mola

¹ American  

[moh-luh] / ˈmoʊ lə /

noun

mola, plural molas plural

1. any of several thin, silvery fishes of the family Molidae, of tropical and temperate seas.

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mola ² American  

[moh-luh, maw-lah] / ˈmoʊ lə, ˈmɔ lɑ /

noun

molas plural

1. a colorfully appliquéd piece of fabric handcrafted by the Cuna Indian women of the islands in the Gulf of San Blas and used for clothing, decoration, etc.

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mola British  

/ ˈməʊlə /

noun

1. another name for sunfish

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• molas
  plural
• mola
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mola¹

1595–1605; < Latin: millstone; so called from its shape

Origin of mola²

1940–45; < Cuna: clothing, blouse, mola

Example Sentences

There are three species of these sunfish—Mola mola, Mola tecta and Mola alexandrini—which can be difficult to tell apart without genetic analysis.

From Scientific American • Oct. 20, 2022

And if you like weird and appealing, the Mola mola, or ocean sunfish, makes a similar appearance.

From New York Times • Mar. 22, 2018

The number of day trippers, drawn by the Kuna's renowned cloth art, the mola, has multiplied.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was the mola that also brought the Peace Corps to San Blas.

From Time Magazine Archive

The last teeth, which are placed at the back of the jaw, are called molars, from the Latin word mola, which means a millstone.

From The History of a Mouthful of Bread And its effect on the organization of men and animals by Macé, Jean