mug
[ muhg ]
/ mʌg /
noun
verb (used with object), mugged, mug·ging.
to assault or menace, especially with the intention of robbery.
Slang. to photograph (a person), especially in compliance with an official or legal requirement.
verb (used without object), mugged, mug·ging.
Slang. to grimace; exaggerate a facial expression, as in acting.
Nearby words
muffle color, muffler, muffuletta, mufti, mufulira, mug, mug punter, mug shot, mug up, mug's game, mugabe
Origin of mug
1560–70; probably < Scandinavian; compare Swedish mugg, Norwegian, Danish mugge drinking cup; sense “face” apparently transferred from cups adorned with grotesque faces; sense “to assault” from earlier pugilistic slang “to strike in the face, fight”
Can be confused
burglarize mug rip off rob steal (see synonym study at rob)Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for mug
British Dictionary definitions for mug (1 of 2)
mug
1/ (mʌɡ) /
noun
a drinking vessel with a handle, usually cylindrical and made of earthenware
Also called: mugful the quantity held by a mug or its contents
Word Origin for mug
C16: probably from Scandinavian; compare Swedish mugg
British Dictionary definitions for mug (2 of 2)
mug
2/ (mʌɡ) /
noun
slang a person's face or mouthget your ugly mug out of here!
slang a grimace
British slang a gullible person, esp one who is swindled easily
a mug's game a worthless activity
verb mugs, mugging or mugged
(tr) informal to attack or rob (someone) violently
(intr) British slang to pull faces or overact, esp in front of a camera
See also mug up
Word Origin for mug
C18: perhaps from mug 1, since drinking vessels were sometimes modelled into the likeness of a face
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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