  1. any of several Asian and African gobies (genera Periophthalmusand Boleophthalmus) that are able to skip about actively over wet mud and sand

mud·slide ['məd-,slīd] -n

  1. mudflow
  2. a cocktail made with coffee liqueur, vodka, and cream

mud·sling·er [-,sliŋ-ər] -n

  1. one that uses offensive epithets and invective esp. against a political opponent

mud·stone [-,stōn] -n

  1. an indurated shale produced by the consolidation of mud

mud turtle -n

  1. any of a genus ( Kinosternon) of American bottom-dwelling freshwater turtles with two transverse hinges on the plastron

Muen·ster ['mən(t)-stər, 'mün(t)-, 'mu̇n(t)-, 'min(t)-] -n

  1. a semisoft cheese that may be bland or sharp in flavor

mues·li ['myüs-lē, 'myüz-] -n

  1. a breakfast cereal of Swiss origin consisting of rolled oats, nuts, and fruit

mu·ez·zin [mü-'e-zᵊn, myü-; 'mwe-zᵊn] -n

  1. a Muslim crier who calls the hour of daily prayers

muff ['məf] -n

  1. a warm tubular covering for the hands
  2. to handle awkwardly
  3. to fail to hold (a ball) when attempting a catch
  4. to act or do something stupidly or clumsily
  5. to muff a ball
  6. a bungling performance
  7. a failure to hold a ball in attempting a catch

muf·fin ['mə-fən] -n

  1. a quick bread made of batter containing egg and baked in a pan having cuplike molds

muf·fle ['mə-fəl] -vt

  1. to wrap up so as to conceal or protect : envelop
  2. blindfold
  3. to wrap or pad with something to dull the sound
    • muffle the oarlocks
  4. to deaden the sound of
  5. keep down, suppress
    • muffled her anger

muf·fler ['mə-flər] -n, adj

  1. a scarf worn around the neck
  2. something that hides or disguises
  3. a device to deaden noise
  4. one forming part of the exhaust system of an automotive vehicle

muf·fu·let·ta [,mə-fə-'le-tə] -n

  1. a sandwich made with round Italian bread and filled usu. with cold cuts, cheese, and olive salad

muf·ti ['məf-tē, 'mu̇f-] -n

  1. a professional jurist who interprets Muslim law
  2. ordinary dress as distinguished from that denoting an occupation or station
    • a priest in mufti
  3. civilian clothes when worn by a person in the armed forces

mug ['məg] -n

  1. a cylindrical drinking cup
  2. the face or mouth of a person
  3. grimace
  4. mug shot
  5. fool, blockhead
  6. a person easily deceived
  7. punk, thug
  8. to pose or make faces esp. to attract attention or for a camera
  9. photograph
  10. to assault usu. with intent to rob
  11. to attack suddenly : bushwhack
    • got mugged in the press by his colleagues

mug·ger ['mə-gər] -n

  1. a usu. harmless freshwater crocodile ( Crocodylus palustris) of the Indian subcontinent with a broad heavy snout

mugger -n

  1. one who attacks with intent to rob
  2. one that grimaces esp. before an audience

mug·gy ['mə-gē] -adj, n

  1. being warm, damp, and close

Mughal ['mō-(,)gəl] -n, adj

(variant of mogul)

  1. an Indian Muslim of or descended from one of several conquering groups of Mongol, Turkish, and Persian origin
  2. great mogul
  3. a great personage : magnate
  4. a bump in a ski run

mu·gho pine ['mü-(,)gō-, 'myü-] -n

  1. a shrubby spreading European pine ( Pinus mugo) widely cultivated as an ornamental called also mugo pine

mug's game ['məgz-] -n

  1. a profitless or futile activity

mug shot -n

  1. a photograph of usu. a person's head and esp. face
  2. a police photograph of a suspect's face or profile

mug up -vi

  1. to study intensively (as for an examination)
  2. to work up by study

mug·wort ['məg-,wərt, -wȯrt] -n

  1. any of several artemisias
  2. a Eurasian perennial herb ( Artemisia vulgaris) that is naturalized in No. America and has aromatic leaves used in folk medicine and to flavor beverages
  3. the leaves of a mugwort compare moxa

mug·wump ['məg-,wəmp] -n

  1. a bolter from the Republican party in 1884
  2. a person who is independent (as in politics) or who remains undecided or neutral

Mu·ham·mad·an [mō-'ha-mə-dən, -'hä- also mü-] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to Muhammad or Islam

Muhammadan calendar -n

  1. islamic calendar

Muhammadan era -n

  1. islamic era

Mu·har·ram [mü-'ha-rəm] -n

  1. the first month of the Islamic year
  2. a Muslim festival held during Muharram

mu·ja·hid·een [mü-,ja-hi-'dēn, mu̇-, -,jä-] -n pl

  1. Islamic guerrilla fighters esp. in the Middle East

mujik [mü-'zhēk, -'zhik] -n

(variant of muzhik)

  1. a Russian peasant

muk·luk ['mək-,lək] -n

  1. a sealskin or reindeer-skin boot worn by Eskimos
  2. a boot often of duck with a soft leather sole and worn over several pairs of socks

muk·tuk ['mək-,tək] -n

  1. whale skin used for food

mu·lat·to [mə-'la-(,)tō, mu̇-, myu̇-, -'lä-] -n

  1. the first-generation offspring of a black person and a white person
  2. a person of mixed white and black ancestry

mul·ber·ry ['məl-,ber-ē, -b(ə-)rē] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Morusof the family Moraceae, the mulberry family) of trees with an edible usu. purple multiple fruit that is an aggregate of juicy one-seeded drupes
  2. the fruit
  3. a dark purple or purplish black

mulch ['məlch] -n, vt

  1. a protective covering (as of sawdust, compost, or paper) spread or left on the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, enrich the soil, or keep fruit (as strawberries) clean

mulct ['məlkt] -n

  1. fine, penalty
  2. to punish by a fine
  3. to defraud esp. of money : swindle
  4. to obtain by fraud, duress, or theft

mule ['myül] -n

  1. a hybrid between a horse and a donkey
  2. the offspring of a male donkey and a mare
  3. a self-sterile plant whether hybrid or not
  4. a usu. sterile hybrid
  5. a very stubborn person
  6. a machine for simultaneously drawing and twisting fiber into yarn or thread and winding it into cops
  7. a person who smuggles or delivers illicit substances (as drugs)
  8. a shoe or slipper without quarter or heel strap

mule deer -n

  1. a long-eared deer ( Odocoileus hemionus) of western No. America that is larger and more heavily built than the white-tailed deer

mule skinner -n

  1. muleteer

mu·le·ta [mü-'lā-tə, myü-] -n

  1. a small cloth attached to a short tapered stick and used by a matador in place of the large cape during the final stage of a bullfight

mu·le·teer [,myü-lə-'tir] -n

  1. one who drives mules

mu·ley ['myü-lē, 'mu̇-, 'mü-] -adj

  1. polled, hornless
  2. naturally hornless

mu·li·eb·ri·ty [,myü-lē-'e-brə-tē] -n

  1. femininity

mul·ish ['myü-lish] -adj, adv, n

  1. unreasonably and inflexibly obstinate

mull ['məl] -vb

  1. to grind or mix thoroughly : pulverize
  2. to consider at length : ponder often used with over
  3. meditate, ponder
  4. to heat, sweeten, and flavor (as wine or cider) with spices
  5. a soft fine sheer fabric of cotton, silk, or rayon
  6. friable forest humus that forms a layer of mixed organic matter and mineral soil and merges gradually into the mineral soil beneath
  7. a finely powdered solid esp. in a suspension

mul·lah ['mə-lə, 'mu̇-] -n

  1. an educated Muslim trained in religious law and doctrine and usu. holding an official post

mul·lein ['mə-lən] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Verbascum) of usu. woolly-leaved Eurasian herbs of the snapdragon family including some that are naturalized in No. America

mullein pink -n

  1. an Old World herb ( Lychnis coronaria) of the pink family cultivated chiefly for its herbage and crimson flowers

mull·er ['mə-lər] -n

  1. a stone or piece of wood, metal, or glass used as a pestle for pounding or grinding

