mullet

noun

mul·​let ˈmə-lət 

plural mullet or mullets

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

• mullet 1

Examples of mullet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On August 1, the 29-year-old actor best known for her role in 13 Reasons Why revealed an unreasonably cool pixie mullet on Instagram, courtesy of celebrity hair stylist Halley Brisker. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 2 Aug. 2025

At Anna Sui’s show a year later, Bella Hadid strutted down the runway in a spiky fuchsia mullet, while Kaia Gerber had a bruised blueish one to match. —Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 10 July 2025

The Umbro jumpers Liam used to wear have become coveted on Depop and the Gallaghers’ shaggy haircuts might be outpacing mullets as the do du jour in some major cities. —Paula Mejía, Vulture, 5 July 2025

What had fallen from the sky wasn’t a trout or a mullet. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mullet

• red mullet

Rhymes for mullet

• gullet
• rivulet

Kids Definition

mullet

noun

mul·​let ˈməl-ət 

plural mullet or mullets

: any of a family of mostly gray food fishes chiefly of salt water compare red mullet