mouse Meaning & Definition
What Does Mouse Mean?
As a noun, mouse means Any mammal of the many rodent families (especially Muridae) that have a small body and a long tail. It can also mean Such a rodent that is of the genus Mus. As a verb, it means To move cautiously or furtively, in the manner of a mouse (the rodent) (frequently used in the phrasal verb to mouse around).
Mouse at a Glance
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //maʊs// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | creep, sneak and pussyfoot |
| Plural | mice |
| Verb forms | mouses, mousing, moused |
Mouse Definition (Noun)
- Any mammal of the many rodent families (especially Muridae) that have a small body and a long tail.
She's probably hiding in her room, she always does when we have company. She's our little mouse.
- Such a rodent that is of the genus Mus.
- A quiet or shy person.
She's probably hiding in her room, she always does when we have company. She's our little mouse.
- A familiar term of endearment.
- An input device that is moved over a pad or other flat surface to produce a corresponding movement of a pointer on a graphical display.
My mouse needs new batteries.
- An on-screen pointer controlled by a mouse device.
Move the mouse over the icon.
- A facial hematoma or black eye.
- A turn or lashing of spun yarn or small stuff, or a metallic clasp or fastening, uniting the point and shank of a hook to prevent its unhooking or straightening out.
- A match used in firing guns or blasting.
- A small model of (a fragment of) Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory with desirable properties (depending on the context).
- A small cushion for a woman's hair.
- Part of a hind leg of beef, next to the round.
Mouse as a Verb
- To move cautiously or furtively, in the manner of a mouse (the rodent) (frequently used in the phrasal verb to mouse around).
- To hunt or catch mice (the rodents), usually of cats.
- To close the mouth of a hook by a careful binding of marline or wire.
Captain Higgins moused the hook with a bit of marline to prevent the block beckets from falling out under slack.
- To navigate by means of a computer mouse.
- To tear, as a cat devours a mouse.
Noun
- Any small rodent of the genus Mus.
- A member of the many small rodent and marsupial species resembling such a rodent.
- (plural mice or, rarely, mouses) An input device that is moved over a pad or other flat surface to produce a corresponding movement of a pointer on a graphical display.
- Hematoma.
Synonyms of Mouse
Mouse synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Mouse
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Mouse in a Sentence
She's probably hiding in her room, she always does when we have company. She's our little mouse.
My mouse needs new batteries.
Move the mouse over the icon.
Captain Higgins moused the hook with a bit of marline to prevent the block beckets from falling out under slack.
Word Forms & Grammar
mouse (plural mice or (computing) mouses)
mouse (third-person singular simple present mouses, present participle mousing, simple past and past participle moused)
Words That Rhyme With Mouse
Origin of Mouse
Origin 1: Inherited from Middle English mous, from Old English mūs, from Proto-West Germanic *mūs, from Proto-Germanic *mūs, from Proto-Indo-European *múHs.
Origin 2: The computing sense was coined by American engineer Bill English in 1965 and first used publicly in a publication titled "Computer-Aided Display Control", in reference to the similarity with the animal.
Mouse Pronunciation
Mouse is pronounced //maʊs// and has 1 syllable.
Questions People Ask About Mouse
Is mouse a noun or a verb?
Mouse is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for mouse?
Words with a similar meaning to mouse include creep, sneak and pussyfoot. See the full list of mouse synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of mouse?
The plural of mouse is mice.
What is the past tense of mouse?
The past tense of mouse is moused. The present participle is mousing.