Mul·le·ri·an [myü-'lir-ē-ən, mi-, ,mə-] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being mimicry that exists between two or more inedible or dangerous species (as of butterflies) and that is considered in evolutionary theory to be a mechanism reducing loss to predation by simplification of the recognition process by predators

mul·let ['mə-lət] -n

  1. any of a family (Mugilidae) of chiefly marine bony fishes with an elongate rather stout body
  2. a hairstyle in which the hair is short on the sides and top and long at the back

mul·li·gan ['mə-li-gən] -n

  1. a free shot sometimes given a golfer in informal play when the previous shot was poorly played

mulligan stew -n

  1. a stew made from whatever ingredients are available

mul·li·ga·taw·ny [,mə-li-gə-'tȯ-nē, -'tä-] -n

  1. a rich soup usu. of chicken stock seasoned with curry

mul·lion ['məl-yən] -n, vt

  1. a slender vertical member that forms a division between units of a window, door, or screen or is used decoratively

mull·ite ['mə-,līt] -n

  1. a mineral that is an orthorhombic silicate of aluminum which is resistant to corrosion and heat and is used as a refractory

multi- -comb form

  1. many : multiple : much
    • multi valent
  2. more than two
    • multi lateral
  3. more than one
    • multi parous
    • multi billion
  4. many times over
    • multi millionaire

mul·ti·cen·ter ['məl-tē-,sen-tər, 'məl-,tī-] -adj

  1. involving more than one medical or research institution
    • a multicenter clinical study

mul·ti·cul·ti ['məl-tē-'kəl-tē] -adj

  1. multicultural

mul·ti·cul·tur·al [,məl-tē-'kəlch-rəl, -,tī-, -'kəl-chə-] -adj, n, n or adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, reflecting, or adapted to diverse cultures
    • a multicultural society
    • multicultural education
    • a multicultural menu

mul·ti·en·zyme [-'en-,zīm] -adj

  1. composed of or involving two or more enzymes that function in a biosynthetic pathway
    • multienzyme complex

mul·ti·eth·nic [-'eth-nik] -adj, n

  1. made up of people of various ethnicities
    • a multiethnic country
  2. of, relating to, reflecting, or adapted to diverse ethnicities
    • multiethnic literature

mul·ti·fac·e·ted [-'fa-sə-təd] -adj

  1. having many facets or aspects

mul·ti·fac·to·ri·al [-fak-'tȯr-ē-əl] -adj, adv

  1. having characters or a mode of inheritance dependent on a number of genes at different loci
  2. having, involving, or produced by a variety of elements or causes

mul·ti·far·i·ous [,məl-tə-'fer-ē-əs] -adj, n

  1. having or occurring in great variety : diverse

mul·ti·flo·ra rose [,məl-tə-'flȯr-ə-] -n

  1. a vigorous thorny rose ( Rosa multiflora) with clusters of small flowers

mul·ti·fold ['məl-ti-,fōld] -adj

  1. many, numerous

mul·ti·form ['məl-ti-,fȯrm] -adj, n

  1. having many forms or appearances

mul·ti·germ [,məl-tē-'jərm, -,tī-] -adj

  1. producing or being a fruit cluster capable of giving rise to several plants
    • a multigerm variety of sugar beet

mul·ti·hull ['məl-tē-,həl, -,tī-] -n, adj

  1. a vessel (as a catamaran or trimaran) with multiple side-by-side hulls

mul·tiin·stru·men·tal·ist [,məl-tē-,in(t)-strə-'men-tə-list, -,tī-] -n

  1. a musician who plays two or more instruments

mul·ti·lat·er·al [,məl-tē-'la-t(ə-)rəl, -,tī-] -adj, n, adv

  1. having many sides
  2. involving or participated in by more than two nations or parties
    • multilateral agreements

mul·ti·lay·ered [-'lā-ərd, -'lerd] -adj

  1. having or involving several distinct layers, strata, or levels

mul·ti·lin·gual [-'liŋ-gwəl, -'liŋ-gyə-wəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. of, having, or expressed in several languages
    • a multilingual sign
    • multilingual dictionaries
  2. using or able to use several languages esp. with equal fluency
    • multilingual translators

mul·ti·me·dia [-'mē-dē-ə] -adj

  1. using, involving, or encompassing several media
    • a multimedia approach to learning

multimedia -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a technique (as the combining of sound, video, and text) for expressing ideas (as in communication, entertainment, or art) in which several media are employed
  2. something (as software) using or facilitating such a technique

mul·tim·e·ter [,məl-'ti-mə-tər] -n

  1. an instrument for measuring the properties of an electrical circuit (as resistance, voltage, or current)

mul·ti·mod·al [-'mō-dᵊl] -adj

  1. having or involving several modes, modalities, or maxima
    • multimodal distributions
    • multimodal therapy

mul·ti·na·tion·al [-'nash-nəl, -'na-shə-nᵊl] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to more than two nationalities
    • a multinational society
  2. of, relating to, or involving more than two nations
    • a multinational alliance
  3. having divisions in more than two countries
    • a multinational corporation

mul·ti·no·mi·al [-'nō-mē-əl] -n, adj

  1. a mathematical expression that consists of the sum of several terms : polynomial

mul·ti·pack ['məl-tē-,pak] -n

  1. a package of several individually packed items sold as a unit

mul·tip·a·rous [,məl-'ti-pə-rəs] -adj

  1. producing many or more than one at a birth
  2. having experienced one or more previous parturitions

mul·ti·par·tite [,məl-ti-'pär-,tīt] -adj

  1. divided into several or many parts
  2. having numerous members or signatories
    • a multipartite treaty

mul·ti·plat·i·num [,məl-tē-'plat-nəm, -'pla-tə-nəm, -,tī-] -adj

  1. having sold two million or more copies of an album

mul·ti·ple ['məl-tə-pəl] -adj

  1. consisting of, including, or involving more than one
    • multiple births
  2. many, manifold
    • multiple achievements
  3. shared by many
    • multiple ownership
  4. having numerous aspects or functions : various
  5. being a group of terminals which make a circuit available at a number of points
  6. formed by coalescence of the ripening ovaries of several flowers
    • a multiple fruit

