mull

- 15 dictionary results

mull

1 [muhl]

–verb (used without object)

1.	to study or ruminate; ponder.

–verb (used with object)

2.	to think about carefully; consider (often fol. by over): to mull over an idea.

3.	to make a mess or failure of.

Origin:
1815–25; perh. identical with dial. mull to crumble, pulverize; see mull ⁴

Synonyms:
1. consider, weigh.

mull

2 [muhl]

–verb (used with object)

to heat, sweeten, and flavor with spices for drinking, as ale or wine.

Origin:
1610–20; orig. uncert.

mull

3 [muhl]

–noun

a soft, thin muslin.

Origin:
1790–1800; earlier mulmul < Hindi malmal

mull

4 [muhl]

–verb (used with object) Metallurgy.

to mix (clay and sand) under a roller for use in preparing a mold.

Origin:
1400–50; cf. dial.: to crumble, pulverize, ME mollen, mullen, orig., to moisten, soften by wetting; see moil

Mull

[muhl]

–noun

an island in the Hebrides, in W Scotland. 3185; ab. 351 sq. mi. (910 sq. km).

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To mull

mull¹ (mŭl)

tr.v. mulled, mull·ing, mulls
To heat and spice (wine, for example).

[Origin unknown.]

mull² (mŭl)

v.   mulled, mull·ing, mulls

v.   tr.
To go over extensively in the mind; ponder.
v.   intr.
To ruminate; ponder: mull over a plan.

[Probably Middle English mollen, mullen, to moisten, crumble; see moil.]

mull³ (mŭl)

n. A soft thin muslin used in dresses and for trimmings.

[Short for mulmull, from Hindi malmal.]

Mull (mŭl)

An island of western Scotland in the Inner Hebrides. It is separated from the mainland on the northeast by the Sound of Mull.

Word Origin & History

mull (v.1)

"ponder," 1873, perhaps ult. from M.E. mullyn "grind to powder, pulverize," from molle "dust, ashes, rubbish," probably from M.Du. mul "grit, loose earth," related to mill. But Webster's (1879) defined it as "to work steadily without accomplishing much," which may connect it to earlier identical word in athletics sense of "to botch, muff" (1862).

mull (v.2)

"sweeten, spice and heat a drink," 1607, perhaps from Du. mol, a kind of white, sweet beer, or from Flem. molle a kind of beer.

mull (n.)

"promontory" (in Scottish place names), 1375, probably from O.N. muli "snout, muzzle, a jutting crag."

Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ¹mull
Pronunciation: 'm&l
Function: transitive verb
: to grind or mix thoroughly (as in a mortar) : PULVERIZE mulled in the palm of the hand —Journalof the American Dental Assocation>

Main Entry: ²mull
Function: noun
1 : a soft fine sheer fabric of cotton, silk, or rayon
2 : an ointment of high melting pointintended to be spread on muslin or mull and used like a plaster mull>

Encyclopedia

Mull

second largest island of the Inner Hebrides group, in the Argyll and Bute council area, historic county of Argyllshire, Scotland. Mull lies off the western coast of the Scottish mainland across the Sound of Mull and the Firth of Lorn. The island is mountainous-reaching an elevation of 3,169 feet (966 metres) at Ben More-and its coastline is deeply indented. Granite is quarried on Mull, and the island's limited farmland is predominantly devoted to sheep and cattle grazing. There are several ancient castles, including Aros and Duart. Tobermory, the largest settlement on Mull, was founded in 1788 as a fishing village. It is now a summer resort. Mull is connected to the mainland by ferry. Pop. (2001) 2,696.

Learn more about Mull with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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