mop

noun \ ˈmäp \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Examples: mop in a Sentence

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

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Recent Examples of mop from the Web

Firefighters in Santa Barbara County continued mop-up operations Sunday morning after battling a wildfire that destroyed about 20 structures, prompting hundreds of evacuations in Goleta over the weekend amid a brutal heat wave.

— andrea castillo, latimes.com, "Firefighters make significant progress in wildfires burning across Southern California," 8 July 2018
In a medium saucepan over high heat, whisk together all the mop ingredients and bring them to a boil.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Ribs 101: Pitmasters offer advice on cooking ribs," 1 July 2018
Today, Brown, who has a master’s degree in fine arts from The George Washington University, sports an exuberant mop of ombre curls.

— mary carole mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Artists explore American identity in Sondheim Artscape Prize exhibit," 21 June 2018
But fans were shocked when Brazilian playmaker sported an unruly mop of blonde hair for his nation's World Cup opener against Switzerland.

— SI.com, "Man Utd Legend Eric Cantona Imitates Neymar's New Haircut By Putting Spaghetti on His Head," 19 June 2018
Pete Davidson has a new fiancée, a possible new apartment and an entirely new look: Just a week after proposing to Ariana Grande after only a few weeks of dating, the star ditched his mop-top-esque hair and debuted a super-short buzz cut.

— jillian ruffo, PEOPLE.com, "Pete Davidson Gets Buzz Cut Following Ariana Grande Engagement News," 18 June 2018
Even as mop-up man, a pitcher who is a virtual lock to allow runs is taking up valuable space.

— kevin acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres notes: Mitchell's clock ticks; Reyes' bomb means something; Spangy absorbs inning," 6 June 2018
In a bid to clean up his mess, the head of a major European government reached for a mop - and started swiping at the spill.

— adam taylor, ajc, "Dutch leader mops up coffee he spilled and becomes a symbol of etiquette," 6 June 2018
On the mound: Artie Lewicki was tasked with mop-up duty, pitching 4⅓ innings.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers, Matthew Boyd swept out of Cleveland by Indians, 12-2," 24 June 2018

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

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First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Wash and mop the bathroom, scrubbing the sinks and toilets.

— BostonGlobe.com, "A migrant child’s days in detention included cleaning toilets," 14 July 2018
O’Keefe moped on the curb outside the school for a while before picking herself up and trudging along down Marguerite Drive, toward home.

— meagan flynn, Washington Post, "‘My killer was never found’: Police live tweet a murdered girl’s last day alive in 1973," 9 July 2018
And, honestly, Barack Obama gave a -- some really good messages in that speech, as Shelby said, about moping, about participating, getting involved.

— Fox News, "Former agent fires back at calls to abolish ICE," 30 June 2018
Muller lives and works in Slidell in the STARC bead department and St. Tammany Parish Schools mop contract department.

— carol wolfram, NOLA.com, "STARC royals shine at Starlight Ball in Slidell," 15 Apr. 2018
Twice the sweating, mopping, fanning throng burst into applause.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "July 11, 1925: Scopes trial begins," 11 July 2018
By the end of the episode, Moore is left dangling from the ceiling in a faux flaming moped.

— refinery29.com, "Why Younger Tackled #MeToo With Its Season Premiere," 6 June 2018
That’s particularly difficult for low-wage contract workers such as those who mop the floors, scrub the toilets and empty the trash in federal buildings.

— joe davidson, Washington Post, "Now another shutdown as some feds wait to be fully paid from the last one," 20 Jan. 2018
Earlier in the episode, LaMelo was shown moping in practice.

— andrew joseph, For The Win, "LaMelo Ball lashed out at his Lithuanian teammates after Borat-themed prank," 10 June 2018

First Known Use of mop

1709

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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MOP Defined for English Language Learners

mop

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