multiple -n

  1. the product of a quantity by an integer
    • 35 is a multiple of 7
  2. something in units of more than one or two
  3. parallel
  4. chain store

multiple allele -n

  1. an allele of a genetic locus having more than two allelic forms within a population

multiple chemical sensitivity -n

  1. a variable group of symptoms (as tachycardia, sweating, fatigue, nausea, trembling, and difficulty concentrating) that typically occur in susceptible individuals upon exposure to low concentrations of usu. harmless chemicals called also multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome

multiplechoice -adj

  1. having several answers from which one is to be chosen
    • a multiplechoice question
  2. composed of multiple-choice questions
    • a multiplechoice test

multiple factor -n

  1. one of a group of nonallelic genes that according to the multiple-factor hypothesis control various quantitative hereditary characters

multiple myeloma -n

  1. a disease of bone marrow that is characterized by the presence of numerous myelomas in various bones of the body

multiple personality disorder -n

  1. a disorder that is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct and complex identities or personality states each of which becomes dominant and controls behavior from time to time to the exclusion of the others and results from disruption in the integrated functions of consciousness, memory, and identity called also multiple personality dissociative identity disorder

multiple regression -n

  1. regression in which one variable is estimated by the use of more than one other variable

multiple sclerosis -n

  1. a demyelinating disease marked by patches of hardened tissue in the brain or the spinal cord and associated esp. with partial or complete paralysis and jerking muscle tremor

multiple star -n

  1. several stars in close proximity that appear to form a single system

multiple store -n

  1. chain store

mul·ti·plet ['məl-tə-plət] -n

  1. a spectrum line having several components
  2. a group of elementary particles that are different in charge but similar in other properties (as mass)

multiplevalued -adj

  1. having at least one and sometimes more of the values of the range associated with each value of the domain
    • a multiplevalued function

mul·ti·plex ['məl-tə-,pleks] -adj

  1. many, multiple
  2. being or relating to a system of transmitting several messages or signals simultaneously on the same circuit or channel

multiplex [-,plek-sər] -vt, n

  1. to send (messages or signals) by a multiplex system
  2. to multiplex messages or signals
  3. a complex that houses several movie theaters

mul·ti·pli·cand [,məl-tə-plə-'kand] -n

  1. the number that is to be multiplied by another

mul·ti·pli·ca·tion [,məl-tə-plə-'kā-shən] -n

  1. the act or process of multiplying : the state of being multiplied
  2. a mathematical operation that at its simplest is an abbreviated process of adding an integer to itself a specified number of times and that is extended to other numbers in accordance with laws that are valid for integers
  3. any of various mathematical operations that are analogous in some way to multiplication of the real numbers but are defined for other or larger sets of elements (as complex numbers, vectors, matrices, or functions)

multiplication sign -n

  1. : a symbol used to indicate multiplication:
  2. times sign
  3. dot

mul·ti·pli·ca·tive [,məl-tə-'pli-kə-tiv, 'məl-tə-plə-,kā-tiv] -adj, adv

  1. tending or having the power to multiply
  2. of, relating to, or associated with a mathematical operation of multiplication
    • the multiplicative property of 0 requires that a 0 0 and 0 a 0

multiplicative identity -n

  1. an identity element (as 1 in the group of rational numbers without 0) that in a given mathematical system leaves unchanged any element by which it is multiplied

multiplicative inverse -n

  1. an element of a mathematical set that when multiplied by a given element yields the identity element called also reciprocal

mul·ti·plic·i·ty [,məl-tə-'pli-sə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being multiple or various
  2. the number of components in a system (as a multiplet or a group of energy levels)
  3. a great number
  4. the number of times a root of an equation or zero of a function occurs when there is more than one root or zero
    • the multiplicity of x 2 for the equation ( x 2) 3 0 is 3

mul·ti·pli·er ['məl-tə-,plī(-ə)r] -n

  1. : one that multiplies: as
  2. a number by which another number is multiplied
  3. an instrument or device for multiplying or intensifying some effect
  4. a machine, mechanism, or circuit that multiplies figures

mul·ti·ply ['məl-tə-,plī] -vb

  1. to increase in number esp. greatly or in multiples : augment
  2. to find the product of by multiplication
    • multiply 7 and 8
  3. to use as a multiplicand in multiplication with another number
    • multiply 7 by 8
  4. to become greater in number : spread
  5. breed, propagate
  6. to perform multiplication
  7. in a multiple manner : in several ways
    • multiply talented children

mul·tiply [,məl-tē-'plī, -,tī-] -adj

  1. composed of several plies

mul·ti·po·lar [-'pō-lər] -adj, n

  1. having several poles
    • a multipolar generator
    • multipolar mitoses
  2. having several dendrites
    • multipolar neurons
  3. characterized by more than two centers of power or interest
    • a multipolar world

mul·ti·po·ten·tial [-pə-'ten(t)-shəl] -adj

  1. having the potential of becoming any of several mature cell types
    • multipotential stem cell

mul·ti·pro·cess·ing [-'prä-,se-siŋ, -'prō-, -sə-siŋ] -n

  1. the processing of several computer programs at the same time esp. by a computer system with two or more processors sharing a single memory

mul·ti·pro·gram·ming [-'prō-,gra-miŋ, -grə-] -n

  1. the technique of utilizing several interleaved programs concurrently in a single computer system

mul·ti·pronged [-'prȯŋd] -adj

  1. having several prongs
    • multipronged fishing spears
  2. having several distinct aspects or elements
    • a multipronged attack on the problem

mul·ti·ra·cial [-'rā-shəl] -adj, n

  1. composed of, involving, or representing various races

mul·ti·sense ['məl-tē-,sen(t)s] -adj

  1. having several meanings
    • multisense words

mul·ti·sen·so·ry [,məl-tē-'sen(t)-sə-rē, -'sen(t)s-rē] -adj

  1. relating to or involving several physiological senses
    • multisensory experiences

mul·ti·spec·tral [-'spek-trəl] -adj

  1. of or relating to two or more ranges of frequencies or wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum

mul·ti·stage ['məl-tē-,stāj, -,tī-] -adj

  1. having successive operating stages
  2. having propulsion units that operate in turn
    • multistage rockets
  3. conducted by or occurring in stages
    • a multistage investigation

mul·ti·state [-,stāt] -adj

  1. having divisions in several states
    • multistate enterprises
  2. of, relating to, or involving several states

mul·ti·task·ing [-,tas-kiŋ] -n, vi

  1. the concurrent performance of several jobs by a computer
  2. the performance of multiple tasks at one time

mul·ti·tu·ber·cu·late [,məl-tē-,tü-'bər-kyə-lət] -n

  1. any of an order (Multituberculata) of relatively small extinct mammals of the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic that typically resembled rodents, had many-cusped molars, and have no known living descendants

mul·ti·tude ['məl-tə-,tüd, -,tyüd] -n

  1. the state of being many
  2. a great number : host
  3. a great number of people
  4. populace, public

mul·ti·tu·di·nous [,məl-tə-'tüd-nəs, -'tyüd-; -'tü-dᵊn-əs, -'tyü-] -adj, adv, n

  1. including a multitude of individuals : populous
    • the multitudinous city
  2. existing in a great multitude
    • multitudinous opportunities
  3. existing in or consisting of innumerable elements or aspects
    • multitudinous applause

