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

Residents described water rising to waist level in just hours — overwhelming properties that had never flooded before and leaving behind a thick layer of mud and debris.

From Salon

In the morning the field was a vast sodden swamp: hands, clothes, and faces were black from the cinder mud.

From Literature

Through wind and rain, mud and frost, Marlene just plodded on.

From Literature

The mud wasps had built their big nest against a ceiling rafter.

From Literature

Then it sat down heavily in the mud, and clutched the cub to its chest.

From Literature

Related Words

• clay
• muck
• silt
• sludge
• slush