mop

¹ American  

[mop] / mɒp /

noun

1. a bundle of coarse yarn, a sponge, or other absorbent material, fastened at the end of a stick or handle for washing floors, dishes, etc.

2. a thick mass of hair.

3. a polishing wheel having several layers of cloth secured by a boss.

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verb (used with object)

mopped, mopping

1. to rub, wipe, clean, or remove with a mop (often followed byup ).

   to mop up a spill.

2. to wipe as if with a mop.

   to mop the face with a handkerchief.

verb (used without object)

mopped, mopping

1. to clean or wipe with or as if with a mop (often followed byup ).

   First he swept, then he mopped up.

verb phrase

1. mop up

   1. Military. to clear (ground, trenches, towns, etc.) of scattered or remaining enemy combatants after attacking forces have conquered the area.

   2. Informal. to dispose of; complete; finish.

      He mopped up the rest of his business and went on a vacation.

idioms

1. mop the floor with. floor.

mop ² American  

[mop] / mɒp /

verb (used without object)

mopped, mopping

1. to make a disappointed or unhappy face; grimace.

   an unruly child that mops and mows.

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noun

1. a wry face; grimace.

mop ¹ British  

/ mɒp /

noun

1. an implement with a wooden handle and a head made of twists of cotton or a piece of synthetic sponge, used for polishing or washing floors, or washing dishes

2. something resembling this, such as a tangle of hair

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verb

1. to clean or soak up with or as if with a mop

mop ² British  

/ mɒp /

verb

1. (intr) to make a grimace or sad expression (esp in the phrase mop and mow )

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noun

1. such a face or expression

mop ³ British  

/ mɒp /

noun

1. (in various parts of England) an annual fair at which formerly servants were hired

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Etymology

Origin of mop¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; earlier map, late Middle English mappe, shortening f mappel, from Medieval Latin mappula, mappa “handtowel, cloth,” equivalent to Latin mapp(a) “napkin” + -ula -ule

Origin of mop²

First recorded in 1450–1500 for the noun, and in 1560–70 for the verb; perhaps akin to Dutch moppen “to mutter, pout”

Explanation

A mop is a tool for cleaning a floor. Most mops have a long handle and a sponge or bundle of absorbent strings on one end. If someone says that your hair looks like a mop, that's not a compliment. When you use a mop, you mop the floor. Mops can be used dry, but more often they're dunked in a soapy bucket of water before they mop the floor. You can also "mop up" a mess or a spill, even if you're using a cloth, a sponge, or a paper towel instead of a mop. The earliest mops were used to clean ships' decks, and the word comes from the Latin mappa, "napkin."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mop mopped mopping

Households in India have long relied on an informal army of domestic workers to mop floors, wash dishes and cook meals.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

I mop their famous gravy with a hunk of sourdough and hear Sancho Panza in my head and I grin.

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026

The home page features a model who bears a resemblance to Kelly—but with a curly mop of hair.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

As the show began, the singer noticed a puddle at the edge of the stage that could have caused a slip hazard, so he grabbed a towel to mop it up.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

Without a janitor swishing a mop and swabbing the decks, the floor felt extremely gummy.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

Perhaps England could have pushed towards 290, but Axar induced Dawson into a pull to deep square, then the left-arm spinner mopped up the tail.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

With the pitch turning, India had fielders crowded around the bat as their spinners then mopped up the tail with England skittled for 186.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

At First Watch, by the end of Fermine’s shift at around 3 p.m., he will have washed hundreds of dishes, taken out the trash and mopped up the dish room.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

Large investment firms mopped up foreclosed homes after the 2008 housing crash, placing a floor on prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

Pietro Crespi mopped his brow with the handkerchief that was soaked in lavender.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"By the time I reach the houses and start sweeping and mopping, my clothes are already soaked. Some days I also have to clean rooftops where the marble floors feel like they are on fire."

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

For Katya, a professional events organiser, the parties have stopped - and her world and life have been disrupted following the raid, trial and community service spent mopping hospital floors.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

Willy might as well be delivering newspapers or mopping the kitchen floor, so disconnected are his gestures.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026

Owens and her family saved the house, wedging plywood underneath the doorways during the storm and mopping up water faster than it seeped inside.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025

I'm dusting shelves and mopping the tiled floor.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour

Related Words

• dab
• swab
• wipe