mul·ti·us·er [,məl-tī-'yü-zər, -tē-, -ti-] -adj

  1. able to be used by more than one person simultaneously

mul·tiv·a·lence [,məl-'ti-və-lən(t)s] -n

  1. the quality or state of having many values, meanings, or appeals

mul·ti·va·lent [,məl-tē-'vā-lənt, -,tī-, esp in sense 3 ,məl-'ti-və-] -adj, n

  1. polyvalent
  2. represented more than twice in the somatic chromosome number
    • multivalent chromosomes
  3. having many values, meanings, or appeals

mul·ti·var·i·able [,məl-tē-'ver-ē-ə-bəl, -,tī-] -adj

  1. multivariate

mul·ti·var·i·ate [-'ver-ē-ət, -,āt] -adj

  1. having or involving a number of independent mathematical or statistical variables
    • multivariate calculus
    • multivariate data analysis

mul·ti·ver·si·ty [-'vər-sə-tē, -stē] -n

  1. a very large university with many component schools, colleges, or divisions and widely diverse functions

mul·ti·vi·ta·min [-'vī-tə-mən, Brit usu -'vi-] -adj

  1. containing several vitamins and esp. all known to be essential to health
    • a multivitamin pill

multivitamin -n

  1. a multivitamin preparation

mul·ti·vol·tine [-'vōl-,tēn, -'vȯl-] -adj

  1. having several broods in a season
    • multivoltine insects

mul·ture ['məl-chər, Scot usu 'mü-tər] -n

  1. a fee for grinding grain at a mill

mum ['məm] -adj

  1. silent
    • keep mum
  2. to perform in a pantomime
  3. to go about merrymaking in disguise during festivals
  4. a strong ale or beer

mum ['mäm, 'məm] -n

(variant of mom)

  1. mother

mum·ble ['məm-bəl] -vb, n, adj

  1. to utter words in a low confused indistinct manner : mutter
  2. to utter with a low inarticulate voice
  3. to chew or bite with or as if with toothless gums

mum·ble·typeg ['məm-bəl-(tē-),peg, -blē-,peg] -n

  1. a game in which the players try to flip a knife from various positions so that the blade will stick into the ground

mum·bo jum·bo [,məm-bō-'jəm-(,)bō] -n

  1. an object of superstitious homage and fear
  2. a complicated often ritualistic observance with elaborate trappings
  3. complicated activity or language usu. intended to obscure and confuse
  4. unnecessarily involved and incomprehensible language : gibberish
  5. language, behavior, or beliefs based on superstition

mum·mer ['mə-mər] -n

  1. a performer in a pantomime
  2. actor
  3. one who goes merrymaking in disguise during festivals

mum·mery ['mə-mə-rē] -n

  1. a performance by mummers
  2. a ridiculous, hypocritical, or pretentious ceremony or performance

mum·mi·chog ['mə-mi-,chȯg, -,chäg] -n

  1. a common killifish ( Fundulus heteroclitusof the family Cyprinodontidae) of eastern No. America

mum·mi·fy ['mə-mi-,fī] -vb, n

  1. to embalm and dry as or as if a mummy
  2. to make into or like a mummy
  3. to cause to dry up and shrivel
  4. to dry up and shrivel like a mummy

mum·my ['mə-mē] -n

  1. a body embalmed or treated for burial with preservatives in the manner of the ancient Egyptians
  2. a body unusually well preserved
  3. one resembling a mummy

mummy ['mä-mē, 'mə-mē] -n

(variant of mommy)

  1. mother

mumps ['məmps] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. an acute contagious virus disease caused by a paramyxovirus (species Mumps virusof the genus Rubulavirus) and marked by fever and by swelling esp. of the parotid gland

mun -abbr

  1. municipal

munch ['mənch] -vb, n

  1. to eat with a chewing action
    • many a mouthful is munch ed in private -- Washington Irving
  2. to snack on
    • drank coffee and munch ed homemade cookies -- Lady Bird Johnson
  3. to eat or chew something
  4. snack usu. used with on

Mun·chau·sen syndrome ['mən-,chau̇-zən-, ,mən-'chau̇-] -n

  1. a psychological disorder characterized by the feigning of the symptoms of a disease or injury in order to undergo diagnostic tests, hospitalization, or medical or surgical treatment called also Munchausen's syndrome

Munchausen syndrome by proxy -n

  1. a psychological disorder in which a parent and typically a mother harms her child (as by poisoning), falsifies the child's medical history, or tampers with the child's medical specimens in order to create a situation that requires or seems to require medical attention called also Munchausen's syndrome by proxy

munch·ies ['mən-chēz] -n pl

  1. hunger pangs
  2. light snack foods

munch·kin ['mənch-,kin] -n

  1. a person who is notably small and often endearing

Mun·da ['mu̇n-də] -n

  1. a branch of the Austroasiatic language family spoken by tribal peoples of central and eastern India

mun·dane [,mən-'dān, 'mən-,] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the world
  2. characterized by the practical, transitory, and ordinary : commonplace
    • the mundane concerns of day-to-day life

mun·dun·gus [,mən-'dəŋ-gəs] -n

  1. foul-smelling tobacco

mung bean ['məŋ-] -n

  1. an erect bushy annual bean ( Vigna radiatasyn. Phaseolus aureus) that is widely cultivated in warm regions for its edible usu. green or yellow seeds, for forage, and as the chief source of bean sprouts
  2. its seed

mun·go ['məŋ-(,)gō] -n

  1. reclaimed wool of poor quality and very short staple

mu·ni ['myü-nē] -n

  1. municipal

mu·nic·i·pal [myu̇-'ni-s(ə-)pəl also myə-, mə-, -'ni-sə-bəl, ÷,myü-nə-'si-pəl] -adj

  1. of or relating to the internal affairs of a major political unit (as a nation)
  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of a municipality
  3. having local self-government
  4. restricted to one locality

municipal -n

  1. a security issued by a state or local government or by an authority set up by such a government usu. used in pl.

municipal court -n

  1. a court that sits in some cities and larger towns and that usu. has civil and criminal jurisdiction over cases arising within the municipality
  2. police court

mu·nic·i·pal·i·ty [myu̇-,ni-sə-'pa-lə-tē] -n

  1. a primarily urban political unit having corporate status and usu. powers of self-government
  2. the governing body of a municipality

mu·nic·i·pal·ize [myu̇-'ni-sə-pə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to bring under municipal ownership or supervision
    • a plan to municipalize utilities

mu·nic·i·pal·ly [myu̇-'ni-sə-p(ə-)lē] -adv

  1. by or in terms of a municipality
    • municipally owned property

mu·nif·i·cent [myu̇-'ni-fə-sənt] -adj, n, adv

  1. very liberal in giving or bestowing : lavish
  2. characterized by great liberality or generosity

mu·ni·ment ['myü-nə-mənt] -n

  1. the evidence (as documents) that enables one to defend the title to an estate or a claim to rights and privileges usu. used in pl.
  2. a means of defense

