plural mice
ˈmīs 
1
: any of numerous small rodents (as of the genus Mus) with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body, and slender tail
2
plural also mouses
: a small mobile manual device that controls movement of the cursor and selection of functions on a computer display
3
: a timid person
4
: a dark-colored swelling caused by a blow
specifically
: black eye
moused; mousing
1
: to search for carefully
—usually used with out
Phrases
mouse over
computing
: to use a mouse to position a cursor over (a specific location or element on a computer screen) without clicking the mouse's button
Rich media is pretty much anything that moves when you interact with it. It can be a Flash animation, or a streaming video clip, or an image rotator that changes when you mouse over it.—
Ariel Bleicher
Ariel Bleicher
Synonyms
Examples of mouse in a Sentence
Noun
The house was infested with mice and rats.
He moved the mouse to click on the icon.
Verb
a cat mousing along in the shadows of the garden
Recent Examples on the WebAll Cbd Naturals, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Rudolph shared experiments showing that maternal behavior, studied in female mice caring for their pups, was affected by hormones acting on the cerebellum, especially the hormone oxytocin, which promotes maternal bonding.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2024
And both patterns mimicked the mouse’s real-life experience.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024
But some of the earliest studies were in mice, and most of the human trials that followed were small and only lasted one to three months, writes the Washington Post’s Anahad O’Connor.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
For example, target buttons can usually be activated with pinpoint accuracy using a mouse but may prove far more challenging on a smaller phone screen for an individual with low vision, someone with dexterity issues or simply because everyone has different-sized fingers.
—Gus Alexiou, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Five buttons surround the scroll wheel of this ambidextrous mouse, while the bar at the top controls the mouse cursor.
—PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
Michelle Paylor, 63, recently caught her 28th mouse in her studio apartment in Independence.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
My eyes were the cursor arrow, and my fingers were the mouse, it was explained.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
For now, voters mousing over to rival campaign websites won’t see nearly as many policy positions to contrast with those of the former President.
—Time, 12 June 2023
Researchers sifted through more than 13,000 potential candidate molecules to find one, called 6bK, that bound to mouse IDE in a test tube.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 21 May 2014
Anand Agarawala, co-founder and CEO of Spatial, which makes an app where brands and artists can build virtual spaces, said eye-tracking in VR is similar to mouse movements on a desktop, which many companies already collect and use for advertising purposes.
—Washington Post, 15 July 2021
Multi Control allows users who own a Galaxy Book to use its keyboard, trackpad, or mouse with a Galaxy phone without physically connecting the two devices.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 15 Feb. 2023
The researchers identified several human and mouse microRNAs that seem to create an unfavorable physiological environment for viruses.
—Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2011
Then, a decade ago, Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka identified a cocktail of genes that, when added to mouse skin cells, transformed them into a new kind of cell that grew happily in ever expanding colonies.
—Kim Smuga-Otto, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2016
The device would then process and transmit neural signals and allow the user to control their keyboard and mouse with their thoughts.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2022
Noun
For instance, a 2014 study shows that CBG oil helped with slowing the growth of colon cancer cells in mice.
—All Cbd Naturals, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Rudolph shared experiments showing that maternal behavior, studied in female mice caring for their pups, was affected by hormones acting on the cerebellum, especially the hormone oxytocin, which promotes maternal bonding.
—R Douglas Fields, WIRED, 31 Mar. 2024
And both patterns mimicked the mouse’s real-life experience.
—Linda Carroll, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2024
But some of the earliest studies were in mice, and most of the human trials that followed were small and only lasted one to three months, writes the Washington Post’s Anahad O’Connor.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
For example, target buttons can usually be activated with pinpoint accuracy using a mouse but may prove far more challenging on a smaller phone screen for an individual with low vision, someone with dexterity issues or simply because everyone has different-sized fingers.
—Gus Alexiou, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Five buttons surround the scroll wheel of this ambidextrous mouse, while the bar at the top controls the mouse cursor.
—PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
Michelle Paylor, 63, recently caught her 28th mouse in her studio apartment in Independence.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
My eyes were the cursor arrow, and my fingers were the mouse, it was explained.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
The only Nobel Prize for strictly mouse genetics was presented during this period.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
For now, voters mousing over to rival campaign websites won’t see nearly as many policy positions to contrast with those of the former President.
—Time, 12 June 2023
Researchers sifted through more than 13,000 potential candidate molecules to find one, called 6bK, that bound to mouse IDE in a test tube.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 21 May 2014
Anand Agarawala, co-founder and CEO of Spatial, which makes an app where brands and artists can build virtual spaces, said eye-tracking in VR is similar to mouse movements on a desktop, which many companies already collect and use for advertising purposes.
—Washington Post, 15 July 2021
Multi Control allows users who own a Galaxy Book to use its keyboard, trackpad, or mouse with a Galaxy phone without physically connecting the two devices.
—Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 15 Feb. 2023
The researchers identified several human and mouse microRNAs that seem to create an unfavorable physiological environment for viruses.
—Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2011
Then, a decade ago, Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka identified a cocktail of genes that, when added to mouse skin cells, transformed them into a new kind of cell that grew happily in ever expanding colonies.
—Kim Smuga-Otto, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2016
The device would then process and transmit neural signals and allow the user to control their keyboard and mouse with their thoughts.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mouse.' 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
Noun
Middle English, from Old English mūs; akin to Old High German mūs mouse, Latin mus, Greek mys mouse, muscle
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of mouse was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing mouse
Articles Related to mouse
Dictionary Entries Near mouse
Cite this Entry
“Mouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mouse. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
mouse
1 of 2 noun
plural mice
ˈmīs
1
: any of numerous small rodents with pointed snout, rather small ears, and a slender usually nearly hairless tail
2
: a person without spirit or courage
3
: a small hand-operated device used for computer input (as to control cursor movement on the display screen)
mouse
2 of 2 verb
moused; mousing
1
: to hunt mice
2
: to search or move slyly and carefully (as a cat hunting mice)
3
: to search for carefully
mouse out a scandal
Medical Definition
mouse
noun
plural mice
ˈmīs
1
: any of numerous small rodents with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body, and slender hairless or sparsely haired tail, including all the smaller members of the genus Mus (as the medically significant house mouse, M. musculus) and many members of other rodent genera and families having little more in common than their relatively small size
2
: a dark-colored swelling caused by a blow
specifically
: black eye
More from Merriam-Webster on mouse
Nglish: Translation of mouse for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of mouse for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mouse
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