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mullet

noun
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mul·​let | \ ˈmə-lət How to pronounce mullet (audio) \
plural mullet or mullets

Definition of mullet

1 : any of a family (Mugilidae) of chiefly marine bony fishes with an elongate rather stout body — compare goatfish, red mullet
2 [perhaps short for mullethead blockhead] : a hairstyle in which the hair is short on the sides and top and long at the back

Illustration of mullet

Illustration of mullet

mullet 1

Examples of mullet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Big cats, an unsolved mystery, a murder-for-hire plot and a zoo owner with a mullet. — Lisa Respers France, CNN, "2020 pop culture moments you may have forgotten," 31 Dec. 2020 At the heart of the seven-part series was a convoluted feud between Joe Exotic, a flamboyant, mullet-sporting Oklahoman zookeeper, and a goggle-eyed Florida animal rescuer named Carole Baskin. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "The Year in Quarantine Viewing," 30 Dec. 2020 Fans were particularly intrigued by his bold new mullet. — Liam Hess, Vogue, "Kacey Musgraves and Troye Sivan’s “Easy” Video Is a Dive Bar Dream," 10 Dec. 2020 The mullet-sporting fullback is a grad transfer from Kentucky, who turned down a six-figure salary to play rugby in South Africa out of high school and scouts mid-major basketball prospects in his down time. — Rusty Simmons, SFChronicle.com, "Meet Cal’s fullback: A mullet-sporting, rugby-playing future alpaca farmer," 11 Dec. 2020 Tossing a mullet will occur from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday. — al, "Everything you need to know about flinging a dead fish into Alabama," 23 Oct. 2020 Wolfe has a penchant for wearing jean shorts and occasionally sports a mullet, but offsets this quirky style with a quiet personality and general dislike for attention. — Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, "This Ultra-Runner Is on a Quest to Persistence-Hunt a Pronghorn," 23 Nov. 2020 This commitment to the mullet marks a dramatic hair switch-up for the singer. — Bianca Betancourt, Harper's BAZAAR, "Rihanna Is Really Determined to Make the Mullet Happen," 19 Nov. 2020 In the snap, Tim is seen rocking his signature early-'90s ‘do—a curly mullet—while staring wide-eyed into the camera. — Rebecca Norris, Country Living, "Fans Are Bombarding Tim McGraw With Comments After He Posted a Throwback Photo on Instagram," 3 Oct. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mullet.' 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 mullet

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for mullet

Middle English molet, from Anglo-French mulet, from Latin mullus red mullet, from Greek myllos

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Time Traveler for mullet

Time Traveler

The first known use of mullet was in the 14th century

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Statistics for mullet

Last Updated

10 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Mullet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mullet. Accessed 15 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for mullet

mullet

noun
How to pronounce mullet (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of mullet

: a type of fish that lives in the ocean and is often eaten as food
: a hairstyle in which the hair is short on the top and sides and long in the back

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

mullet

noun
mul·​let | \ ˈmə-lət How to pronounce mullet (audio) \

Kids Definition of mullet

: any of various chiefly saltwater fishes some mostly gray ( gray mullets ) and others red or golden ( red mullets ) that are often used as food

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More from Merriam-Webster on mullet

Nglish: Translation of mullet for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of mullet for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mullet

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