mu·ni·tion [myu̇-'ni-shən] -n, vt

  1. rampart, defense
  2. armament, ammunition

mun·tin ['mən-tᵊn] -n

  1. a strip separating panes of glass in a sash

munt·jac ['mən(t)-,jak, 'mən-,chak] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Muntiacus) of small deer of southeastern Asia with a cry similar to the bark of a dog and having in the male upper canine teeth elongated into small tusks called also barking deer

mu·on ['myü-,än] -n, adj

  1. an unstable lepton that is common in the cosmic radiation near the earth's surface, has a mass about 207 times the mass of the electron, and exists in negative and positive forms

mu·on·ium [myü-'ō-nē-əm, -'ä-] -n

  1. a short-lived quasi-atom consisting of an electron and a positive muon

mu·ral ['myu̇r-əl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or resembling a wall
  2. applied to and made integral with a wall or ceiling surface

mural [-ə-list] -n

  1. a mural work of art (as a painting)

mu·ram·ic acid [myu̇-'ra-mik-] -n

  1. an amino sugar C 9H 17NO 7that is a lactic acid derivative of glucosamine and is found esp. in bacterial cell walls

mur·der ['mər-dər] -n

  1. the crime of unlawfully killing a person esp. with malice aforethought
  2. something very difficult or dangerous
    • the traffic was murder
  3. something outrageous or blameworthy
    • getting away with murder

murder ['mər-d(ə-)riŋ] -vb

  1. to kill (a human being) unlawfully and with premeditated malice
  2. to slaughter wantonly : slay
  3. to put an end to
  4. tease, torment
  5. mutilate, mangle
    • murder s French
  6. to defeat badly
  7. to commit murder

mur·der·ee [,mər-də-'rē] -n

  1. an actual or potential victim of a murder

mur·der·er ['mər-dər-ər] -n

  1. one who murders
  2. one who commits the crime of murder

mur·der·ess ['mər-də-rəs] -n

  1. a woman who murders

mur·der·ous ['mər-d(ə-)rəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having the purpose or capability of murder
  2. characterized by or causing murder or bloodshed
  3. having the ability or power to overwhelm : devastating
    • murderous heat

mu·rein ['myu̇r-ē-ən, 'myu̇r-,ēn] -n

  1. peptidoglycan

mu·rex ['myu̇r-,eks] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Murexof the family Muricidae) of marine gastropod mollusks having a rough and often spiny shell, abounding in tropical seas, and yielding a purple dye

mu·ri·ate ['myu̇r-ē-,āt] -n

  1. chloride

mu·ri·at·ic acid [,myu̇r-ē-'a-tik-] -n

  1. hydrochloric acid

mu·rid ['myu̇r-əd] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to a family (Muridae) comprising the typical mice and rats and often those rodents classified as cricetids

mu·rine ['myu̇r-,īn] -adj, n

  1. of or relating to a murid genus ( Mus) or its subfamily (Murinae) which includes the common household rats and mice
  2. of, relating to, or involving these rodents and esp. the house mouse

murine typhus -n

  1. a mild disease that is marked esp. by fever, headache, and rash, is caused by a rickettsia ( Rickettsia typhisyn. R. mooseri), is widespread in nature in rodents, and is transmitted to humans by a flea

murk ['mərk] -n, adj

  1. gloom, darkness
  2. fog

murky ['mər-kē] -adj, adv, n

  1. characterized by a heavy dimness or obscurity caused by or like that caused by overhanging fog or smoke
  2. characterized by thickness and heaviness of air : foggy, misty
  3. darkly vague or obscure
    • murky official rhetoric

mur·mur ['mər-mər] -n

  1. a half-suppressed or muttered complaint : grumbling
  2. a low indistinct but often continuous sound
  3. a soft or gentle utterance
  4. an atypical sound of the heart typically indicating a functional or structural abnormality

murmur -vi, n

  1. to make a murmur
    • the breeze murmur ed in the pines
  2. complain, grumble
  3. to say in a murmur

mur·mur·ous ['mər-mə-rəs, 'mərm-rəs] -adj, adv

  1. filled with or characterized by murmurs : low and indistinct

Mur·phy ['mər-fē] -n

  1. any of various confidence games
  2. one in which the victim believes he is paying for sex

Murphy bed -n

  1. a bed that may be folded or swung into a closet

Murphy's Law -n

  1. an observation: anything that can go wrong will go wrong

mur·rain ['mər-ən, 'mə-rən] -n

  1. a pestilence or plague esp. affecting domestic animals

murre ['mər] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Uria) of black-and-white alcids
  2. a common seabird ( U. aalge) of northern seas

murre·let ['mər-lət] -n

  1. any of several small alcids of No. Pacific islands and coasts

mur·rey ['mər-ē, 'mə-rē] -n

  1. a purplish black : mulberry

mur·ther ['mər-dər] -n

(variant of murder)

  1. the crime of unlawfully killing a person esp. with malice aforethought
  2. something very difficult or dangerous
    • the traffic was murder
  3. something outrageous or blameworthy
    • getting away with murder

mus -abbr

  1. museum
  2. music; musical; musician

mus·ca·det [,məs-kə-'dā, -'de] -n

  1. a dry white wine from the Loire valley of France

mus·ca·dine ['məs-kə-,dīn] -n

  1. a grape ( Vitis rotundifolia) of the southern U.S. with musky fruits borne in small clusters
  2. the fruit

mus·cae vo·li·tan·tes ['məs-,kē-,vä-lə-'tan-,tēz, 'mə-,sē-] -n pl

  1. floater

mus·ca·rine ['məs-kə-,rēn] -n

  1. a toxic alkaloid base C 9H 20NO 2 that is biochemically related to acetylcholine, is found esp. in fly agaric, and acts directly on smooth muscle

mus·ca·rin·ic [,məs-kə-'ri-nik] -adj

  1. of, relating to, resembling, producing, or mediating the parasympathetic effects (as a slowed heart rate and increased activity of smooth muscle) produced by muscarine
    • muscarinic receptors

mus·cat ['məs-,kat, -kət] -n

  1. muscatel
  2. any of several cultivated grapes used in making wine and raisins

mus·ca·tel [,məs-kə-'tel] -n

  1. a sweet fortified wine from muscat grapes
  2. a raisin from muscat grapes

mus·cle ['mə-səl] -n

  1. a body tissue consisting of long cells that contract when stimulated and produce motion
  2. an organ that is essentially a mass of muscle tissue attached at either end to a fixed point and that by contracting moves or checks the movement of a body part
  3. muscular strength : brawn
  4. effective strength : power
    • political muscle

muscle ['mə-s(ə-)liŋ] -vb

  1. to move or force by or as if by muscular effort
    • muscled him out of office
  2. to make one's way by brute strength or by force

mus·clebound ['mə-səl-,bau̇nd] -adj

  1. having some of the muscles tense and enlarged and of impaired elasticity sometimes as a result of excessive exercise
  2. lacking in flexibility : rigid

muscle car [-,kär] -n

  1. any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving

mus·cled ['mə-səld] -adj

  1. having muscles esp. of a specified kind often used in combination
    • hard- muscled arms

mus·cle·man ['mə-səl-,man] -n

  1. a man with a muscular physique
  2. bully

muscle spindle -n

  1. a sensory end organ in a muscle that is sensitive to stretch in the muscle, consists of small striated muscle fibers richly supplied with nerve fibers, and is enclosed in a connective tissue sheath called also stretch receptor

mus·co·vite ['məs-kə-,vīt] -n, adj

  1. a native or resident of the ancient principality of Moscow or of the city of Moscow
  2. russian
  3. a colorless to pale brown form of mica consisting of a silicate of aluminum and potassium

