Noun
there's not a mote of dirt in that woman's house
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Noun
Tiny bugs float in the sun like dust motes, and there are graceful flies large enough to require a runway landing.—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026 Sunbeams through the windows illuminate floating dust motes—and, imperceptibly, microdroplets of mucus carrying the measles virus, expelled from an infected but asymptomatic child who is hopping and laughing among the others.—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026 Easily swept up by wind and carried long distances by water, these tiny motes are also exceedingly difficult to detect and almost impossible to remove from the environment.—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Jan. 2026 The likely winner: Paul Thomas Anderson The fun pick: Ryan Coogler, whose win would inject a mote of possibility that Sinners could maybe crash the One Battle party.—Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mote
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English mot, from Old English; akin to Middle Dutch & Frisian mot sand
Auxiliary verb
Middle English, from Old English mōtan to be allowed to — more at must
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Auxiliary Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of mote was
before the 12th century