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mote

noun
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\ ˈmōt How to pronounce mote (audio) \

Definition of mote

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a small particle : speck motes danced in the shafts of sunlight— Margaret Kennedy

mote

auxiliary verb

Definition of mote (Entry 2 of 2)

archaic
: may, might
Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about mote

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Examples of mote in a Sentence

Noun there's not a mote of dirt in that woman's house
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Researchers find binary star systems fascinating because of their turbulent gravitational environments, which complicate how planets clump up from motes of interstellar dust. — Michael Greshko, National Geographic, "The real science inspired by 'Star Wars'," 1 Dec. 2019 Forget the Super Mario Galaxy gimmick where a second player can aim a Wii-mote and point at shiny stars. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Gears 5 review: An obvious gaming recommendation—if you already paid for it," 10 Sep. 2019 The work, published Wednesday in Science Advances, also provides more evidence that motes of plastic are likely constantly circulating in the atmosphere, underscoring just how ubiquitous the plastic pollution problem is. — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, "Airborne Plastic Is Blowing All the Way to the Arctic," 14 Aug. 2019 Every dust mote, every linoleum scuff and porcelain glint has been crafted with breathtaking care. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Review: Woody and Buzz are back and better than ever," 20 June 2019 Check out the mote notable player reactions to Durant's injury below. — Michael Shapiro, SI.com, "Dwyane Wade, NBA Stars React to Kevin Durant NBA Finals Injury," 10 June 2019 Plus Facebook has a strong interest in gaming and the reputation for going out and spending big on companies that can help expand its social networking mote. — Theodore Schleifer, Recode, "Who could buy Discord? Acquirers have been giving the gaming startup a long look.," 21 Nov. 2018 Vanquished enemies drop motes of light, which players race to collect and bank at a central console. — Aaron Zimmerman, Ars Technica, "Destiny 2: Forsaken review: Hallelujah, Destiny’s back," 19 Sep. 2018 The more motes you bank at once, the bigger the blocker. — Aaron Zimmerman, Ars Technica, "Destiny 2: Forsaken review: Hallelujah, Destiny’s back," 19 Sep. 2018

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

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First Known Use of mote

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Auxiliary verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for mote

Noun

Middle English mot, from Old English; akin to Middle Dutch & Frisian mot sand

Auxiliary verb

Middle English, from Old English mōtan to be allowed to — more at must

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Time Traveler for mote

Time Traveler

The first known use of mote was before the 12th century

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Statistics for mote

Last Updated

29 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Mote.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mote. Accessed 27 January 2020.

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More Definitions for mote

mote

noun
How to pronounce mote (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of mote

old-fashioned : a very small piece of dust, dirt, etc.

See the full definition for mote in the English Language Learners Dictionary

mote

noun
\ ˈmōt How to pronounce mote (audio) \

Kids Definition of mote

: a small particle : speck a mote of dust

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More from Merriam-Webster on mote

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mote

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with mote

Spanish Central: Translation of mote

Nglish: Translation of mote for Spanish Speakers

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