as in specks
a very small piece
there's not a mote of dirt in that woman's house
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Recent Examples of motes
Tiny bugs float in the sun like dust motes, and there are graceful flies large enough to require a runway landing.
—
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Sunbeams through the windows illuminate floating dust motes—and, imperceptibly, microdroplets of mucus carrying the measles virus, expelled from an infected but asymptomatic child who is hopping and laughing among the others.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
Easily swept up by wind and carried long distances by water, these tiny motes are also exceedingly difficult to detect and almost impossible to remove from the environment.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s a Gambit-adjacent one that has players depositing motes while killing other teams.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The sensors’ small size allows seamless integration into almost any environment, while the wireless, modular design lets motes be added or removed as needed depending on the application.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2025
Powering and recording signals from multiple motes will require new techniques and better signal processing.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2016
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
Sunbeams through the windows illuminate floating dust motes—and, imperceptibly, microdroplets of mucus carrying the measles virus, expelled from an infected but asymptomatic child who is hopping and laughing among the others.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
Easily swept up by wind and carried long distances by water, these tiny motes are also exceedingly difficult to detect and almost impossible to remove from the environment.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s a Gambit-adjacent one that has players depositing motes while killing other teams.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The sensors’ small size allows seamless integration into almost any environment, while the wireless, modular design lets motes be added or removed as needed depending on the application.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2025
Powering and recording signals from multiple motes will require new techniques and better signal processing.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motes
Noun
-
Most astronomers now agree that each of these minuscule crimson specks—which bear a striking resemblance to enormous, faraway stars—actually has a burgeoning black hole at its center.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
27 May 2026
-
As in Kourliandski’s quartet, specks and splatters of sound are interspersed with silences.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Seasonal allergies are primarily caused by trees and grasses, whose tiny pollen particles travel on the wind.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
-
The experiment produced nanophase iron, tiny metallic particles that are widely observed in lunar soil and are considered a key signature of space weathering.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
From the train windows, expect to spot the aquamarine waves of Ligurian Sea crashing against the stony coast, candy-colored houses huddled together on the hillsides, tiny wooden boats gliding through village harbors, and flecks of golden-sand beaches.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 June 2026
-
The light had a wintry grain, with flecks of color suspended in it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Now, though, scientists have discovered bits of tissue removed from a species of sea cucumber called Psolus fabricii can keep on living indefinitely if they’re left in ordinary seawater.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
-
Just non-stop dribbles, counter-attacks, through balls, amazing finishes… all of football’s good bits.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Improved nutrition and ingredient quality Fresh dog food typically uses ingredients that pet owners recognize, such as chicken, broccoli or grains.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
Use whole grains like millet, farro, or bulgur as a base in your grain bowl or as a side dish, rather than using refined grains like white rice.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
It has already been hastily extended with short-term patches twice this year.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Security teams would discover flaws in their software, vendors would bundle fixes into periodic updates, and companies would decide when to install those patches—often weekly, monthly, or even quarterly.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Living systems invest energy into making molecules that serve specific functions, even when those molecules are complex and harder to form.—
Gideon Yoffe,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
-
Sodium bicarbonate neutralizes odor molecules.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Grease, food scraps, soap residue, and other debris can build up inside pipes, restricting water flow.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
10 June 2026
-
There will be talks and demonstrations from growers, music and food (no tossing the plants any scraps, please) raffles and the sale of growing accessories.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motes. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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