Mus·co·vy duck ['məs-,kō-vē-] -n

  1. a large dark crested duck ( Cairina moschata) of Central and So. America that is widely kept in domestication

muscul- -comb form

  1. muscle
    • muscul ar
  2. muscular and
    • musculo skeletal

mus·cu·lar ['məs-kyə-lər] -adj, n, adv

  1. of, relating to, or constituting muscle
  2. of, relating to, or performed by the muscles
  3. having well-developed musculature
  4. of or relating to physical strength : brawny
  5. having strength of expression or character : vigorous
    • muscular prose
  6. characterized by forcefulness or resolve
    • muscular foreign policy
  7. full-bodied
    • muscular wines

muscular dystrophy -n

  1. any of a group of hereditary diseases characterized by progressive wasting of muscles

mus·cu·la·ture ['məs-kyə-lə-,chu̇r, -chər, -,tyu̇r, -,tu̇r] -n

  1. the muscles of all or a part of the animal body

mus·cu·lo·skel·e·tal [,məs-kyə-lō-'ske-lə-tᵊl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or involving both musculature and skeleton

muse ['myüz] -vb, n

  1. to become absorbed in thought
  2. to turn something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively
  3. wonder, marvel
  4. to think or say reflectively
  5. a state of deep thought or dreamy abstraction
  6. any of the nine sister goddesses in Greek mythology presiding over song and poetry and the arts and sciences
  7. a source of inspiration
  8. a guiding genius
  9. poet

mu·se·ol·o·gy [,myü-zē-'ä-lə-jē] -n, adj

  1. the science or profession of museum organization and management

mu·sette [myu̇-'zet] -n

  1. a bellows-blown bagpipe popular in France in the 17th and 18th centuries
  2. a small knapsack
  3. a similar bag with one shoulder strap called also musette bag

mu·se·um [myu̇-'zē-əm] -n

  1. an institution devoted to the procurement, care, study, and display of objects of lasting interest or value
  2. a place where objects are exhibited

mu·se·um·go·er [myu̇-'zē-əm-,gō-ər] -n

  1. a person who frequently goes to museums

museum piece -n

  1. something preserved in or suitable for a museum
  2. one that is out-of-date : a thing of the past

mush ['məsh, esp 3 also 'mu̇sh] -n

  1. a thick porridge made with cornmeal boiled in water or milk
  2. something soft and spongy or shapeless
  3. weak sentimentality : drivel
  4. mawkish amorousness
  5. to reduce to a crumbly mass
  6. to fly in a partly or nearly stalled condition
  7. to travel esp. over snow with a sled drawn by dogs often used as a command to a dog team
  8. a trip esp. across snow with a dog team

mush·room ['məsh-,rüm, -,ru̇m; chiefly Northern & Midland -,rün; dial 'mə-shə-,rüm, -,ru̇m, -,rün] -n

  1. an enlarged complex aboveground fleshy fruiting body of a fungus (as a basidiomycete) that consists typically of a stem bearing a pileus
  2. one that is edible
  3. fungus
  4. upstart
  5. something resembling a mushroom

mushroom -vi

  1. to well up and spread out laterally from a central source
  2. to become enlarged or extended : grow
  3. to collect wild mushrooms
  4. to spring up suddenly or multiply rapidly

mushroom cloud -n

  1. a mushroom-shaped cloud
  2. one caused by the explosion of a nuclear weapon

mushy ['mə-shē, esp 2 also 'mu̇-] -adj, adv, n

  1. having the consistency of mush : soft
  2. lacking in definition or precision
  3. excessively tender or emotional
  4. mawkishly amorous

mu·sic ['myü-zik] -n

  1. the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity
  2. vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony
  3. an agreeable sound : euphony
    • her voice was music to my ears
  4. musical quality
    • the music of verse
  5. a musical accompaniment
    • a play set to music
  6. the score of a musical composition set down on paper
  7. a distinctive type or category of music
    • there is a music for everybody -- Eric Salzman

mu·si·cal ['myü-zi-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to music
  2. having the pleasing harmonious qualities of music : melodious
  3. having an interest in or talent for music
  4. set to or accompanied by music
  5. of or relating to musicians or music lovers

musical -n

  1. musicale
  2. a film or theatrical production typically of a sentimental or humorous nature that consists of musical numbers and dialogue based on a unifying plot

musical box -n

  1. music box

musical chairs -n pl but sing in constr

  1. a game in which players march to music around a row of chairs numbering one less than the players and scramble for seats when the music stops
  2. a situation or series of events suggesting the game of musical chairs (as in rapid change or confusing activity)

musical comedy -n

  1. musical

mu·si·cale [,myü-zi-'kal] -n

  1. a social entertainment with music as the leading feature

mu·si·cal·ise ['myü-zi-kə-,līz] -vt, n

(variant of musicalize)

  1. to set to music

mu·si·cal·i·ty [,myü-zi-'ka-lə-tē] -n

  1. sensitivity to, knowledge of, or talent for music
  2. the quality or state of being musical : melodiousness

mu·si·cal·ize ['myü-zi-kə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to set to music

musical saw -n

  1. a handsaw made to produce melody by bending the blade while sounding it with a hammer or violin bow

music box -n

  1. a container enclosing an apparatus that reproduces music mechanically when activated by a clockwork

music drama -n

  1. an opera in which the action is not interrupted by formal song divisions (as recitatives or arias) and the music is determined solely by dramatic appropriateness

music hall -n

  1. a vaudeville theater
  2. vaudeville

mu·si·cian [myü-'zi-shən] -n, adj

  1. a composer, conductor, or performer of music
  2. instrumentalist

music of the spheres

  1. an ethereal harmony thought by the Pythagoreans to be produced by the vibration of the celestial spheres

mu·si·col·o·gy [,myü-zi-'kä-lə-jē] -n, adj

  1. the study of music as a branch of knowledge or field of research as distinct from composition or performance

musing -n

  1. meditation
  2. thoughtfully abstracted : meditative

mu·sique con·crete [myu̇-'zēk-kōⁿ-'kret, mᵫ-] -n

  1. a recorded montage of natural sounds often electronically modified and presented as a musical composition

musk ['məsk] -n

  1. a substance with a penetrating persistent odor obtained from a sac beneath the abdominal skin of the male musk deer and used as a perfume fixative
  2. a similar substance from another animal or a synthetic substitute
  3. the odor of musk
  4. an odor resembling musk esp. in heaviness or persistence
  5. any of various plants with musky odors
  6. musk plant

musk deer -n

  1. any of a genus ( Moschus) of small heavy-limbed hornless deer of central Asian uplands with tusked musk-producing males

mus·keg ['məs-,keg, -,kāg] -n

  1. bog
  2. a sphagnum bog of northern No. America often with tussocks
  3. a usu. thick deposit of partially decayed vegetable matter of wet boreal regions

