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
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
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
-
Keep an eye out for tiny brown or orange specks, especially around door edges, undercarriage, and seams.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Keep an eye out for tiny brown or orange specks, especially around door edges, undercarriage and seams.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Humans can breathe them in via particles in the air or ingest them through food and water.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
-
There are many potential triggers that can cause these symptoms, including particles in the air such as mold spores, dust, and certain chemicals.—
Lindsay Dodgson,
SELF,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, scholars determined that the ancient off-white fluid was composed of calcite, huntite, and miniscule flecks of yellow orpiment, a highly toxic sulfide of arsenic that Egyptians also used in medicine to treat syphilis and malaria.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Loaded Mac fits its name with bacon bits, cheddar jack, blue cheese crumbles, green onions and sour cream.—
Lori Punko,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
-
During a May appointment, the mother reported finding bits of dog food in the child’s bowel movement.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In a wholesome video posted Friday (March 27) by Vogue, the boy band’s Jin, V and Jimin gather in a kitchen to prepare some janchi-guksu — a Korean noodle soup — and misugaru, a beverage made of powdered grains.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Constipation Increase your fiber intake with whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Acoustic and clean electric guitars, an electric piano, a clavinet, Mellotron patches, a nice acoustic piano, and a tonewheel organ are also available.—
Jamie Lendino,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Formulated with three powerful ingredients, these pads are designed to refine pores, soothe damaged skin and help fade the look of uneven patches.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The process causes a violent compression of air molecules that can heat the spacecraft’s exterior to more than 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius).—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Even amputated mating arms behaved the same way, responding to progesterone but not to other molecules.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rescuers believe the feline had spent over a decade outdoors, surviving harsh winters sustained on scraps from nearby residents.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
30 Mar. 2026
-
This is the first time the city’s office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency has offered assistance for organics recycling, which separates food scraps from other waste for processing into compost, a soil fertilizer.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motes. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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