Loyal Order of Moose

noun

See under moose(def 2).

moose

[moos]

noun, plural moose.

a large, long-headed mammal, Alces alces, of the deer family, having circumpolar distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, the male of which has enormous palmate antlers.
(initial capital letter) a member of a fraternal and benevolent organization (Loyal Order of Moose).

Origin of moose

1595–1605, Americanism; < Eastern Abenaki mos, reinforced by cognates in other Algonquian languages, all < Proto-Algonquian *mo˙swa

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British Dictionary definitions for loyal order of moose

moose

noun plural moose

a large North American deer, Alces alces, having large flattened palmate antlers: also occurs in Europe and Asia where it is called an elk

Word Origin for moose

C17: from Algonquian; related to Narraganset moos, from moosu he strips, alluding to the moose's habit of stripping trees

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for loyal order of moose

moose

1610s, from an Algonquian language, probably Narragansett moos or Abenaki moz (cf. Penobscot muns, Ojibwa mooz, Unami Delaware /mo:s/), said by early sources to be from moosu "he strips off," in reference to the animals' stripping bark for food.