mus·kel·lunge ['məs-kə-,lənj] -n

  1. a large No. American pike ( Esox masquinongy) that has dark markings, may weigh over 60 pounds (27 kilograms), and is a valuable sport fish

mus·ket ['məs-kət] -n

  1. a heavy large-caliber muzzle-loading usu. smoothbore shoulder firearm
  2. a shoulder gun carried by infantry

mus·ke·teer [,məs-kə-'tir] -n

  1. a soldier armed with a musket
  2. a good friend : buddy

mus·ket·ry ['məs-kə-trē] -n

  1. muskets
  2. musketeers
  3. musket fire
  4. the art or science of using small arms esp. in battle

mus·kie ['məs-kē] -n

  1. muskellunge

musk·mel·on ['məsk-,me-lən] -n

  1. : a usu. sweet edible melon that is the fruit of an annual trailing or climbing Asian vine ( Cucumis melo) of the gourd family: as
  2. any of various melons ( C. melo reticulatus) with netted skin and musky odor that include most of the muskmelons cultivated in No. America
  3. cantaloupe
  4. winter melon

Mus·ko·ge·an [mə-'skō-gē-ən] -n

  1. a language family of southeastern U.S. that includes Muskogee

Mus·ko·gee [mə-'skō-gē] -n

  1. a member of an American Indian people of Georgia and eastern Alabama constituting the nucleus of the Creek confederacy
  2. the language of the Muskogees and of some of the Seminoles

musk ox -n

  1. a heavyset shaggy-coated wild ox ( Ovibos moschatus) of tundra regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska with the males producing a strong musky odor from glands beneath the eyes

musk plant -n

  1. a yellow-flowered perennial No. American herb ( Mimulus moschatus) of the snapdragon family that has hairy foliage and sometimes a musky odor

musk·rat ['məsk-,rat] -n

  1. an aquatic rodent ( Ondatra zibethica) of the U.S. and Canada with a long scaly laterally compressed tail, webbed hind feet, and dark glossy brown fur
  2. its fur or pelt

musk rose -n

  1. a rose ( Rosa moschata) of the Mediterranean region with white flowers having a musky odor

musk thistle -n

  1. a Eurasian thistle ( Carduus nutans) that has nodding musky flower heads and is naturalized in eastern No. America

musk turtle -n

  1. any of various small American freshwater turtles (esp. genus Sternotherus) that have musk glands
  2. a small dark turtle ( S. odoratus) capable of producing a foul odor

musky ['məs-kē] -adj, n

  1. having an odor of or resembling musk

Mus·lim ['məz-ləm, 'mu̇s-, 'mu̇z-] -n, adj

  1. an adherent of Islam
  2. black muslim

Muslim era -n

  1. islamic era

mus·lin ['məz-lən] -n

  1. a plain-woven sheer to coarse cotton fabric

mus·quash ['məs-,kwäsh, -,kwȯsh] -n

  1. muskrat

muss ['məs] -n

  1. a game in which players scramble for small objects thrown to the ground
  2. scramble
  3. a confused conflict : row
  4. a state of disorder : mess
  5. to make untidy : disarrange

mus·sel ['mə-səl] -n

  1. a marine bivalve mollusk (esp. genus Mytilus) usu. having a dark elongated shell
  2. a freshwater bivalve mollusk (as of Unio, Anodonta,or related genera) that is esp. abundant in rivers of the central U.S. and has a shell with a lustrous nacreous lining

Mus·sul·man ['mə-səl-mən] -n

  1. muslim

mussy ['mə-sē] -adj, adv, n

  1. characterized by clutter or muss : messy

must [məs(t), 'məst] -vb

  1. be commanded or requested to
    • you must stop
  2. be urged to : ought by all means to
    • you must read that book
  3. be compelled by physical necessity to
    • one must eat to live
    : be required by immediate or future need or purpose to
    • we must hurry to catch the bus
  4. be obliged to : be compelled by social considerations to
    • I must say you're looking well
  5. be required by law, custom, or moral conscience to
    • we must obey the rules
  6. be determined to
    • if you must go at least wait for me
  7. be unreasonably or perversely compelled to
    • why must you argue
  8. be logically inferred or supposed to
    • it must be time
  9. be compelled by fate or by natural law to
    • what must be will be
  10. was or were presumably certain to : was or were bound to
    • if he did it she must have known
  11. may, shall used chiefly in questions
  12. to be obliged to go
    • I must to Coventry -- Shak.
  13. an imperative need or duty : requirement
  14. an indispensable item : essential
    • exercise is a must
  15. the expressed juice of fruit and esp. grapes before and during fermentation
  16. the pulp and skins of the crushed grapes
  17. musk
  18. mold, mustiness

mus·tache ['məs-,tash, (,)mə-'stash] -n, adj

  1. the hair growing on the human upper lip
  2. such hair grown and often trimmed in a particular style
  3. hair or bristles about the mouth of a mammal

mus·ta·chio [(,)mə-'sta-shē-,ō, -'stä-, -shō] -n, adj

  1. mustache
  2. a large mustache

mus·tang ['məs-,taŋ] -n

  1. a small hardy naturalized horse of U.S. western plains directly descended from horses brought in by the Spaniards
  2. bronc
  3. a commissioned officer (as in the U.S. Navy) who has risen from the ranks

mus·tard ['məs-tərd] -n, adj

  1. a pungent yellow powder of the seeds of any of several common mustards ( Brassica hirta, B. nigra,or B. juncea) used as a condiment or in medicine as a stimulant and diuretic, an emetic, or a counterirritant
  2. zest
  3. any of several herbs (genus Brassicaof the family Cruciferae syn. Brassicaceae, the mustard family) with lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and linear beaked pods
  4. a dark to moderate yellow

mustard gas -n

  1. an irritant vesicant oily liquid C 4H 8Cl 2S used esp. as a chemical weapon

mustard plaster -n

  1. a counterirritant and rubefacient plaster containing powdered mustard

mus·ter ['məs-tər] -n

  1. a representative specimen : sample
  2. an act of assembling
  3. formal military inspection
  4. critical examination
  5. an assembled group : collection
  6. inventory

muster [-t(ə-)riŋ] -vb

  1. to cause to gather : convene
  2. to enroll formally usu. used with in or into
    • was muster ed into the army
  3. to call the roll of
  4. to bring together : collect
  5. to call forth : rouse
  6. to amount to : comprise
  7. to come together : congregate

muster out -vt

  1. to discharge from service

muster roll -n

  1. inventory, roster
  2. a register of the officers and men in a military unit or ship's company

musth ['məst] -n

  1. a periodic state of the bull elephant characterized esp. by aggressive behavior and usu. connected with the rutting season

musthave ['məst-,hav] -n, adj

  1. something that is essential to have or obtain

mustn't ['mə-sᵊnt]

