mortmain n. inalienable ownership
mossbonker n. menhaden, small pelagic fish
MOT n. Ministry of Transport (now the Department of Transport) test of a vehicle’s safety and roadworthiness British
motivic adj. of or related to a motif, used as a motif
motorik n. driving 4/4 beat—often with pop! on 3rd beat—typical of krautrock
mouchard n. nark, police spy
moulinet n. circular cut in fencing; circling an opponent’s blade with your own
mouse n. black eye slang
moxibustion n. burning dried mugwort close to the skin, often along acupuncture meridians, to facilitate healing in Chinese medicine
mucilage n. sticky stuff
muddlehead n. stupid person
muffetee n. small wrist muff
mugfaker n. street photographer slang
mugient adj. bellowing
mulct v. to fine, to impose a penalty; to take by fraud, to swindle
muleteer n. mule driver
mulligrubs n. grumpiness; depressed state; bad mood or temper
mullion n. vertical bar dividing lights in a window or similar panels
mumble v. to chew near uselessly, as with toothless gums
muniment n. document establishing claim to rights or privileges (usu. in plural); means of defense or protection
munity n. bestowed privilege
munted adj. drunk; intoxicated; severely damaged; disgusting slang
murgeon v. to mock, to make faces, to grumble; grimace, wry face Scots
muriatic acid n. hydrochloric acid
murine adj. of or related to mice or similar rodents
murmuration n. flock of starlings (sometimes applied to other birds)
murrain n. cattle disease; [obsolete] plague
murrey n. purple-red
musette n. small knapsack; French bellows-driven bagpipe of the 17th and 18th centuries
mushrump n. mushroom; upstart, arriviste archaic
muskeg n. North American swamp or bog
muslin n. plain weave cotton fabric
musquash n. muskrat archaic
mussitation n. silent movement of the lips without accompanying sound; muttering
must n. new wine, not yet fermented fruit juice
musteefino n. person with 1/16 black ancestry, child of a mustee and a white person
musth n. period of heightened aggressiveness and sexual activity in male elephants
mutatis mutandis adv. with the necessary changes Latin
muzzy adj. blurry, fuzzy, unfocused; confused, dazed; drunk, mentally impaired due to alcohol
mydriasis n. overlarge pupil dilation
myology n. study of muscles and their structures biology
myrmecology n. the study of ants and termites
myrmidon n. blindly loyal follower and carryer-out of a leader’s orders
mythomane n. habitual liar, person compelled to fantasy or exaggeration
mythopoesis n. myth creation
n.b.g. adj. no bloody good slang
naff adj. vulgar, tasteless British
naker n. kettledrum
nankeen n. naturally yellow cotton fabric from China; cotton dyed yellow; yellow or buff color
Nansen passport n. passports issued under the auspices of the League of Nations for stateless persons after World War I
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