mole

1 of 6

noun (1)

: a pigmented spot, mark, or small permanent protuberance on the human body
especially : nevus

mole

2 of 6

noun (2)

1
: any of numerous burrowing insectivores (especially family Talpidae) with tiny eyes, concealed ears, and soft fur
2
: one who works in the dark
3
: a machine for tunneling
4
: a spy (such as a double agent) who establishes a cover long before beginning espionage
broadly : one within an organization who passes on information

mole

3 of 6

noun (3)

: an abnormal mass in the uterus especially when containing fetal tissues

mole

4 of 6

noun (4)

1
: a massive work formed of masonry and large stones or earth laid in the sea as a pier or breakwater
2
: the harbor formed by a mole

mole

5 of 6

noun (5)

variants or less commonly mol
plural moles
: the base unit of amount of pure substance in the International System of Units that is defined as having exactly 6.02214076 x 1023 indivisible units (such as atoms or molecules) of that substance
First you would need to measure out one mole of salt. Remember that one mole of a compound equals its relative molecular mass in grams, so to obtain one mole of sodium chloride you would weigh out 58.5 g …John Atkinson and Carol Hibbert
one mole of helium contains 4 grams

mole

6 of 6

noun (6)

mo·​le ˈmō-lā How to pronounce mole (audio)
: a spicy sauce made with chiles and usually chocolate and served with meat

Examples of mole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The melanoma was found after doctors removed several moles while performing reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy. Harold Maass, The Week Us, theweek, 22 Jan. 2024 Ferguson, 64, who was married to Prince Andrew, was treated for breast cancer last year and has now been diagnosed with malignant melanoma after several moles were removed. Reuters, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2024 Besides Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, last year saw the reemergence of the De Winton’s golden mole from South Africa, which had been hiding out for nearly a century. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 The scene may have been enough to set off another round of right-wing conspiracy theories about Ms. Swift, with her legion of devoted fans, being a Pentagon mole sent to influence this year’s presidential election. Billy Witz, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 For a nice sit-down meal, consider the housemade pastas at Donato Enoteca and mole enchiladas at Quinto Sol. Entertainment? Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2024 In 2023 that hope led to rediscoveries of animals that included Attenborough’s echidna, De Winton’s golden mole in South Africa and the Victorian grassland earless dragon, a type of Australian lizard that went unseen for half a century. Daniel Shailer, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024 The mole was a traditional chocolate color and had a slightly smokey flavor. Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2024 And avocado became avocado mole, a mixture of avocado. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English māl; akin to Old High German meil spot

Noun (2)

Middle English; akin to Middle Low German mol

Noun (3)

Middle English, from Latin mola mole, literally, mill, millstone — more at mill

Noun (4)

Middle French, from Old Italian molo, from Late Greek mōlos, from Latin moles, literally, mass, exertion; akin to Greek mōlos exertion

Noun (5)

German Mol, short for Molekulargewicht molecular weight, from molekular molecular + Gewicht weight

Noun (6)

Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl mōlli sauce

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

circa 1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (5)

1902, in the meaning defined above

Noun (6)

1882, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mole was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mole

Cite this Entry

“Mole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mole. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mole

1 of 3 noun
: a small usually brown and sometimes slightly raised permanent spot on the skin

mole

2 of 3 noun
: any of numerous burrowing mammals with tiny eyes, concealed ears, and soft fur that eat insects

mole

3 of 3 noun
: a pier made of heavy solid material (as concrete or stone) that protects a harbor from rough seas
Etymology

Noun

Old English māl "spot on the skin"

Noun

Middle English mole "burrowing animal"

Noun

from early French mole "stone pier," from early Italian molo (same meaning), derived from Latin moles, literally "a mass"

Medical Definition

mole

1 of 3 noun
: a pigmented spot, mark, or small permanent protuberance on the human body
especially : nevus

mole

2 of 3 noun
: an abnormal mass in the uterus:
a
: a blood clot containing a degenerated fetus and its membranes

mole

3 of 3 noun
variants also mol
: the base unit in the International System of Units for the amount of pure substance that contains the same number of elementary entities as there are atoms in exactly 12 grams of the isotope carbon 12
a mole of photons
a mole of sodium chloride

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