  1. must not

mustsee ['məst-'sē] -n, adj

  1. something (as a film) that must or should be seen

musty ['məs-tē] -adj, adv, n

  1. impaired by damp or mildew : moldy
  2. tasting of mold
  3. smelling of damp and decay : fusty
  4. trite, stale
    • musty prose
  5. antiquated
    • musty customs
  6. superannuated

mu·ta·ble ['myü-tə-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. prone to change : inconstant
  2. capable of change or of being changed
  3. capable of or liable to mutation

mu·ta·gen ['myü-tə-jən] -n, adj, adv

  1. an agent (as a chemical or various radiations) that tends to increase the frequency or extent of mutation

mu·ta·gen·e·sis [,myü-tə-'je-nə-səs] -n

  1. the occurrence or induction of mutation

mu·ta·ge·nic·i·ty [-jə-'ni-sə-tē] -n

  1. the capacity to induce mutations

mu·tant ['myü-tᵊnt] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or produced by mutation

mu·tase ['myü-,tās, -,tāz] -n

  1. any of various enzymes that catalyze molecular rearrangements and esp. those involving the transfer of phosphate from one hydroxyl group to another in the same molecule

mu·tate ['myü-,tāt, myü-'] -vb, adj

  1. to undergo mutation
  2. to cause to undergo mutation

mu·ta·tion [myü-'tā-shən] -n, adj, adv

  1. a significant and basic alteration : change
  2. umlaut
  3. a relatively permanent change in hereditary material involving either a physical change in chromosome relations or a biochemical change in the codons that make up genes
  4. the process of producing a mutation
  5. an individual, strain, or trait resulting from mutation

mu·ta·tis mu·tan·dis [m(y)ü-'tä-təs-m(y)ü-'tän-dəs, -'tā-təs-, -'tan-] -adv

  1. with the necessary changes having been made
  2. with the respective differences having been considered

mutch·kin ['məch-kən] -n

  1. a Scottish unit of liquid capacity equal to 0.90 pint (0.42 liter)

mute ['myüt] -adj, adv, n

  1. unable to speak : lacking the power of speech
  2. : characterized by absence of speech: as
  3. felt or experienced but not expressed
    • touched her hand in mute sympathy
  4. refusing to plead directly or stand trial
    • the prisoner stands mute
  5. remaining silent, undiscovered, or unrecognized
  6. contributing nothing to the pronunciation of a word
    • the b in plumb is mute
  7. contributing to the pronunciation of a word but not representing the nucleus of a syllable
    • the e in mate is mute
  8. stop
  9. a person who cannot or does not speak
  10. a device attached to or inserted into a musical instrument to soften or alter its tone
  11. to muffle, reduce, or eliminate the sound of
  12. to tone down : soften, subdue
    • mute a color
  13. to evacuate the cloaca

muted -adj, adv

  1. being mute : silent
  2. toned down : low-key, subdued
  3. provided with or produced or modified by the use of a mute

mute swan -n

  1. a common white swan ( Cygnus olor) that produces no loud notes, is native to Europe and western Asia, and has been introduced into parts of the U.S.

mu·ti·late ['myü-tə-,lāt] -vt, n

  1. to cut up or alter radically so as to make imperfect
    • the child mutilated the book with his scissors
  2. to cut off or permanently destroy a limb or essential part of : cripple

mu·tine ['myü-tᵊn] -vi

  1. rebel, mutiny

mu·ti·neer [,myü-tə-'nir] -n

  1. one that mutinies

mu·ti·nous ['myü-tə-nəs, 'myüt-nəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. disposed to or being in a state of mutiny : rebellious
    • a mutinous crew
  2. turbulent, unruly
  3. of, relating to, or constituting mutiny
    • mutinous threats

mu·ti·ny ['myü-tə-nē, 'myüt-nē] -n, vi

  1. tumult, strife
  2. forcible or passive resistance to lawful authority
  3. concerted revolt (as of a naval crew) against discipline or a superior officer

mut·ism ['myü-,ti-zəm] -n

  1. the condition of being mute

mutt ['mət] -n

  1. a stupid or insignificant person : fool
  2. a mongrel dog : cur

mut·ter ['mə-tər] -vb, n

  1. to utter sounds or words indistinctly or with a low voice and with the lips partly closed
  2. to murmur complainingly or angrily : grumble
  3. to utter esp. in a low or imperfectly articulated manner

mut·ton ['mə-tᵊn] -n, adj

  1. the flesh of a mature sheep used for food

mut·ton·chops ['mə-tᵊn-,chäps] -n pl

  1. side-whiskers that are narrow at the temple and broad and round by the lower jaws called also muttonchop whiskers

mut·ton·fish [-,fish] -n

  1. a common snapper ( Lutjanus analis) of the warmer parts of the western Atlantic that is usu. olive green and sometimes nearly white or tinged with rosy red and that is an important food and sport fish called also mutton snapper

mu·tu·al ['myü-chə-wəl, -chəl, -chü-əl; 'myüch-wəl] -adj, adv

  1. directed by each toward the other or the others
    • mutual affection
  2. having the same feelings one for the other
    • they had long been mutual enemies
  3. shared in common
    • enjoying their mutual hobby
  4. joint
  5. characterized by intimacy
  6. of or relating to a plan whereby the members of an organization share in the profits and expenses
  7. of, relating to, or taking the form of an insurance method in which the policyholders constitute the members of the insuring company

mutual fund -n

  1. an open-end investment company that invests money of its shareholders in a usu. diversified group of securities of other corporations

mu·tu·al·ism ['myü-chə-wə-,li-zəm, 'myü-chə-,li-, 'myüch-wə-,li-] -n, adj

  1. the doctrine or practice of mutual dependence as the condition of individual and social welfare
  2. mutually beneficial association between different kinds of organisms

mu·tu·al·i·ty [,myü-chə-'wa-lə-tē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being mutual
  2. a sharing of sentiments : intimacy

mu·tu·al·ize ['myü-chə-wə-,līz, 'myü-chə-,līz, 'myüch-wə-,līz] -vt, n

  1. to make mutual

mutually exclusive -adj

  1. being related such that each excludes or precludes the other
    • mutually exclusive events
  2. incompatible
    • their outlooks were not mutually exclusive

mu·tu·el ['myü-chə-wəl, -chəl, -chü-əl; 'myüch-wəl] -n

  1. pari-mutuel

muu·muu ['mü-,mü] -n

  1. a loose often long dress having bright colors and patterns and adapted from the dresses orig. distributed by missionaries to the native women of Hawaii

Mu·zak ['myü-,zak] -trademark

  1. used for recorded background music

mu·zhik [mü-'zhēk, -'zhik] -n

  1. a Russian peasant

muz·zle ['mə-zəl] -n

  1. the projecting jaws and nose of an animal : snout
  2. a fastening or covering for the mouth of an animal used to prevent eating or biting
  3. something (as censorship) that restrains normal expression
  4. the open end of an implement
  5. the discharging end of a weapon

muzzle ['məz-liŋ, 'mə-zə-] -vt, n

  1. to fit with a muzzle
  2. gag
    • muzzled the regime's critics
  3. restrain, restrict
    • the Pentagon's efforts to muzzle press access -- Joe Strupp
    • the low prices muzzled competition

muz·zy ['mə-zē] -adj, adv, n

  1. deficient in brightness : dull, gloomy
    • a muzzy day
  2. lacking in clarity and precision
    • his conclusions can be muzzy and naive -- Times Lit. Supp.
  3. muddled or confused in mind