mud

American  

[muhd] / mʌd /

noun

1. wet, soft earth or earthy matter, as on the ground after rain, at the bottom of a pond, or along the banks of a river; mire.

2. Informal.  scandalous or malicious assertions or information.

   The opposition threw a lot of mud at our candidate.

3. Slang.  brewed coffee, especially when strong or bitter.

4. a mixture of chemicals and other substances pumped into a drilling rig chiefly as a lubricant for the bit and shaft.

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verb (used with object)

mudded, mudding

1. to cover, smear, or spatter with mud.

   to mud the walls of a hut.

2. to stir up the mud or sediment in.

   waders mudding the clear water.

verb (used without object)

mudded, mudding

1. to hide in or burrow into mud.

mud British  

/ mʌd /

noun

1. a fine-grained soft wet deposit that occurs on the ground after rain, at the bottom of ponds, lakes, etc

2. informal  slander or defamation

3. informal  not at all clear

4. to disgrace or defame someone

5. informal  a humorous drinking toast

6. informal  someone is disgraced

7. informal  to slander; vilify

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verb

1. (tr) to soil or cover with mud

mud Idioms  

1. see clear as mud; name is mud; sling mud at.

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Other Word Forms

• unmudded adjective

Etymology

Origin of mud

1300–50; Middle English mudde, mode < Middle Low German mudde. mother ²

Example Sentences

Pictures from the region show bridges washed away, roads covered in mud and debris, and logs piled high.

From BBC

"The water has gone down, but the house is now full of mud," he told local reporters, appealing for military help to clean up.

From Barron's

Across the island towards the north coast, an endangered Sumatran elephant lay buried in thick mud and debris near damaged buildings in Meureudu town.

From Barron's

Digital artists then worked alongside the scientists to create lifelike reconstructions that showed how the duckbill would have looked and moved as it walked across soft mud near the very end of the dinosaur age.

From Science Daily

"We went outside and saw that a house was completely covered by earth and mud," said Ida Labbeyi.

From Barron's

Related Words

• clay
• muck
• silt
• sludge
• slush