Mongol

[ mong-guhl, -gohl, mon- ]

/ ˈmɒŋ gəl, -goʊl, ˈmɒn- /

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noun

a member of a pastoral people now living chiefly in Mongolia.

Anthropology. (no longer in technical use) a person having Mongoloid characteristics.

any Mongolian language.

(often lowercase)Pathology. (no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) a person affected with Down syndrome.

adjective

Mongolian.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Mongol

First recorded in 1610–20; from French mongal, ultimately from Mongolian Mongol, possibly from mong “brave”

OTHER WORDS FROM Mongol

non-Mongol, noun, adjective

Words nearby Mongol

Monge, monged, monger, mongering, mongo, Mongol, Mongol Empire, Mongolia, Mongolian, Mongolian fold, Mongolian hot pot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Mongol in a sentence

Moreover, after the momentous defeat of the Mongols at Ayn Jalut, bands of Mongol refugees joined the Mamluk armies.
Mamluks: The Incredible Islamic Slave-Warriors of Egypt|Dattatreya Mandal|June 23, 2022|Realm of History
The relatively stony landscape of Syria was also not suited to the unshod Mongol ponies.
Mamluks: The Incredible Islamic Slave-Warriors of Egypt|Dattatreya Mandal|June 23, 2022|Realm of History
The territories unincorporated by the Mongol armies fell to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Putin’s war aims to undo the traumas of the 1990s for Russians|Alexandra (Sasha) Zborovsky|February 27, 2022|Washington Post
He had neglected his army to the point where there were mass desertions and even defections to Mongol ranks.
In Threatening Baghdad, Militants Seek to Undo 800 Years of History|Justin Marozzi|August 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A physically strong and imposing man, he has an Asian appearance, a hint of his Mongol roots.
The Warlord Who Defines Afghanistan: An Excerpt From Bruce Riedel’s ’What We Won’|Bruce Riedel|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Tatars were part of the Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan.
Russian History Is on Our Side: Putin Will Surely Screw Himself|P. J. O’Rourke|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Plenty of populations besides those of Mongolia Proper are Mongol in physiognomy.
The Ethnology of the British Colonies and Dependencies|Robert Gordon Latham
The decay of Mongol energy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is very difficult to explain.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind|Herbert George Wells
In their front was the Tientsin militia, strengthened by a large if nondescript force, led by the Mongol chief Sankolinsin.
The Life of Gordon, Volume I|Demetrius Charles Boulger
Saw a Mongol with pigtail at one of the stations, which showed that we were approaching the borders of the Chinese Empire.
Through Siberia and Manchuria By Rail|Oliver George Ready
Not for many a long century, if ever, would Russia shake off the Oriental influences which the Mongol victory imposed upon her.
The Rise of the Russian Empire|Hector H. Munro

British Dictionary definitions for Mongol (1 of 2)

mongol

/ (ˈmɒŋɡəl) /

noun

a formerly used and now highly offensive name for a person affected by Down's syndrome

British Dictionary definitions for Mongol (2 of 2)

Mongol

/ (ˈmɒŋɡɒl, -ɡəl) /

noun

a native or inhabitant of Mongolia, esp a nomad

the Mongolian language

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