mot
noun
a pithy or witty remark; bon mot.
mot
American
[moh]
/ moʊ /
MOT
1
British
abbreviation
-
(in New Zealand and formerly in Britain) Ministry of Transport (in Britain now part of the DTLR) See DTLR
-
(in Britain) MOT test: a compulsory annual test for all road vehicles over a certain age, which require a valid MOT certificate
mot
2
British
/ məʊ /
noun
mot
3
British
/ mɒt /
noun
Usage
What does mot mean? A mot is a clever comment or witty saying. Mot is a short way of saying bon mot, which means the same thing (and is more commonly used). Mot is also used in the phrase mot juste, meaning the exact right word. Witty statements, sayings like "history always repeats itself," wordplay, and famous last words are all examples of mots. Example: Shakespeare's plays are known for their memorable mots like "To thine own self be true."
Etymology
Origin of mot
1625–35; < French < Late Latin muttum utterance. See motto
Explanation
When you impress your friends with a witty observation or a funny quip, you use a mot. Your favorite teacher might be well known for her clever mots. If someone uses the perfect word or puts things in a particularly amusing way, they're skilled with a mot — short for a bon mot, or a "good saying" or "good word" in French. Mot is used in French to mean a "remark" or "short speech," and it comes from the Latin root mutum, "mutter" or "grunt."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A mot often attributed to Benjamin Franklin explains it in an image.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
I have a bon mot I frequently employ: cautiously poss-imistic.
From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2023
Citizens' Van Saun said the bank is also tightening its appetite for new mortgage credit, but that move is mot as dramatic as that for auto loans.
From Reuters ● Jan. 30, 2023
So the word is out, and it’s le mot juste.
From New York Times ● Oct. 21, 2021
I’m an eternal stranger forced to reintroduce myself to her one bon mot at a time.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
Erskine said that people were having to travel for MOT tests to get their vehicles checked, taxed and insured.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
"We all want the same goal here. We all want to be able to MOT a car as soon as possible in a convenient location," he said.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
MOT backlogs look set to continue, at least into the near future, with still no exact dates confirmed for the opening of new test centres.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
Laura Doherty from north Belfast told BBC News NI that she found it "a lot harder" to get an MOT this year.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
“My Datsun”—Mum offered some braised celery to Aunt Alice, who made a No thanks gesture—“passed its MOT with flying colors last week.”
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
