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MOUSING

 - 8 dictionary results

mous⋅ing

  [mou-zing]
Use MOUSING in a Sentence
–noun Nautical.
a wrapping of several turns of small stuff around the shank end of a hook.
Origin:
1825–35; mouse + -ing 1

mouse

  [n. mous; v. mouz] noun, plural mice  [mahys] , verb, moused, mous⋅ing.
–noun
1. any of numerous small Old World rodents of the family Muridae, esp. of the genus Mus, introduced widely in other parts of the world.
2. any similar small animal of various rodent and marsupial families.
3. a quiet, timid person.
4. Computers. a palm-sized, button-operated device that can be slid on wheels or ball bearings over a desktop to move the cursor on a CRT to any position, or slid over a drawing in order to recreate the drawing on a CRT. Compare joystick (def. 2).
5. Informal. a swelling under the eye, caused by a blow or blows; black eye.
6. Slang. a girl or woman.
–verb (used with object)
7. to hunt out, as a cat hunts out mice.
8. Nautical. to secure with a mousing.
–verb (used without object)
9. to hunt for or catch mice.
10. to prowl about, as if in search of something: The burglar moused about for valuables.
11. to seek or search stealthily or watchfully, as if for prey.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME mous (pl. mis), OE mūs (pl. mȳs); c. G Maus, ON mūs, L mūs, Gk mŷs

Related forms:
mouselike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To MOUSING
mouse   (mous)   
n.   pl. mice (mīs)

    1. Any of numerous small rodents of the families Muridae and Cricetidae, such as the common house mouse (Mus musculus), characteristically having a pointed snout, small rounded ears, and a long naked or almost hairless tail.

    2. Any of various similar or related animals, such as the jumping mouse, the vole, or the jerboa.

  2. A cowardly or timid person.

  3. Informal A discolored swelling under the eye caused by a blow; a black eye.

  4. pl. mice or mous·es (mous'ĭz) Computer Science A hand-held, button-activated input device that when rolled along a flat surface directs an indicator to move correspondingly about a computer screen, allowing the operator to move the indicator freely, as to select operations or manipulate text or graphics.

intr.v.   (mouz) moused, mous·ing, mous·es

  1. To hunt mice.

  2. To search furtively for something; prowl.


[Middle English mous, from Old English mūs; see mūs- in Indo-European roots.]
mous·ing   (mou'zĭng)   
n.   Nautical
A binding or metal shackle around the point and shank of a hook to prevent it from slipping from an eye.

[From mouse, a large mouselike knot on a rope.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

mouse

A common device that allows the user to reposition an arrow on their computer screen in order to activate desired applications. The term mouse comes from the appearance of the device, with the cord to the main computer being seen as a tail of sorts.

Note: The user usually sends signals to the computer when the user depresses or “clicks” a switch. A number of slang terms, such as “click on X” or “click and drag” have arisen from the appearance of symbols on a screen when a mouse is used.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

mouse 
O.E. mus "small rodent," also "muscle," from P.Gmc. *mus (cf. O.N., O.Fris., M.Du. mus, Ger. Maus "mouse"), from PIE *muHs- (cf. Skt. mus "mouse, rat," O.Pers. mush "mouse," O.C.S. mysu, L. mus, Lith. muse "mouse," Gk. mys "mouse, muscle"). Plural form mice (O.E. mys) shows effects of i-mutation. Meaning "black eye" (or other discolored lump) is from 1842. Computer sense is from 1965, though applied to other things resembling a mouse in shape since 1750, mainly nautical. Mousetrap is from c.1475 (O.E. had musfealle).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: mouse
Pronunciation: 'maus
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural mice /'mIs/
1 : any of numerous smallrodents with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body, and slender hairless or sparsely haired tail, including all the smaller members of the genus Mus (as the medically significanthouse mouse, M. musculus) and many members of other rodent genera and families having little more in common than their relatively small size
2 : a dark-colored swellingcaused by a blow; specifically : BLACK EYE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Science Dictionary
mouse   (mous)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural mice (mīs) or mouses
A hand-held input device that is moved about on a flat surface to direct the cursor on a computer screen. It also has buttons for activating computer functions. The underside of a mechanical mouse contains a rubber-coated ball that rotates as the mouse is moved; optical sensors detect the motion and move the screen pointer correspondingly. An optical mouse is cordless and uses reflections from an LED to track the mouse's movement over a special reflective mat which is marked with a grid that acts as a frame of reference.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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