mug

[ muhg ]

/ mʌg /

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See synonyms for: mug / mugged / mugging on Thesaurus.com

noun

a drinking cup, usually cylindrical in shape, having a handle, and often of a heavy substance, as earthenware.

the quantity it holds.

Slang.

the face.
the mouth.
an exaggerated facial expression; grimace, as in acting.
a thug, ruffian, or other criminal.

British Slang. a gullible person; dupe; fool.

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.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of mug

First recorded in 1560–70; probably from 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”

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mug

burglarize, mug , rip off, rob, steal

Words nearby mug

muffle color, muffler, muffuletta, mufti, Mufulira, mug, Mugabe, mugga, muggee, mugger, mugging

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

How to use mug in a sentence

Ember just raised $13 million for its popular, temperature-controlled mugs
Ember names former Dyson head as consumer CEO, as the startup looks beyond the smart mug|Brian Heater|February 12, 2021|TechCrunch
Discard the hot water in the mugs, ladle the mixture into your mugs and garnish as you like.
Boozy hot chocolate recaptures the magic of a childhood snow day with a grown-up twist|M. Carrie Allan|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
As I poured it into a mug more appropriate for the indoors, it was still steaming.
This Zojirushi Mug Makes My Winter Walks Tolerable|Monica Burton|January 29, 2021|Eater
I sat down at her kitchen table while she poured coffee into a mug in front of me.
She’s 90 and Italian. I’m in my 30s and half Indian. Here’s why we’re the closest of friends.|Raj Tawney|January 27, 2021|Washington Post

The handle is extended for grip comfort and the uncrackable Duracoat coating keeps the mug dry in your hand.
Stainless steel cups for any beverage|PopSci Commerce Team|January 14, 2021|Popular-Science
To this day, Bush media maven Roger Ailes adamantly denies that he or the campaign had any role in the Willie Horton mug shot ad.
Want President Hillary? Then Primary Her|Jeff Greenfield|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He plants himself on an outdoor couch, stirs Nesquik into a mug, and leans forward.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo|Nina Strochlic|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Beside the mug shot of McCollum was one of a man named Wayne Laws.
How the North Carolina GOP Made a Wrongfully Convicted Man a Death Row Scapegoat|Michael Daly|September 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You know, he dug up 32-year-old mug shots of me that I had never even seen before, that had never been posted.
The Weirdest Story About a Conservative Obsession, a Convicted Bomber, and Taylor Swift You Have Ever Read|David Weigel|August 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he turned himself in, he wore a smirk in his mug shot, and then he went out for ice cream with reporters in tow.
Vote for the (Alleged) Crooks! How Rick Perry, Chris Christie, and Scott Walker are Running While Under Investigation|Olivia Nuzzi|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Tiefurt we partook of a magnificent collation consisting of a mug of beer, brown bread and sausage!
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
He put his hand to his belt, screwed up his mug, and said he felt plumb et up inside.
Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher|Eleanor Gates
Ever see anything more fetching than those great Irish eyes in a regular little Dago mug?
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
The skipper of the smack invited Jim to go below, and handed him a steaming mug of tea.
The Chequers|James Runciman
He went into the room below, knocked the neck off a wine bottle and poured the contents into a mug and drank, smacking his lips.
The Light That Lures|Percy Brebner

British Dictionary definitions for mug (1 of 2)

mug¹

/ (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)

mug²

/ (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

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mug

Origin of mug

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH mug

Words nearby mug

Words related to mug

How to use mug in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mug (1 of 2)

Word Origin for mug

British Dictionary definitions for mug (2 of 2)

Word Origin for mug