mug

[ muhg ]

noun

1. a drinking cup, usually cylindrical in shape, having a handle, and often of a heavy substance, as earthenware.
2. the quantity it holds.
3. Slang.
   1. the face.
   2. the mouth.
   3. an exaggerated facial expression; grimace, as in acting.
   4. a thug, ruffian, or other criminal.
4. British Slang. a gullible person; dupe; fool.

verb (used with object)

, mugged, mug·ging.

1. to assault or menace, especially with the intention of robbery.
2. Slang. to photograph (a person), especially in compliance with an official or legal requirement.

verb (used without object)

, mugged, mug·ging.

1. Slang. to grimace; exaggerate a facial expression, as in acting.

mug

¹

/ mʌɡ /

noun

1. a drinking vessel with a handle, usually cylindrical and made of earthenware
2. Also calledmugful the quantity held by a mug or its contents

mug

²

/ mʌɡ /

noun

1. slang.
   a person's face or mouth

   get your ugly mug out of here!

2. slang.
   a grimace
3. slang.
   a gullible person, esp one who is swindled easily
4. a mug's game
   a mug's game a worthless activity

verb

1. informal.
   tr to attack or rob (someone) violently
2. slang.
   intr to pull faces or overact, esp in front of a camera

Word History and Origins

Origin of mug¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mug¹

C16: probably from Scandinavian; compare Swedish mugg

Origin of mug²

C18: perhaps from mug ¹, since drinking vessels were sometimes modelled into the likeness of a face

Example Sentences

Ember just raised $13 million for its popular, temperature-controlled mugs

From TechCrunch

Discard the hot water in the mugs, ladle the mixture into your mugs and garnish as you like.

From Washington Post

As I poured it into a mug more appropriate for the indoors, it was still steaming.

From Eater

I sat down at her kitchen table while she poured coffee into a mug in front of me.

From Washington Post

The handle is extended for grip comfort and the uncrackable Duracoat coating keeps the mug dry in your hand.

From 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.

From The Daily Beast

He plants himself on an outdoor couch, stirs Nesquik into a mug, and leans forward.

From The Daily Beast

Beside the mug shot of McCollum was one of a man named Wayne Laws.

From The 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.

From The 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.

From The Daily Beast

In Tiefurt we partook of a magnificent collation consisting of a mug of beer, brown bread and sausage!

From Project Gutenberg

He put his hand to his belt, screwed up his mug, and said he felt plumb et up inside.

From Project Gutenberg

Ever see anything more fetching than those great Irish eyes in a regular little Dago mug?

From Project Gutenberg

The skipper of the smack invited Jim to go below, and handed him a steaming mug of tea.

From Project Gutenberg

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.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• coffee cup
• jug