mop

¹ American  

[mop] / mɒp /

noun

1. 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.

2. a thick mass of hair.

3. a polishing wheel having several layers of cloth secured by a boss.

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verb (used with object)

mopped, mopping

1. to rub, wipe, clean, or remove with a mop (often followed byup ).

   to mop up a spill.

2. to wipe as if with a mop.

   to mop the face with a handkerchief.

verb (used without object)

mopped, mopping

1. to clean or wipe with or as if with a mop (often followed byup ).

   First he swept, then he mopped up.

verb phrase

1. 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.

idioms

1. mop the floor with. floor.

mop ² American  

[mop] / mɒp /

verb (used without object)

mopped, mopping

1. to make a disappointed or unhappy face; grimace.

   an unruly child that mops and mows.

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noun

1. a wry face; grimace.

mop ¹ British  

/ mɒp /

noun

1. 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

2. something resembling this, such as a tangle of hair

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verb

1. to clean or soak up with or as if with a mop

mop ² British  

/ mɒp /

verb

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

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noun

1. such a face or expression

mop ³ British  

/ mɒp /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of mop¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; earlier map, late Middle English mappe, shortening f mappel, from Medieval Latin mappula, mappa “handtowel, cloth,” equivalent to Latin mapp(a) “napkin” + -ula -ule

Origin of mop²

First recorded in 1450–1500 for the noun, and in 1560–70 for the verb; perhaps akin to Dutch moppen “to mutter, pout”

Explanation

A mop is a tool for cleaning a floor. Most mops have a long handle and a sponge or bundle of absorbent strings on one end. If someone says that your hair looks like a mop, that's not a compliment. When you use a mop, you mop the floor. Mops can be used dry, but more often they're dunked in a soapy bucket of water before they mop the floor. You can also "mop up" a mess or a spill, even if you're using a cloth, a sponge, or a paper towel instead of a mop. The earliest mops were used to clean ships' decks, and the word comes from the Latin mappa, "napkin."

Example Sentences

"By the time I reach the houses and start sweeping and mopping, my clothes are already soaked. Some days I also have to clean rooftops where the marble floors feel like they are on fire."

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Willy might as well be delivering newspapers or mopping the kitchen floor, so disconnected are his gestures.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Fallon said his neighbour has been mopping up inside while he tries to clear water away outside.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

Owens and her family saved the house, wedging plywood underneath the doorways during the storm and mopping up water faster than it seeped inside.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Sitti was mopping and crying all at once.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

Related Words

• dab
• swab
• wipe