mole

== English == === Etymology 1 === From Middle English mole, mool, from Old English māl (“a mole, spot, mark, blemish”), from Proto-West Germanic *mail, from Proto-Germanic *mailą (“spot, wrinkle”), from Proto-Indo-European *mel-, *melw- (“dark, dirty”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey-, *my- (“to soil, sully”). Cognate with Scots mail (“spot, stain”), Saterland Frisian Moal (“scar”), German dialectal Meil (“spot, stain, blemish”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌻 (mail, “spot, blemish”). ==== Pronunciation ==== (UK) IPA(key): /məʊl/, /mɔʊl/ (Estuary English) IPA(key): /mɒʊl/ (General American) IPA(key): /mol/, /moʊl/ Rhymes: -əʊl ==== Noun ==== mole (plural moles) A naevus, a pigmented, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy spot on the skin. ===== Synonyms ===== birthmark nevus, naevus, nævus ===== Related terms ===== beauty mark ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English molle, molde, mole (“mole”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *mol(h), from Proto-Germanic *mulaz, *mulhaz (“mole, salamander”), from Proto-Indo-European *molg-, *molk- (“slug, salamander”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)melw- (“to grind, crush, beat”). Cognate with North Frisian mull (“mole”), Saterland Frisian Molle (“mole”), Dutch mol (“mole”), German Low German Mol, Mul, Mull (“mole”), German Molch (“salamander, newt”), Old Russian смолжь (smolžʹ, “snail”), Czech mlž (“clam”). Derivation as an abbreviation of Middle English molewarpe, a variation of moldewarpe, moldwerp (“mole”) in Middle English is unexplained and probably unlikely due to the simultaneous occurrence of both words. See mouldwarp. ==== Alternative forms ==== (noun: animal): mool, moule, mowle, mold (obsolete) ==== Pronunciation ==== (UK) IPA(key): /məʊl/ (Estuary English) IPA(key): /mɒʊl/ (General American) IPA(key): /mol/, /moʊl/ Rhymes: -əʊl ==== Noun ==== mole (plural moles) Any of several small, burrowing, insectivorous mammals of the family Talpidae. Any of the burrowing rodents also called mole-rats. (espionage) An internal spy; a person who involves themself with an enemy organisation, especially an intelligence or governmental organisation, to determine and betray its secrets from within. A kind of self-propelled excavator used to form underground drains, or to clear underground pipelines. A type of underground drain used in farm fields, in which a mole plow creates an unlined channel through clay subsoil. ===== Synonyms ===== molewarp mouldwarp (any of family Talpidae): talpid ===== Derived terms ===== * Entry has derived terms ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== mole (third-person singular simple present moles, present participle moling, simple past and past participle moled) (transitive) To create a network of channels in (waterlogged soil) to improve drainage. === Etymology 3 === From moll (from Moll, an archaic nickname for Mary), influenced by the spelling of the word mole (“an internal spy”), and due to /mɒl/ and /məʊl/ merging as [ˈmɔʊɫ] in the Australian accent. ==== Pronunciation ==== (General Australian) IPA(key): /məʉl/, [ˈmɔʊɫ] Rhymes: -əʊl ==== Noun ==== mole (plural moles) (slang, derogatory, chiefly Australia and New Zealand) A moll, a bitch, a slut. ===== Synonyms ===== moll ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 4 === From French môle or Latin mōles (“mass, heap, rock”). ==== Pronunciation ==== (UK) IPA(key): /məʊl/ (General American) IPA(key): /mol/, /moʊl/ Rhymes: -əʊl ==== Noun ==== mole (plural moles) (nautical) A massive structure, usually of stone, used as a pier, breakwater or junction between places separated by water. (rare) A haven or harbour, protected with such a breakwater. (historical) An Ancient Roman mausoleum. ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 5 === Calqued from German Mol; spelled as if it had come directly from molecule or Latin moles (the ultimate source of Mol and molecule in any event). ==== Alternative forms ==== mol (dated) ==== Pronunciation ==== (UK) IPA(key): /məʊl/ (General American) IPA(key): /mol/, /moʊl/ Rhymes: -əʊl ==== Noun ==== mole (plural moles) (chemistry, physics) In the International System of Units, the base unit of amount of substance; the amount of substance of a system which contains exactly 6.02214076×1023 elementary entities (atoms, ions, molecules, etc.). Symbol: mol. The number of atoms is known as Avogadro’s number. [from 1897] ===== Hyponyms ===== gram molecule gram atom ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 6 === In English since before the 20th century. From French môle f, from Latin mola (“millstone”), because it is a hardened mass. ==== Pronunciation ==== (UK) IPA(key): /məʊl/ (General American) IPA(key): /mol/, /moʊl/ Rhymes: -əʊl ==== Noun ==== mole (plural moles) A hemorrhagic mass of tissue in the uterus caused by a dead ovum. ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 7 === From Spanish mole, from Classical Nahuatl mōlli (“sauce; stew; something ground”). ==== Alternative forms ==== molé ==== Pronunciation ==== (General American) IPA(key): /ˈmoʊleɪ/, /ˈmoʊli/ ==== Noun ==== mole (countable and uncountable, plural moles) Any of several spicy sauces typical of the cuisine of Mexico and neighboring Central America countries, especially one that contains chocolate and is used in cooking main dishes, not desserts. ===== Translations ===== === References === === Anagrams === melo-, Melo, elmo, Elmo, melo, moel, Lomé == Central Franconian == === Etymology === From Old High German mālōn, mālēn, denominative of māl (“spot, stain”), from Proto-West Germanic *mālijan, from Proto-Germanic *mēlijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“dark color”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈmɔːlə/ === Verb === mole (third-person singular present molt, past participle jemolt) (most dialects) to paint, draw, depict === See also === mahle == Chavacano == === Etymology === Inherited from Spanish moler (“to grind”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /moˈle/, [moˈle] Hyphenation: mo‧le === Verb === molé to mill; to grind == Danish == === Etymology === From French môle. