mop

play

noun \ˈmäp\

Definition of mop

1 : an implement made of absorbent material fastened to a handle and used especially for cleaning floors
2 : something that resembles a mop; especially : a thick mass of hair

See mop defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of mop from the Web

Gru is initially jealous of Dru, who has the same beaky nose and Slavic-adjacent accent, but sports a Fabio-like mop of hair in lieu of a bald pate.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "'Despicable Me 3' is so bad it's almost unendurable", 29 June 2017
Lightly spray the racks with the mop, particularly the areas that are looking a little dry.

— louisa chu, chicagotribune.com, "5 essential elements of barbecue from master griller Jamie Purviance", 26 June 2017
The shower’s temperature controls were in an adjacent mop closet.

— julie k. brown, miamiherald, "As she mulls run for governor, Fernández Rundle rebuked by own party over Rainey case", 22 June 2017
Appears to be human caused, mop up underway, burned apx 1 acre. — Boise Fire Dept.

— nicole blanchard, idahostatesman, "Firefighters mopping up small human-caused brush fire in southeast Boise", 20 June 2017
Luckily, there are many inspired and beautifully executed bits: Broadway veteran Jennifer Cody slowly slipping on sardines into an acrobatic split; McNicholl pratfalling around a mop bucket.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "CT Rep's Uneven 'Noises Off' Is Exceptional", 19 June 2017
The Angels popped Young for four runs in the seventh as the 6-foot-10 right-hander spent another evening getting pummeled, soaking up innings as the Royals’ mop-up man turned occasional white flag.

— rustin dodd, kansascity.com, "Royals fall 9-0 to Angels as winning streak ends at six games", 17 June 2017
Bryan Gardner NYT Finding a grassy patch Grasslike mop tops, known as carex, are a gardener’s dream.

— martha stewart, star-telegram.com, "Contain your love of green things with a plan for potted plants", 15 June 2017
Tomanetz still works 30 hours a week for the maintenance department at Giddings High School, still wakes up well before dawn each Saturday and still shovels hot coal, mops smoked chickens and flips her pork steaks by hand.

— michael russell, OregonLive.com, "This 82-year-old woman makes the 'world's best barbecue'", 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mop'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mop

Middle English mappe

NEW!

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

mop

verb

Definition of mop

mopped

;

mopping

transitive verb
1 : to use a mop on; specifically : to clean or clear away by mopping mop the floors —often used with up mop up the spillage
2 : to wipe as if with a mop mopped his brow with a handkerchief
intransitive verb
: to clean a surface (such as a floor) with a mop

mopper

noun

See mop defined for English-language learners

Examples of mop in a Sentence

He mopped the sweat from his brow.

Recent Examples of mop from the Web

As fire crews mopped up in the aftermath, patrons at popular restaurants along 13th Street continued to dine al fresco.

— robert moran, Philly.com, "Firefighters tackle blaze at 12-story Walnut Square building in Center City", 5 July 2017
And as in that film, Affleck’s character spends the rest of the movie moping around and lashing out.

— christian lorentzen, New Republic, "The spirit of wounded masculinity haunts America in 'A Ghost Story.'", 5 July 2017
Lunches at the resort's poolside restaurant Ria begin with plump local olives and tender, herb-marinated carrots, plus bowlfuls of fragrant olive oil and tangy, spiced tomato spread waiting to be mopped up with pillowy, homemade bread.

— lindsay lambert day, Vogue, "Why Algarve, Portugal Should Be On Your Must-Visit List", 1 July 2017
José, 42, works year-round for a tobacco grower; his wife, Irma, 44, picks tobacco and also works at a local steakhouse, wiping down tables and mopping floors.

— jan hoffman, New York Times, "Unauthorized Immigrants Steer Clear of Medical Care", 26 June 2017
Firefighters were mopping up on the fire by 1:30 p.m., according to a Boise Fire Department tweet.

— nicole blanchard, idahostatesman, "Firefighters mopping up small human-caused brush fire in southeast Boise", 20 June 2017
As of about 10 p.m. authorities were on the scene mopping up.

— emily deruy, The Mercury News, "Grass fire burns along highway in Martinez", 16 June 2017
But AI and its wonky slant on social context serves only as an add-on to the tireless work being carried out by Facebook's 4,500-and-counting moderators who are tasked with having to mop up vile posts on the network.

— kelly fiveash, Ars Technica, "Facebook sics AI on terrorist posts, but humans still do the dirty work", 16 June 2017
Dillon Gee mopped up the final three innings, allowing two runs on four hits.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram.com, "Astros explode in sixth to salvage finale against Rangers", 14 June 2017

First Known Use of mop

1709

MOP Defined for English Language Learners

mop

play

noun

Definition of mop for English Language Learners

: a tool for cleaning floors that has a bundle of cloth or yarn or a sponge attached to a long handle
: a large amount of tangled or untidy hair on a person's head

mop

verb

Definition of mop for English Language Learners

: to clean (a floor) with a mop
: to wipe (something that is wet)
: to wipe (a liquid) from something

MOP Defined for Kids

mop

play

noun \ˈmäp\

Definition of mop for Students

1 : a tool for cleaning floors made of a bundle of cloth or yarn or a sponge fastened to a long handle
2 : something that looks like a cloth or yarn mop a mop of hair