mule

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈmyül 

1

a

: a hybrid between a horse and a donkey

especially : the offspring of a male donkey and a mare

b

: a self-sterile plant whether hybrid or not

c

: a usually sterile hybrid

2

: a very stubborn person

3

: a machine for simultaneously drawing and twisting fiber into yarn or thread and winding it into cops

4

slang : a person who smuggles or delivers illicit substances (such as drugs)

mule

2 of 3

noun (2)

: a shoe or slipper without quarter or heel strap compare scuff

mule

3 of 3

noun (3)

variants or less commonly Mule

plural mules also Mules

: moscow mule

The marvelous take on a classic mule swaps ginger beer for ginger kombucha … for a crisp, fresh-tasting award-worthy cocktail …

—PR Newswire

Examples of mule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The two-wagon set was one of five constructed and used between 1883 and 1898, when 18 mules and two horses were used to pull two large wagons that transported sodium borate 165 miles from Death Valley to a Mojave station. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024

Toast with a Mexican beer, house margarita or Mexican mule, any of which come with your meal. —Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 14 May 2024

Try outfits like the previously mentioned above with a comfortable vest and loose trousers or a satin button-down over a pair of slacks and a low-heeled mule. —Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 14 May 2024

There are the brand’s popular clogs, as well as pool-ready slides, supportive mules, and adorable Jibbitz charms. —Jamie Allison Sanders, Peoplemag, 9 May 2024

Gerber wore a light gray long-sleeve with a charcoal gray midi slip skirt and white open-toed mules. —Vogue, 9 Apr. 2024

The straight-leg cut also makes these jeans versatile enough to pair with nearly any type of shoe, from chunky mules and penny loafers to leather sandals or heeled clogs. —Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 30 Mar. 2024

All drinks are $16, except at happy hour, which runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and includes $8 martinis, Manhattans, Fitzgeralds and mules. —Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024

As a Topper to a Little Black Dress Offset the little black dress and its ladylike accents—an organza head scarf, dainty python handbag and midi mules—with a boxy, waxy design in an olive green. —Sarah Zendejas, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French mul, from Latin mulus

Noun (2)

Middle French, a kind of slipper, from Latin mulleus shoe worn by magistrates

Noun (3)

short for moscow mule

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1562, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1996, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing mule

• (as) stubborn as a mule
• Moscow mule
• mule deer
• mule skinner

Kids Definition

mule

1 of 2 noun

ˈmyü(ə)l 

1

: the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey

especially : the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse

2

: a very stubborn person

3

: a machine that draws and twists fiber into yarn or thread and winds it onto spindles

mule

2 of 2 noun

: a shoe or slipper that is open at the heel

Etymology

Noun

Middle English mule "the offspring of a donkey and a horse," from early French mul (same meaning), from Latin multus (same meaning)

Noun

from early French mule "slipper," from mulleus "a shoe worn by public officials"

Medical Definition

mule

noun

ˈmyü(ə)l 

: a hybrid between a horse and a donkey

especially : the offspring of a male donkey and a mare