mole

¹

[ mohl ]

noun

1. any of various small insectivorous mammals, especially of the family Talpidae, living chiefly underground, and having velvety fur, very small eyes, and strong forefeet:

   I stopped hating the moles in my rose garden when I realized they were eating the Japanese beetle grubs.

2. a spy who becomes part of and works from within the ranks of an enemy governmental staff or intelligence agency: Compare double agent.

   There is always a risk that the mole may defect to the enemy.

3. Machinery. a large, powerful machine for boring through earth or rock, used in the construction of tunnels:

   He worked as a mechanic on the mole that created our subway tunnels.

mole

²

[ mohl ]

noun

1. a small, congenital spot or blemish on the human skin, usually of a dark color, slightly elevated, and sometimes hairy; nevus:

   The pamphlet explains why it's important to monitor changes in a mole's color or shape.

mole

³

[ mohl ]

noun

1. a massive structure, especially of stone, set up in the water, as for a breakwater, pier, or causeway: a mole may be topped with pierlike wooden planking, but unlike a typical pier, the mole does not allow water to pass under it:

   Islanders are raising money to restore the mole that once ran to the mainland.

2. an anchorage or harbor protected by such a structure:

   For our small fleet of boats, this mole has been most accommodating.

mole

⁴

or mol

[ mohl ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. the basic unit in the International System of Units (SI), representing the amount of a substance expressed in grams containing as many atoms, molecules, or ions as the number of atoms in 12 grams of carbon-12 (which is Avogadro's number, or 6.022 × 10 23 ):

   To express the concentration of the substance in solution, use moles per liter.

mole

⁵

[ mohl ]

noun

, Pathology, Embryology.

1. molar pregnancy.

mole

⁶

[ moh-ley; Spanish maw-le ]

noun

, Mexican Cooking.

1. a spicy sauce typically flavored with dark chocolate, chile peppers, and spices, usually served with turkey or chicken:

   Have you tried making your mole in a slow cooker?

mole

¹

/ məʊl /

noun

1. any small burrowing mammal, of the family Talpidae, of Europe, Asia, and North and Central America: order Insectivora (insectivores). They have velvety, typically dark fur and forearms specialized for digging
2. golden mole
   golden mole any small African burrowing molelike mammal of the family Chrysochloridae, having copper-coloured fur: order Insectivora (insectivores)
3. informal.
   a spy who has infiltrated an organization and, often over a long period, become a trusted member of it

mole

²

/ məʊl /

noun

1. a breakwater
2. a harbour protected by a breakwater
3. a large tunnel excavator for use in soft rock

mole

³

/ məʊl /

noun

1. the basic SI unit of amount of substance; the amount that contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 0.012 kilogram of carbon-12. The entity must be specified and may be an atom, a molecule, an ion, a radical, an electron, a photon, etc mol

mole

⁴

/ məʊl /

noun

1. pathol a fleshy growth in the uterus formed by the degeneration of fetal tissues

mole

⁵

/ məʊl /

noun

1. See naevus
   pathol a nontechnical name for naevus

mole

⁶

/ ˈməʊleɪ /

noun

1. a spicy Mexican sauce made from chili and chocolate

mole

¹

/ mōl /

1. A small, usually pigmented, benign growth on the skin.

mole

²

/ mōl /

1. The amount of an element, compound, or other substance that has the same number of basic particles as 12 grams of Carbon-12. The number of particles making up a mole is Avogadro's number. For elements and compounds, the mass of one mole, in grams, is roughly equal to the atomic or molecular weight of the substance. For example, carbon dioxide, CO 2 , has a molecular weight of 44; therefore, one mole of it weighs 44 grams.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mole¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English molle; akin to Middle Dutch, Middle Low German mol

Origin of mole²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English māl; akin to Old High German meil “spot,” Gothic mail “wrinkle”

Origin of mole³

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin mōlēs “mass, dam, mole”

Origin of mole⁴

First recorded in 1900–05; from German Mol, short for Molekül, the German word for molecule

Origin of mole⁵

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mola, from Latin mola, “millstone, false conception”

Origin of mole⁶

First recorded in 1880–85; from Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl mōlli “sauce, gravy”; guacamole

Word History and Origins

Origin of mole¹

C14: from Middle Dutch mol, of Germanic origin; compare Middle Low German mol

Origin of mole²

C16: from French môle, from Latin mōlēs mass

Origin of mole³

C20: from German Mol, short for Molekül molecule

Origin of mole⁴

C17: medical use of Latin mola millstone

Origin of mole⁵

Old English māl; related to Old High German meil spot

Origin of mole⁶

C20: from Mexican Spanish from Nahuatl molli sauce

Example Sentences

He had to wait until he was in college, when he landed a research position that required him to trap star-nosed moles in Pennsylvania’s wetlands.

From Science News

I had only a vague understanding of all this when I set out for Pennsylvania in a rented cargo van with a sleeping bag and a cooler full of hundreds of earthworms to feed hungry moles.

From Popular-Science

The supposed mole who stole nuclear secrets has never been found.

From MIT Technology Review

About a year earlier, veterinarians at Texas A&M extracted DNA from one of Chance’s moles and used the sample to create a genetic double.

From Singularity Hub 

A new mole popping up is just a new mole, because we don’t consider it to be a potential threat of cancer.

From TruthBeTold.news

To his detractors, he was a half-mad paranoiac who nearly destroyed the CIA in his obsessive search for a Soviet mole.

From The Daily Beast

Last season was definitely challenging, because we were not allowed to mention them or allude to a mole of any kind.

From The Daily Beast

Alasania said it was important to focus the mole hunt on the army.

From The Daily Beast

She was briefly outed by Red as a mole and then allowed to recede into the background again.

From The Daily Beast

Rocket teamed up with the Incredible Hulk to overthrow Judson Jakes, a devious mole.

From The Daily Beast

He grew very restless, for it was a long time before Grandfather Mole appeared.

From Project Gutenberg

But she told Grandfather Mole that it was all right—that she knew a person of his age ought not to go without his breakfast.

From Project Gutenberg

And he had waited so long for Grandfather Mole that he had begun to feel hungry again.

From Project Gutenberg

One thing was certain: Grandfather Mole could travel much faster through the water than he could underground.

From Project Gutenberg

Then Jimmy remembered suddenly that he had to meet Grandfather Mole over there.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• informer