mull

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈməl 

mulled; mulling; mulls

transitive verb

1

: to grind or mix thoroughly : pulverize

… mull a portion of the pigment with the oil …

—H. 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 vacillation …

—J. 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

Synonyms of mull

Verb (1)

• grind
• pound
• crush
• beat
• disintegrate
• powder
• mill

Examples of mull in a Sentence

Verb (1)

the dentist was in the habit of mulling the mercury amalgam in the palm of his hand

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Beijing, meanwhile, is mulling imposing its own tech restrictions, the Financial Times reported, alongside curbs on acquisitions of Chinese firms by Western rivals. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 23 July 2026

Reddit shares are down 30% year to date as the company mulls renewing a $60 million-a-year licensing deal with Google…versus going to war against the tech giant’s AI training bots. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 23 July 2026

In 2003, as district officials briefly considered selling the land to plug a budget gap, DuPage County Forest Preserve District officials mulled a grassroots plan to relocate the building to a forest preserve. — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026

Now, Paramount is reportedly mulling over a threat to leave California in the face of Bonta’s legal action. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026

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

Rhymes for mull

• cull
• dull
• gul
• gull
• lull
• null
• scull
• skull
• stull
• trull
• tulle
• seagull

Kids Definition

mull

1 of 2 verb

ˈməl 

: 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

ˈməl 

: to grind or mix thoroughly (as in a mortar) : pulverize

the alloy, after removal from the amalgamator, was mulled in the palm of the hand

—Journal 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

ˈməl 

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