Confusing Words Clarified: Group M; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc. +(lists of "M" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.monopoly; polypoly, polyopoly
monopoly (muh NAHP uh lee)
Exclusive possession or ownership of something: "The sugar mogul had a monopoly on the sugar import-export business in our city."
polypoly, polyopoly (PAHL ee PAHL ee, pahl ee AH pahl ee)
A market situation where there are large numbers of small buyers and small sellers, none of which can influence prices or a market situation in which there are no large sellers but many small ones: "He was just one member of the polypoly, or polyopoly, among many other business men who had no affect on the costs of his products beyond his sales outlet."
mood, mooed
mood (MYOOD)
A predominant feeling or state of mind; an expression of that feeling: "She seemed to be in a good mood after the delicious meal."
mooed (MYOOD)
The vocal sound made by cows: "The cows mooed when they were let into the fresh green pasture."
moose, mousse, mouse
moose (MYOOS)
A large cud chewing member of the deer family, common in Canada and the northern United States: "We watched the large moose standing in the shallow water chewing grass and other greens from the lake shore."
mousse (MYOOS)
A light dessert incorporating gelatin and/or whipped cream or beaten egg whites: "My aunt made a fabulous chocolate mousse for dessert."
mouse (MOUS)
1. A small rodent with a slender tail, a pointed nose, and small ears: "My cat perked up when she saw the mouse dash across the kitchen floor."
2. The small moveable device that is used to control and to move the cursor on a computer screen: "The mouse for my computer is very sensitive to movement." Is it possible that a moose and a mouse both would like to have mousse for dessert? A man told about driving down a winding road with a friend when he had to swerve suddenly to avoid hitting an animal with antlers. As he and his fellow passenger recovered from the startling situation, she turned to the driver and said, "Now, that was really a near moose collision!" moot, mute
moot (MYOOT)
1. Argued about but not possible for anyone to prove: "He said that they should have foreseen the accident, but that point is moot."
2. Not worth talking about; no longer important or worth discussing: "That is a moot point and not relevant to the topic we are trying to resolve." mute (MYOOT)
1. An individual who is unable or unwilling to speak: "He knew the answer, but for some reason he decided to remain mute."
"The police have been mute about the results of the investigation." 2. Something felt or expressed without the use of words: "They hugged each other in mute sympathy over the death of their father."3. A device attached to a musical instrument to soften or to muffle the sound: "She used the mute on the strings of her violin to create a new and pleasing sound." 4. Contributing nothing to the overall sound or pronunciation of a word: "The e at the end of the word is silent or mute." 5. To make a sound softer, quieter, or less harsh: "They covered their ears to mute the sound of the guns being fired at the military funeral." "She was asked to use the remote control to mute the excessive loudness of the TV." moral, morale, morel
moral (MAWR uhl, MAHR uhl)
1. Concerning or relating to what is right and wrong in human behavior: "Each story in the book teaches an important moral lesson."
2. Based on what a person thinks is right and good: "She felt that she had a moral obligation to help the poor people in her community." "He's a man with strong moral convictions who believes strongly that somethings are right and others are wrong!" 3. A lesson that is learned from a story or an experience: "The moral of the story is to be satisfied with what you have and not to keep looking for more and more material things."morale (muh RAHL, moh RAHL)
The feelings of enthusiasm and loyalty that a person or group has about a task or job: "Despite the fact that the team is not playing all that well, their morale is still high."
"The company has been improving with its profits which has resulted in greater morale for its employees." morel (muh REL, moh REL)
Any of various edible mushrooms of the genus Morchella having a brownish spongelike cap: "In France, people go morel hunting by the thousands every year because of the taste of the morels and for the joy of the hunt."
In a produce market, the manager instructed one of his employees: "Just tell customers that we have unpackaged mushrooms and stop saying, We have loose morels!" "In a Tiny Montana Town, the Hunt for Mushrooms Can Be a Morel Imperative" morality, mortality
morality (muh RAL i tee, maw RAL i tee)
1. Literature or doctrine which teaches a system of conduct or behaviour: "The lessons of morality, right from wrong, were emphasized in the curriculum taught to the children who attended the church school."
2. Conformity to the ideals of interpersonal relationships: "Her standards of morality were very high and she was not able to compromise her ideals." mortality (mor TAHL it tee)
The quality or state of being a person or something that is alive and therefore certain to die: "When people do not have good health care, the mortality rate among young children can be very high."
"The death of his brother reminded him of his own mortality." morbid, sordid
morbid (MOR bid)
1. Characterized by unwholesome or very sad feelings: "After reading the morbid novel, I was anxious to go for a walk to raise my spirits."
