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
Other notable wildlife species include the Olympic marmot, Olympic snow mole and Olympic torrent salamander, which aren’t found anywhere else in the world. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 Thankfully, the changes Vance instituted to flush out an NCIS mole — Ziva to Israel! Sara Netzley, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 While their slimy coatings deter some would-be-predators, raccoons, opossums, snakes, moles, toads, shrews, turtles, ground beetles, and birds, such as ducks, starlings, and thrushes, devour them with gusto. Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 29 Feb. 2024 Her specialties include acne, moles, skin cancer, and eczema. Cathryne Keller, SELF, 26 Feb. 2024 Bennett was diagnosed with melanoma in 2011 after his daughter noticed a suspicious mole on his neck that had changed color. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 16 Feb. 2024 The novel, non-invasive genomic approach to detecting skin cancer relies on a smart sticker that is placed on a mole or dark skin patch. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2024 López Nájera quickly established his bona fides with the Americans, telling them the Beltrán Leyva gang had planted a mole inside the embassy. Tim Golden, ProPublica, 31 Jan. 2024 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

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 28 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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