Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MOURN'ING-DOVE, n.

A species of dove found in the United States, the Columba Carolinienisis.

MOURN'ING-LY, adv.

With the appearance of sorrow. Shak.

MOUSE, n. [plur. Mice; Sax. mus; Sw. mus; D. muis; G. maus; Dan. mus, muus; L. mus; Gr. μυς; Russ. mishe. The L. mus forms muris in the genitive, and the root is not obvious.]

1. A small animal of the genus Mus, inhabiting houses. The name is also applied to many other species of the genus, as the field mouse, meadow mouse, rock mouse, &c.
2. Among seamen, a knob formed on a rope by spun yarn or parceling. Mar. Dict.

MOUSE, v.i. [mouz.]

To catch mice. Shak.

MOUSE, v.t. [mous.]

To tear, as a cat devours a mouse. To mouse a hook, with seamen, is to fasten a small line across the upper part to prevent unhooking. Mar. Dict.

MOUSE'-EAR, n. [mous'-ear.]

A plant of the genus Hieracium; also, a plant of the genus Myosotis, called likewise mouse-ear scorpion grass. The mouse-ear chickweed is of the genus Cerastium. Lee. Encyc.

MOUSE'-HOLE, n. [mous'-hole.]

A hole where mice enter, or pass; a very small hole or entrance. He can creep in at a mouse-hole. Stillingfleet.

MOUSE'-HUNT, n. [mous'-hunt.]

1. A hunting for mice.
2. A mouser; one that hunts mice. Shak.

MOUS'ER, n. [mouz'a.]

One that catches mice. The cat is a good mouser.

MOUSE'-TAIL, n. [mous'-tail.]

A plant of the genus Myosurus.

MOUSE'-TRAP, n. [mous'-trap.]

A trap for catching mice. Prior.

MOUS'ING, ppr. [s as z.]

Catching mice; tearing, as a cat devours a mouse.

MOUTH, n. [Sax. muth. As this word does not occur in the other Teutonic dialects, and as n is sometimes casually introduced into words before dentals, it is not improbable that the Goth. munths, G. and Dan. mund, Sw. mun, and D. mond, may be the same word. The Saxon muth coincides in elements with motto, Gr. μυθος.]

1. The aperture in the head of an animal, between the lips, by which he utters his voice and receives food. In a more general sense, the mouth consists of the lips, the gums, the insides of the cheeks, the palate, the salival glands, the uvula and tonsils. Encyc.
2. The opening of a vessel by which it is filled or emptied; as, the mouth of a jar or pitcher.
3. The part or channel of a river by which its waters are discharged into the ocean or into a lake. The Mississippi and the Nile discharge their waters by several mouths.
4. The opening of a piece of ordnance at the end, by which the charge issues.
5. The aperture of a vessel in animal bodies, by which fluids or other matter is received or discharged; as, the mouth of the lacteals.
6. The opening or entrance of a cave, pit, well or den. Dan. viii.
7. The instrument of speaking; as, the story is in everybody's mouth. South. Locke.
8. A principal speaker; one that utters the common opinion. Every coffee-house has some statesman belonging to it, who is the mouth of the street where he lives. Addison.
9. Cry; voice. The fearful dogs divide, / All spend their mouth aloft, but none abide. Dryden.
10. In Scripture, words uttered. Job xix. Is. xlix. Ps. lxxiii.
11. Desires; necessities. Ps. ciii.
12. Freedom and boldness of speech; force of argument. Luke xxi.
13. Boasting; vaunting. Judges ix.
14. Testimony. Deut. xvii.
15. Reproaches; calumnies. Job v. To make a mouth or to make mouths, to distort the mouth; to make a wry face; hence, to deride or treat with scorn. Shak. Addison #2. To pout; to treat disdainfully. Down in the mouth, dejected; mortified. L'Estrange. To have God's law in the mouth, to converse much on it and delight in it. Exod. xiii. To draw near to God with the mouth, to make an external appearance of devotion and worship, while there is no regard to him in the heart. Is. xxix. A froward mouth, contradictions and disobedience. Prov. iv. A smooth mouth, soft and flattering language. Prov. v. To stop the mouth, to silence or to be silent; to put to shame; confound. Rom. iii. To lay the hand on the mouth, to be struck silent with shame. Mic. vii. To set the mouth against the heavens, to speak arrogantly and blasphemously. Ps. lxxiii.

MOUTH, v.i.

To speak with a full, round, or loud, affected voice; to vociferate; to rant; as, a mouthing actor. Dryden I'll bellow out for Rome, and for my country, / And mouth at Cesar, till I shake the senate. Addison.

MOUTH, v.t.

1. To utter with a voice affectedly big or swelling; as, to mouth words or language. Twitch'd by the sleeve, he mouths it more and more. Dryden.
2. To take into the mouth; to seize with the mouth. Dryden.
3. To chew; to grind, as food; to eat; to devour. Shak.
4. To form by the mouth, as a bear her cub. [Not used.] Brown.
5. To reproach; to insult. Blair.

MOUTH'ED, pp.

1. Uttered with a full, swelling, affected voice.
2. Taken into the mouth; chewed.
3. adj. Furnished with a mouth; used chiefly in composition; as well-mouthed; foul-mouthed, contumelious, reproachful or obscene; mealy-mouthed, bashful, reserved in speaking the plain truth; hard-mouthed, as a horse, not obedient to the bit, difficult to be restrained or governed by the bridle.
4. Borne down or overpowered by clamor.

MOUTH'FRIEND, n.

One who professes friendship without entertaining it; a pretended friend. Shak.

MOUTH'FUL, n.

1. As much as the mouth contains at once.
2. A quantity proverbially small; a small quantity. L'Estrange. Dryden.

MOUTH'HON-OR, n.

Civility expressed without sincerity. Shak.

MOUTH'ING, n.

The utterance of words with an affected fullness of sound.

MOUTH'ING, ppr.

Uttering with an affected swelling voice.

MOUTH'LESS, a.

Destitute of a mouth.

MOUTH'MADE, a.

Expressed without sincerity; hypocritical.

MOUTH'PIECE, n.

1. The piece of a musical wind instrument to which the mouth is applied.
2. One who delivers the opinions of others.

MOV'A-BLE, a. [from move.]

1. That may be moved; that can or may be lifted, carried, drawn, turned or conveyed, or in any way made to change place or posture; susceptible of motion.
2. That may or does change from one time to another; as, a movable feast. A movable letter, in Hebrew grammar, is one that is pronounced, as opposed to one that is quiescent.