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mop-up

[mop-uhp]
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mop-up ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act, process, or an instance of mopping up; completion of an operation or action.

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RELATED WORDS

beat, rout, trounce, overpower, thrash, blast, terminate, do, accomplish, end, complete, conclude, stop, clinch, settle, close, make, achieve, completion, culmination

Origin of mop-up

First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase mop up

mop

1
[mop]

noun

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.
a thick mass of hair.
a polishing wheel having several layers of cloth secured by a boss.

verb (used with object), mopped, mop·ping.

to rub, wipe, clean, or remove with a mop (often followed by up): to mop up a spill.
to wipe as if with a mop: to mop the face with a handkerchief.

verb (used without object), mopped, mop·ping.

to clean or wipe with or as if with a mop (often followed by up): First he swept, then he mopped up.

Verb Phrases

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.

Origin of mop

1
1375–1425; earlier map, late Middle English mappe, apocopated variant of mappel < Medieval Latin mappula a cloth, equivalent to Latin mapp(a) napkin + -ula -ule
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for mop up

mop up

verb (tr, adverb)

to clean with a mop
informal to complete (a task, etc)
military to clear (remaining enemy forces) after a battle, as by killing, taking prisoner, etc

noun mop-up

the act or an instance of mopping up

mop

1

noun

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
something resembling this, such as a tangle of hair

verb mops, mopping or mopped

(tr often foll by up) to clean or soak up with or as if with a mop
See also mop up

Word Origin for mop

C15 mappe, from earlier mappel, from Medieval Latin mappula cloth, from Latin mappa napkin

mop

2

verb mops, mopping or mopped

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

noun

such a face or expression

Word Origin for mop

C16: perhaps from Dutch moppen to pour; compare Dutch mop pug dog

mop

3

noun

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

Word Origin for mop

C17: from the practice of servants carrying a mop, broom, or flail, etc, to signify the job sought
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 mop up

mop

n.

late 15c., mappe "bundle of yarn, etc., fastened to the end of a stick for cleaning or spreading pitch on a ship's decks," from Walloon (French) mappe "napkin," from Latin mappa "napkin" (see map (n.)). Modern spelling by 1660s. Of hair, from 1847.

mop

v.

1709, from mop (n.). Related: Mopped; mopping.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with mop up

mop up

1

Clear an area of remaining enemy troops after a victory, as in They left behind just one squadron to mop up. [c. 1900]

2

Perform the minor tasks that conclude a project or activity, as in Go ahead, I'll mop up these last invoices. [First half of 1900s] Both usages transfer the task of housecleaning with a mop to other kinds of cleanup.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.