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /moːlə/, [ˈmoːlə] === Noun === mole c (singular definite molen, plural indefinite moler) mole, breakwater pier, jetty ==== Inflection ==== == Esperanto == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈmole/ Rhymes: -ole Syllabification: mo‧le === Adverb === mole softly ==== Antonyms ==== malmole ==== Related terms ==== mola (“soft”) == French == === Etymology === Borrowed from German Mol. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /mɔl/ === Noun === mole f (plural moles) (chemistry, physics) mole === Further reading === “mole”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Galician == === Verb === mole third-person singular present indicative of mulir == Italian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈmɔ.le/ Rhymes: -ɔle Hyphenation: mò‧le === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from German Mol. ==== Noun ==== mole f (plural moli) (chemistry, physics) mole Synonym: grammo-molecola ===== Derived terms ===== millimole molare === Etymology 2 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Noun ==== mole plural of mola === Anagrams === elmo, melo, mélo == Latin == === Etymology 1 === ==== Verb ==== mole second-person singular present active imperative of molō === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== mōle f ablative singular of mōlēs == Lower Sorbian == === Noun === mole superseded spelling of móle == Middle English == === Noun === mole alternative form of molle (“mole”) == Polish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈmɔ.lɛ/ Rhymes: -ɔlɛ Syllabification: mo‧le === Noun === mole m animal nominative/accusative/vocative plural of mól === Noun === mole m inan nominative/accusative/vocative plural of mol == Portuguese == === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: mo‧le === Etymology 1 === From Old Galician-Portuguese mole, from Latin mollis, earlier *molduis, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dus (“soft, weak”). ==== Adjective ==== mole m or f (plural moles, comparable, comparative mais mole, superlative o mais mole or molíssimo, diminutive molinho, augmentative molão) soft (informal) easy ===== Derived terms ===== molemente ===== Related terms ===== moleza molhar === Etymology 2 === Learned borrowing from Latin mōlēs. Doublet of mó, an inheritance. ==== Noun ==== mole f (plural moles) mass === Etymology 3 === ==== Noun ==== mole f (plural moles) European Portuguese standard form of mol === Etymology 4 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Noun ==== mole m (plural moles) alternative form of molhe (breakwater) === Further reading === “mole”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “mole”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Serbo-Croatian == === Verb === mole (Cyrillic spelling моле) third-person plural present of moliti == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈmole/ [ˈmo.le] Rhymes: -ole Syllabification: mo‧le === Etymology 1 === Semi-learned borrowing from Latin mollis. Doublet of muelle. ==== Adjective ==== mole m or f (masculine and feminine plural moles) soft, mild Synonym: muelle === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from Latin mōlēs. ==== Noun ==== mole f (plural moles) hunk, chunk, slab (thing of large size or quantity) massiveness === Etymology 3 === Borrowed from Classical Nahuatl mōlli (“sauce, something ground”). ==== Noun ==== mole m (plural moles) (Mexico) mole, a type of stew ===== Derived terms ===== === Etymology 4 === ==== Verb ==== mole inflection of molar: first/third-person singular present subjunctive third-person singular imperative === Further reading === “mole”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Tagalog == === Etymology 1 === Borrowed from Spanish moler, from Latin molere. ==== Alternative forms ==== mule muli ==== Pronunciation ==== (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /moˈle/ [moˈlɛ] Rhymes: -e Syllabification: mo‧le ==== Noun ==== molé (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜎᜒ) grinding chocolate with a metate and mano grinding (in general) Synonym: giling ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== ==== Adjective ==== molé (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜎᜒ) ground fine (as done to chocolate tablets) === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from Spanish mole, from Classical Nahuatl mōlli. ==== Pronunciation ==== (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /ˈmole/ [ˈmoː.lɛ] Rhymes: -ole Syllabification: mo‧le ==== Noun ==== mole (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜓᜎᜒ) mole (sauce) === Further reading === “mole”, in KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2025 “mule”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, 2018 English, Leo James (1987), Tagalog-English dictionary, Manila, Philippines: National Book Store, →ISBN, page 918 Cuadrado Muñiz, Adolfo (1972), Hispanismos en el tagalo: diccionario de vocablos de origen español vigentes en esta lengua filipina, Madrid: Oficina de Educación Iberoamericana, page 404 == Zayse-Zergulla == === Noun === mole fish === References === Takács, Gábor (2007), Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 397, →ISBN: “Zayse mo'le” Linda Jordan, A study of Shara and related Ometo speech varieties (Zergulla mòlɛ́)