mud

[ muhd ]

/ mʌd /

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noun

wet, soft earth or earthy matter, as on the ground after rain, at the bottom of a pond, or along the banks of a river; mire.

Informal. scandalous or malicious assertions or information: The opposition threw a lot of mud at our candidate.

Slang. brewed coffee, especially when strong or bitter.

a mixture of chemicals and other substances pumped into a drilling rig chiefly as a lubricant for the bit and shaft.

verb (used with object), mud·ded, mud·ding.

to cover, smear, or spatter with mud: to mud the walls of a hut.

to stir up the mud or sediment in: waders mudding the clear water.

verb (used without object), mud·ded, mud·ding.

to hide in or burrow into mud.

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Origin of mud

1300–50; Middle English mudde, mode<Middle Low German mudde.Cf. mother²

OTHER WORDS FROM mud

un·mud·ded, adjective

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

How to use mud in a sentence

The salt water then moves from the mud flats towards the embankments, which it breaches during heavy storms.
Asia’s biggest climate migration|Konstantin Kakaes|November 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
I swatted dozens of mosquitoes away from my face and legs as we avoided sloshy mud and trekked further down the path.
Yellowstone National Park Is a Geyser Wonderland|Emily Pennington|November 18, 2020|Outside Online
At least 200 hippos became trapped in the mud, and managed to survive only because Botswana wildlife officials pumped in water to help them escape.
These Photos Remind Us Why Conservation Matters - Issue 92: Frontiers|Kevin Berger|November 11, 2020|Nautilus
For many clam species, specialized rakes or shovels are used during low tides in beach areas of sand, gravel, and mud.
14 wild edibles you can pull right out of the ocean|By Bob McNally/Field & Stream|October 19, 2020|Popular-Science

At only 26 inches, this smaller shovel is a great tool for gardening or camping, and you can throw it into your off-road vehicle for those times when you’re stuck in the mud.
Shovels you’ll definitely dig|PopSci Commerce Team|October 18, 2020|Popular-Science
By mudding the waters with consensual adult services, the issue itself is not being dealt with.
Sex Workers Deserve Health Care, Too|Tauriq Moosa|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mike loves “mudding” and buries all kinds of vehicles up to their axles in the big open fields around Dryden.
The Stacks: The Searing Story of How Murder Stalked a Tiny New York Town|E. Jean Carroll|April 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From ‘mudding’ to whether the show will be back for Season 2, Anna Klassen on everything Gandee.
Who Was Shain Gandee, the MTV ‘Buckwild’ Star Found Dead?|Anna Klassen|April 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Carrying sand, cleaning corn patch, mudding and rubbing walls.
The White Queen of Okoyong|W.P. Livingstone
The “mudding” of the house is a part of the natural and necessary preparation for winter.
In Beaver World|Enos Abijah Mills
Even if you don't play yourself, your friends might like to entertain themselves with a little music while you were mudding.'
The Wrong Box|Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne
Cracks between the logs which no amount of mudding would completely fill.
Plowing On Sunday|Sterling North

British Dictionary definitions for mud

mud

/ (mʌd) /

noun

a fine-grained soft wet deposit that occurs on the ground after rain, at the bottom of ponds, lakes, etc

informal slander or defamation

clear as mud informal not at all clear

drag someone's name in the mud to disgrace or defame someone

here's mud in your eye informal a humorous drinking toast

someone's name is mud informal someone is disgraced

throw mud at or sling mud at informal to slander; vilify

verb muds, mudding or mudded

(tr) to soil or cover with mud

Word Origin for mud

C14: probably from Middle Low German mudde; compare Middle High German mot swamp, mud, Swedish modd slush

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with mud

mud

see clear as mud; name is mud; sling mud at.