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.
Tereos did not announce the name of a new managing director following the departure of Ludwig de Mot late September, the third chief executive to leave the group in two years.
From Reuters • Dec. 6, 2022
Vietnam's Mot The Gioi newspaper reported nine people had been rescued late on Friday off the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, citing authorities there.
From Reuters • Sep. 24, 2022
Starting the Year With a Bon Mot THE social calendar roared back to life on Tuesday night, when the YMA FSF Geoffrey Beene National Scholarship Awards held its annual dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria.
From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2013
On the western edge of Sent, where he was born, he spearheaded a hilly outdoor sculpture garden called Parkin Not dal Mot.
From New York Times • May 5, 2010
I head to the truck, feeling guilty because I’m leaving Mot alone when she’s not feeling well.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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.