2. Characteristic of or induced by disease: "The conditions in the slum were morbid and caused many people to be ill." sordid (SOR did)
Very dirty, gross, and/or vile: "The novel was the sordid story of greed and avarice."
"She had to be moved to a supervised home because the 100-year old woman was living in a sordid situation." more, mower, moor
more (MOHR)
1. Greater, additional, more than expected: "We were surprised that more visitors came to the gallery than we had expected."
2. A greater number or quantity: "Which is more, driving for three hours or driving for 120 minutes?" mower (MOHR)
A machine designed to cut grass and other tall standing plants: "The boy's summer job was to run the mower in the park every week to cut the grass."
moor (MOOR)
1. One of the Arabic or Berber tribes which conquered and occupied Spain in the Eighth Century: "The Moor architecture deloped in Spain by the Arabs is beautiful."
2. To tie one's boat up at a dock: "We will moor our boat at our neighbour's dock." 3. Boggy, infertile land typically covered with grasses: "We walked across the moor when we were on a walking holiday in England." morn, mourn
morn (MORN)
The time of day taking place at sunrise or morning: "It was a beautiful morn when the sun came up today."
mourn (MORN, MOHRN)
To feel or to express grief at a time of death or other significant loss: "We will all mourn the loss of our special friend who died just after her birthday."
morning, mourning
morning (MOR ning)
The time of day between the rising of the sun and noon: "I have the most energy in the morning after I have had a good sleep and breakfast."
mourning (MOR ning)
1. Visible signs or apparel worn to recognize and acknowledge feelings of death or loss of life: "We decided to wear dark mourning clothing to the funeral."
2. The act of showing sorrow for someone who has died: "She is still mourning for her dead husband." 3. Great sadness felt because someone has died: "There was a period of deep mourning in memory of the death of the scientist." Little did they know that they would be mourning in the morning until they found out that their dog died during the night. motif, motive
motif (moh TEEF)
A recurring detail or idea in a work of art: "The flower motif in the panel over the fireplace was beautifully painted."
motive (MOH tiv)
1. An idea or feeling which inspires an individual to act or to take action: "The police wondered what the motive was for the break in at the bank because nothing was missing."
2. A reason for doing something: "The motive for the kids in running away was to avoid being punished for breaking the window with the football." mottle, motto
mottle (MAHT 'l)
Spots or blotches on the surface: "The sunshine created a mottle effect on the sidewalk as it shined through the leaves of the trees."
motto (MAHT oh)
A sentence, phrase, or short expression of the guiding principles for something: "The motto for our school is carved into the stone over the main entrance."
"The Boy Scout motto is Be prepared." mucous, mucus
mucous (MYOO kuhs)
1. Slimy or covered with thick slippery substance: "There was a mucous like substance on the steps leading down to the river."
2. Pertaining to, consisting of, or resembling mucus: "The mucous membrane is a thin, wet layer of skin that is inside some part of the body; such as, the nose and throat, which produces mucus." mucus (MYOO kuhs)
A thick, slippery substance produced by certain membranes in the body, the purpose of which is to moisten and to protect: "When he sneezed, mucus was visible and he needed a handkerchief to wipe his nose."
mulched, mulcted
mulched (MULCH 'd)
To have covered something with sawdust, compost, etc. to keep weeds down, protect from temperatures, etc.: "In the spring, I mulched the garden to keep the weeds from growing."
mulcted (MULKT id)
To have swindled someone or taken something by fraud: "The gangster mulcted his victim of a considerable amount of money."
muscle, mussel, muzzle
muscle (MUHS uhl)
Tissue in the body that contracts when stimulated thus causing movement: "The muscle in my leg is killing me because I was running too fast."
mussel (MUHS uhl)
A marine bivalve mollusk common to both the sea and fresh water: "The interior of the mussel shell is pearly and smooth."
muzzle (MUZ uhl)
1. The forward, projecting part of the head of certain animals; such as, dogs, including the mouth, nose, and jaws; the snout: "I pet the muzzle of the cute little puppy."
2. A leather or wire restraining appliance that, when fitted over an animal's snout, prevents biting and eating: "The by-law in the city required that every dog wear a muzzle to prevent the dog from hurting people and other dogs." 3. The forward, discharging end of the barrel of a firearm: "He pointed the muzzle of the gun at the target and pulled the trigger." Obviously we can not muzzle a mussel in order to see its muscle.
If there are any numbers below, use them to see other pages in this unit.
Showing page 5 out of 6 pages of 78 words or word groups. Back to Index | Search Box | Main Index The Main-Word Info pageThe + sign at the end of a unit title means all of the words in that unit have definitions.Directory of special content and topicsDo you want to help to make this dictionary bigger and better?
|
