mull

1 of 4

verb (1)

mulled; mulling; mulls

transitive verb

1
: to grind or mix thoroughly : pulverize
mull a portion of the pigment with the oilH. J. Wolfe
2
: to consider at length : ponder
often used with over
mulled over his choices
It's a fine offer, but we need time to mull it over.

intransitive verb

: meditate, ponder
all his talk of mulling and weighing and balancing was vacillationJ. P. Marquand

mull

2 of 4

verb (2)

mulled; mulling; mulls

transitive verb

: to heat, sweeten, and flavor (a beverage, such as wine or cider) with spices

mull

3 of 4

noun (1)

: a soft fine sheer fabric of cotton, silk, or rayon

mull

4 of 4

noun (2)

1
: friable forest humus that forms a layer of mixed organic matter and mineral soil and merges gradually into the mineral soil beneath
2
: a finely powdered solid especially in a suspension

Examples of mull in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The Biden administration is mulling fresh sanctions on several Chinese tech companies, including memory chipmaker ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc., while pushing allies to do more to curb the export of advanced tech to China, Bloomberg has reported in recent days. Andreo Calonzo, Fortune Asia, 11 Mar. 2024 Though talks are early, the team is mulling a TV series, a book club and more live events. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 Other school districts are mulling policies that bar rainbow pride flags or banners in schools. Dana Ferguson, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2024 Politico reports that Cotton, who is known to be close with McConnell, is mulling a bid to run for a leadership position — and that the young lawmaker is being urged to do so by some of his Republican colleagues. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Berk decided not to renew his contract, claiming that his costars mulled the same route before ultimately deciding to move forward. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024 California lawmakers are mulling over a proposal to require EWA providers to register with the state and cap their fees, and Connecticut instituted a similar proposal last September. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2024 Treasury yields rose as investors continued to mull over Powell’s comments. Krystal Hur, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024 The Senate passed the legislation earlier this month on a bipartisan basis, but Johnson has so far blocked its path forward in the House, as the lower chamber mulls its own approach to the supplemental funding. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
Related As rent control falters on Beacon Hill, advocates mull taking the matter to the ballot boxRecord rent prices in New Hampshire spurred by ‘critically low’ vacancy rateMassachusetts is the third most expensive state in the US to rent a home, new study says But not in Boston. Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2023 Happening on July 3, 2023, this lunar event will encourage you mull over where you’re headed in life, according to Donna Page, a certified astrologer in Atlanta. Korin Miller, Women's Health, 1 July 2023 States, including California and Colorado, have begun to pass laws that would permit noncitizens who are authorized to work in the U.S. to become police officers, while others, such as New Jersey, mull similar legislation. Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 16 July 2023 The comedic stars mull over how different the horror genre would be if more Black characters were at the center of the story. Essence, 15 June 2023 As the Orioles — soon to be flush with funds from the state to improve Camden Yards — mull ways to renovate the ballpark and its surrounding area in the coming years, The Battery could provide inspiration. Hayes Gardner, Baltimore Sun, 5 Apr. 2023 Subscribe But Mowrey could soon lose his platform, and millions of young TikTok users their primary source of news and information, as Congress and the Biden administration mull taking steps to ban TikTok over growing national security concerns. Grace Segers, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2023 Take a beat to mull that over—and then go for it, hard. Korin Miller, Women's Health, 19 Mar. 2023 While the Federal Reserve continues to mull rate increases to stem rising prices, McKnight said people should not expect a slowdown on par with the Great Recession of 2008. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 14 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mull.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from mul, mol dust, probably from Middle Dutch; akin to Old English melu meal — more at meal

Verb (2)

origin unknown

Noun (1)

by shortening & alteration from mulmul muslin, from Hindi malmal

Noun (2)

Danish muld, from Old Norse mold dust, soil; akin to Old High German molta dust, soil — more at mold entry 5

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

1618, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1778, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mull was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mull

Cite this Entry

“Mull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mull. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mull

1 of 2 verb
: to think about slowly and carefully : ponder
mull over an idea

mull

2 of 2 verb
: to sweeten, spice, and heat
mulled wine
Etymology

Verb

Middle English mullen "to grind up or mix thoroughly," from mul, mol "dust"

Verb

origin unknown

Medical Definition

mull

1 of 2 transitive verb
: to grind or mix thoroughly (as in a mortar) : pulverize
the alloy, after removal from the amalgamator, was mulled in the palm of the handJournal of American Dental Association

mull

2 of 2 noun
1
: a soft fine sheer fabric of cotton, silk, or rayon
2
: an ointment of high melting point intended to be spread on muslin or mull and used like a plaster
zinc mull

Geographical Definition

Mull

geographical name

island of western Scotland in the Inner Hebrides area 351 square miles (913 square kilometers), population 1499

More from Merriam-Webster on mull

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