1
a
often capitalized
: the earth's natural satellite (see satellite sense 1a) that shines by the sun's reflected light, revolves about the earth from west to east in about 29¹/₂ days with reference to the sun or about 27¹/₃ days with reference to the stars, and has a diameter of 2160 miles (3475 kilometers), a mean distance from the earth of about 238,900 miles (384,400 kilometers), and a mass about one eightieth that of the earth
—usually used with the
b
: one complete moon cycle consisting of four phases (see phase entry 1 sense 1)
c
: satellite sense 1
specifically
: a natural satellite of a planet
the moons of Jupiter
2
: an indefinite usually extended period of time
a labor of many moons
3
: moonlight
keep out of the moon or it may turn your head—
H. R. Haggard
H. R. Haggard4
: something that resembles a moon: such as
a
: a highly translucent (see translucent sense 1) spot on old porcelain
b
: lunule
c
slang
: naked buttocks
5
: something impossible or inaccessible
reach for the moon
mooned; mooning; moons
1
: to spend in idle reverie : dream
—used with away
mooned the afternoon away
2
slang
: to expose one's naked buttocks to
One of the boys mooned the crowd.
: to spend time in idle reverie : behave abstractedly
fans mooning over movie stars
Synonyms
Examples of moon in a Sentence
Noun
The telescope makes the craters on the surface of the moon incredibly clear.
the orbit of the Moon around the Earth
Europa and Io are both moons of Jupiter.
a planet orbited by one moon
Verb
One of the boys mooned the crowd.
One of the boys mooned at the crowd.
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Recent Examples on the WebMaggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2023
There will also be an opportunity for people to touch a moon jelly, and a member of the husbandry staff will lead the tour, Castillo said.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2023
But distinct heavenly lights -- sun, moon, and stars -- did not come until the fourth.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 28 Sep. 2023
The radio telescope is on track to launch atop Blue Ghost, private space company Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander, as part of the company’s second moon excursion.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Sep. 2023
That includes collaborating with Japan’s MMX mission, which will launch next year to visit the Martian moon Phobos and return a sample in 2029.
—WIRED, 26 Sep. 2023
Some observations in recent years have suggested that, much like Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus, Europa may shoot plumes of salty water out into space, which would allow nearby spacecraft to directly sample it.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2023
Biden also congratulated Modi on India's recent moon landing.
—Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2023
The name comes from the Greek goddess Artemis, sister of Apollo, namesake for America’s first moon program.
—Lee Roop | Lroop@al.com, al, 8 Sep. 2023
Lauren O’Neill, Vogue, 17 July 2023
His running commentary was informative and funny, helping fill in the story of the landscape and of its stranger features—like the many rafters who kept mooning the train.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 July 2023
Leon continued the post, adding a shot of herself mooning the camera in the catsuit while posing with her label-mate Sammy before adding a final clip of herself doing sultry poses on a glowing dance floor.
—Zizi Strater, Peoplemag, 17 May 2023
Unfortunately, there is a fair bit of mooning on the part of both Will and Summer.
—The Rachel Weisz Gay Index, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2023
There are some quirky moments with the various surrealists — André Breton, Max Ernst and Hans Bellmer get the greatest spotlight — mooning around the Villa, saying bizarre things and celebrating holidays in weird ways.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2023
An unruly passenger flying from Ireland to New York earlier this month got into trouble after allegedly creating multiple disturbances, going so far as to moon a flight attendant and throw an empty can at another passenger.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2022
Bart, meanwhile, makes a statement by pulling down his leather and denim trousers to moon the audience.
—CNN, 4 Oct. 2021
Incredibly, #MeToo Marilyn, her body posed tilting slightly forward, will even be positioned to moon the museum.
—Christopher Knight Art Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2021
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Noun
The Best Paint Color for Your Zodiac Sign, According to an Astrologer
Why are moon motifs so popular right now?
—Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2023
There will also be an opportunity for people to touch a moon jelly, and a member of the husbandry staff will lead the tour, Castillo said.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2023
But distinct heavenly lights -- sun, moon, and stars -- did not come until the fourth.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 28 Sep. 2023
The radio telescope is on track to launch atop Blue Ghost, private space company Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander, as part of the company’s second moon excursion.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Sep. 2023
That includes collaborating with Japan’s MMX mission, which will launch next year to visit the Martian moon Phobos and return a sample in 2029.
—WIRED, 26 Sep. 2023
Some observations in recent years have suggested that, much like Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus, Europa may shoot plumes of salty water out into space, which would allow nearby spacecraft to directly sample it.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2023
Biden also congratulated Modi on India's recent moon landing.
—Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2023
The name comes from the Greek goddess Artemis, sister of Apollo, namesake for America’s first moon program.
—Lee Roop | Lroop@al.com, al, 8 Sep. 2023
Verb
But unfortunately for me, George Eliot doesn’t at any point go off on one about Dorothea’s potentially problematic drinking, nor does Daphne du Maurier’s titular heroine moon a TV camera by inelegantly sliding down a fire station pole.
—Lauren O’Neill, Vogue, 17 July 2023
His running commentary was informative and funny, helping fill in the story of the landscape and of its stranger features—like the many rafters who kept mooning the train.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 14 July 2023
Leon continued the post, adding a shot of herself mooning the camera in the catsuit while posing with her label-mate Sammy before adding a final clip of herself doing sultry poses on a glowing dance floor.
—Zizi Strater, Peoplemag, 17 May 2023
Unfortunately, there is a fair bit of mooning on the part of both Will and Summer.
—The Rachel Weisz Gay Index, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2023
There are some quirky moments with the various surrealists — André Breton, Max Ernst and Hans Bellmer get the greatest spotlight — mooning around the Villa, saying bizarre things and celebrating holidays in weird ways.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2023
An unruly passenger flying from Ireland to New York earlier this month got into trouble after allegedly creating multiple disturbances, going so far as to moon a flight attendant and throw an empty can at another passenger.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2022
Bart, meanwhile, makes a statement by pulling down his leather and denim trousers to moon the audience.
—CNN, 4 Oct. 2021
Incredibly, #MeToo Marilyn, her body posed tilting slightly forward, will even be positioned to moon the museum.
—Christopher Knight Art Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moon.' 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 and Verb
Middle English mone, from Old English mōna; akin to Old High German māno moon, Latin mensis month, Greek mēn month, mēnē moon
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1836, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of moon was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing moon
Dictionary Entries Near moon
Cite this Entry
“Moon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moon. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
moon
1 of 2 noun1
a
: the earth's natural satellite that shines by reflecting light from the sun and revolves about the earth in about 29½ days
2
: an unspecified and usually long period of time
took many moons to complete
moonless
adjective
-ləs
moon
2 of 2 verb
: to spend time daydreaming
Medical Definition
moon
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on moon
Nglish: Translation of moon for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of moon for Arabic Speakers
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