Link Centre Dictionary

mole

UK/məʊl/ US/ˈmoʊleɪ/ fairly common slang

noun

1.

the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d''Unites

Synonyms
2.

a spy who works against enemy espionage

Synonyms
3.

spicy sauce often containing chocolate

4.

a small congenital pigmented spot on the skin

5.
6.

small velvety-furred burrowing mammal having small eyes and fossorial forefeet

Origin

From Middle English molle, molde, mole (“mole”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *mol(h), from Proto-Germanic *mulaz, *mulhaz (“mole, salamander”), from Proto-Indo-European *molg-, *molk- (“slug, salamander”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)melw- (“to grind, crush, beat”). Cognate with North Frisian mull (“mole”), Saterland Frisian Molle (“mole”), Dutch mol (“mole”), German Low German Mol, Mul, Mull (“mole”), German Molch (“salamander, newt”), Old Russian смолжь (smolžʹ, “snail”), Czech mlž (“clam”). Derivation as an abbreviation of Middle English molewarpe, a variation of moldewarpe, moldwerp (“mole”) in Middle English is unexplained and probably unlikely due to the simultaneous occurrence of both words. See mouldwarp.

Phrases

  • blind as a mole
  • Brewer's mole
  • common mole
  • duck mole
  • eastern mole
  • golden mole
  • hairy-tailed mole
  • hairytail mole
  • Mole Valley

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.