mud

1 of 2

noun

1
: a slimy sticky mixture of solid material with a liquid and especially water
especially : soft wet earth
2
: abusive and malicious remarks or charges
political campaigners slinging mud at each other
3
: anathema sense 1a
usually used in the phrase one's name is mud
4
: a mixture of water, clay, and chemicals used in oil-well drilling and having various functions (such as lubrication and cooling of the bit and flushing of rock particles to the surface)

mud

2 of 2

verb

mudded; mudding

transitive verb

1
: to make muddy or turbid
2
: to treat or plaster with mud

Examples of mud in a Sentence

Noun He tracked mud into the house. The car was stuck in the mud.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Even direct contact with river mud is a risk, the state health department warns. Lulu Ramadan, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2023 An invasive New Zealand mud snail has been discovered in Lake Tahoe. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023 The ground was torn up and turned to mud, which indicated a strong possibility of a fight. Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 21 Sep. 2023 Back at al-Fanar street, a man calls for help to dig out the bodies of four children from under the mud. Sarah El Sirgany, CNN, 16 Sep. 2023 Belichick said that no one wants to play in the mud or with inconsistent field conditions. Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023 Someone had daubed the date in mud with their finger; an attempt to mark a moment in time. Richard Fisher, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023 Last year, a month of rain leading up to the festival turned access roads into mud pits, exacerbating the already difficult logistics of the site’s remote forest location. Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Sep. 2023 Tarek’s bare feet are covered in mud from walking through the side streets helping neighbors go through the wreckage of their homes. Sarah El Sirgany, CNN, 16 Sep. 2023
Verb
Navigating technical terrain that can change from slick rock to loose dirt to mud over the course of a run requires a sense of groundedness in your feet, and the Speedgoat 5 delivers on that with a new-and-improved outsole that uses Vibram® Megagrip and Traction Lug technology for tacky traction. Outside Online, 25 Mar. 2022 Across from Eichhorn’s house, neighbors on lower ground saw water up to their car door handles, mud several feet deep and parts of the hillside collapsing onto the street. Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2023 The ground, not yet frozen, has turned to mud, sticking to uniforms and weapons and ensnaring vehicles, military, and civilian alike. Matthew Mpoke Bigg, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2022 The ground, not yet frozen, has turned to mud, sticking to uniforms and weapons and ensnaring vehicles, military and civilian alike. Matthew Mpoke Bigg, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2022 Before the weather in Ukraine turns bitterly cold, the challenge for both sides is fall rain that turns fields and many roads to mud. Daniel Michaels, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2022 The instructions for how to mud a baseball are Talmudic. New York Times, 26 July 2022 As temperatures fall, waves of chilling rain follow, dissolving roads and fields, turning them to mud that mires men and equipment. Matthew Luxmoore, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2022 Elephants use their trunks to throw dirt and mud onto their bodies, providing protection from the sun and from bugs. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Oct. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mud.' 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

Middle English mudde, probably from Middle Low German

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mud was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mud

Cite this Entry

“Mud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mud. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

mud

noun
ˈməd
: soft wet earth

More from Merriam-Webster on mud

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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